Turquoise?

[rivarat]

I picked these up today from a local shop.
They were being sold as African Turquoise, 
They were reduced to $2 Australian each Total of about $3US for the 2 So I thought I would take the risk and see what they are. The piece of sodalite I bought cost more.
Looking on the net they say African turquoise is actually a jasper,  but the 2 I bought are soft than any jasper I know of. They scratch with a steel nail.



Weathered exterior, shown wet in sun light


I ground a flat on each and the color increased in depth and the blue shades started to appear.

I haven't tested it for being dyed yet, but I'm getting the feeling that it hasn't been judging by the color. Will test later with acetone on a cotton bud & post the results
What's the thoughts of everyone?  Turquoise or not?
If it is, I better go back and get more. Why not at $A20 per KG or for those that don't work in metric under $7US per pound

[metalsmith]

Jasper.

With such different properties from Turquoise, they should be easy to tell apart:
"it offers quite different qualities and energies. Considered the stone of evolution, African Turquoise brings about great change and transformation within life. Its encouraging energy opens minds to the possibility of newness. This stone helps us to see the need for development and metamorphosis, and provides the balance and confidence necessary to further the process of self-development. It will renew your spirit, energy, and path in life. Carry it with you, and you will feel its reassurance as you meet new possibilities"
source

Did it come with a white sage leaf that you can use to clear energies before using?





Whereas turquoise is a blueish mineral. No sage.

[vegasjames]

Found this on African turquoise, and shows a hardness of 5-6 and color enhanced:

www.gemhound.com/gemstones/african_turquoise

[rivarat]

Sorry I don't feel any great change or transformation. Do I just have to carry it, or do I have to eat or sleep with it - that might be taking it a bit far I don't love my rocks that much.
Just the hardness has me a little stumped, just tried a scratch test with calcite, calcite scratches it and it scratches calcite. So around 3 in hardness.
Acetone didn't remove any color.
I wouldn't be disappointed if it is a jasper as it will make some nice cabs in the future.

[Deleted]

Feb 12, 2017 4:04:31 GMT -5 rivarat said:

Sorry I don't feel any great change or transformation. Do I just have to carry it, or do I have to eat or sleep with it - that might be taking it a bit far I don't love my rocks that much.
Just the hardness has me a little stumped, just tried a scratch test with calcite, calcite scratches it and it scratches calcite. So around 3 in hardness.
Acetone didn't remove any color.
I wouldn't be disappointed if it is a jasper as it will make some nice cabs in the future.

Well

If calcite scratches it, then it definitely ain't Jasper!

[rivarat]

Tried to cab a piece of the lighter blue today. All ok until sanding - undercut quite badly the black matrix in it is a fair bit harder then the rest. might try to stabilize it and see what happens. When sawing it it did have a slight talc like smell if that helps with identifying it.