lordsorril
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since April 2020
Posts: 766
|
Post by lordsorril on Sept 13, 2020 9:02:37 GMT -5
Hi All, Was 'Rockhounding' a flea market today: Found this piece, solid white parts are softer than steel, but, not by much. The seller did not know the origin, but, she was adamant that the yellow parts were tourmaline. Seems like it would be a distinctive formation. What do you think? Note: (Haggled it down from $8 to $3)
|
|
|
Post by captbob on Sept 13, 2020 10:06:31 GMT -5
I go with calcite. Probably outta Mexico.
|
|
quartzilla
Cave Dweller
Member since April 2020
Posts: 1,197
|
Post by quartzilla on Sept 14, 2020 14:21:57 GMT -5
Neat find but nothing in that looks like tourmaline. Yellow is one of the rarer colors of tourmaline right alongside transparent if I’m not mistaken.
|
|
|
Post by pauls on Sept 14, 2020 16:14:57 GMT -5
Hmmm. I doubt Tourmaline, first idea Calcite but not sure, there's too much else going on in that rock screaming not calcite. Smithsonite possibly. If that was the case the black could be Zinc. I also think there could be Garnet in there or maybe Rhodonite. I think you need to find a mineral collector who can have a close look and actually handle it.
|
|
lordsorril
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since April 2020
Posts: 766
|
Post by lordsorril on Sept 14, 2020 19:52:57 GMT -5
Thanks for the info! Originally the former owner asked me what that I thought it was:I said it was some sort of calcite shell with some embedded smokey quartz and maybe some of the quartz was heated and formed citrine (I don't know--I'm not a geologist--lol). She was taken aback and clearly annoyed and said that she cuts with a 'Arrow Sapphire' (so odd that she referred to it by name-bragging I guess) and said that she has a jewelry store (gave me her contact info) and that something-something triangle shape crystals protruding (she pointed to the bottom of the structure of the last photo shown) and 'peg' matrix makes it yellow tourmaline. I told her I was pretty sure that is a piece of calcite and it was definitely not yellow tourmaline and I would give her $3 for it. She took my offer, but, instilled doubt. If there are no objections: I'm going to throw this one in my tumbler as a 'soft' piece and see what happens. I've tumbled fluorite in quartz matrix, I imagine this will be similar...
|
|
|
Post by rmf on Sept 15, 2020 4:27:27 GMT -5
pic #2 looks a lot like sphalerite (ZnS)
|
|
lordsorril
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since April 2020
Posts: 766
|
Post by lordsorril on Sept 15, 2020 6:27:43 GMT -5
pic #2 looks a lot like sphalerite (ZnS) Sphalerite? Never heard of it before. *Googles Sphalerite* Hmmm-that is an awesome guess based on the photos! I read online this morning that Sphalerite is UV reactive under both long and short wave. No such luck (photos under long wave UV).
|
|
|
Post by pauls on Sept 15, 2020 19:12:24 GMT -5
pic #2 looks a lot like sphalerite (ZnS) Yep, that's what got me thing it could be Smithsonite. The slight orange glow under UV looks more like Calcite though, so back to the start.
|
|
|
Post by rmf on Sept 18, 2020 4:03:45 GMT -5
Images 4&5 look like some yellowish fluorite. Do you know where it is from. Where was the flea market? In Southern IL and W. KY sphalerite is found with Galena, Fluorite, Barite and calcite. I did not see any galena in the images but the other minerals fit. I have never seen Sphalerite glow under UV light.
|
|
lordsorril
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since April 2020
Posts: 766
|
Post by lordsorril on Sept 18, 2020 7:45:43 GMT -5
Images 4&5 look like some yellowish fluorite. Do you know where it is from. Where was the flea market? In Southern IL and W. KY sphalerite is found with Galena, Fluorite, Barite and calcite. I did not see any galena in the images but the other minerals fit. I have never seen Sphalerite glow under UV light. The flea market is located in Central Massachusetts. The woman was selling mostly antiques and had a tin full of rocks on the side. I picked up each rock and I think I can safely identify the others as: a chunk of selenite, a crazy shaped piece of Utah agate, a badly fractured piece of silver sheen obsidian, and a rough piece of chrysocolla (probably from Morenci, AZ). All of these seem to be in line with what CaptBob said originally about it being from and/or gathered near Mexico. Whatever it is: I'm going to tumble it any which way. Maybe it will offer more clues once I remove some of that calcite. I will post photos if I see anything interesting as it wears down.
|
|
thankyou
off to a rocking start
Member since January 2020
Posts: 12
|
Post by thankyou on Sept 18, 2020 19:33:28 GMT -5
fleamarket finds are the best
|
|
fuss
spending too much on rocks
Member since October 2018
Posts: 250
|
Post by fuss on Sept 19, 2020 9:25:30 GMT -5
looks like there is a specimen tag on it. I would hold off on tumbling until you know more about it. The white mineral could be Aragonite or calcite, have you tested with an acid for effervescence? The dark mineral needs a hardness test done, it does resemble some sphalerite I have seen (not all Spahlerite fluoresces btw. I think it is an interesting looking specimen as is and worthy of more investigation before doing anything in the tumbler with it.
|
|