ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
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Post by ubermenehune on Oct 24, 2016 16:18:58 GMT -5
Hello everyone. Wondering if anyone can assist with identifying this specimen. The matrix material is fairly brittle; It's almost like hardened dirt. Scattered throughout, in seemingly random fashion is white, opal-like material with some very fine orange/peach druzy. Collected near the Montana / Idaho border, I'm told. Help me, RTH. You're my only hope.
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,681
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Post by Fossilman on Oct 24, 2016 16:39:19 GMT -5
Looks like basalt and opal.... Very unstable stuff....
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,456
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Post by Sabre52 on Oct 24, 2016 17:17:29 GMT -5
Yep, I'm with fossilman. See a lot of that around some of the geode beds and in situ agate and opal sites in the west....Mel
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Post by greig on Oct 25, 2016 9:40:43 GMT -5
I would have guessed the white was calcite. Easy test is a drop of muriatic acid to see if it bubbles. Mini vug dead center? If so, sometimes there are interesting crystals buried in the calcite.
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ubermenehune
spending too much on rocks
Member since March 2016
Posts: 293
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Post by ubermenehune on Oct 25, 2016 21:17:15 GMT -5
Not calcite. I did do an acid test on both the matrix and the white stuff and there was no reaction.
It's hard to tell from my iphone pics, but the orange material has a botryoidal texture. Any geology guys know how this stuff forms?
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