goldfinder
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2020
Posts: 225
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Post by goldfinder on Feb 9, 2023 23:46:50 GMT -5
Howdy all! I ended up getting a bunch of free rocks and some raw silver from a fellow down the street who acquired it from an entire collection he purchased. His wife wanted her garden back...so the rocks had to go lol. Long story but I'll probably explain it in a different thread as I plan on "paying it forward". This rock came from those buckets and milk crates, there was other similar looking "chrysocolla" copper ores and a little bit of turquoise as well. But only a couple chunks that looked like this one. I didn't have high expectations until I sliced it. It sure is pretty with the deep turquoise color mixed in a spiderweb pattern with the reds. It's definitely pretty hard and dense, not nearly as soft and crumbly as some of the other coppers ores I've cut. It appeared to scratch with a file but it took a lot of force. Maybe it's Parrott Wing? Or it simply another "UCO" Unidentified Copper Ore lol. Any thoughts or ideas are always welcome! Thanks for looking!
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Post by Rockoonz on Feb 10, 2023 1:23:14 GMT -5
The red is Cuprite. Resembles sonoran sunrise/sunset but I don't think I've seen it with the spiderwebs like that
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Post by vegasjames on Feb 10, 2023 6:51:26 GMT -5
The blue looks like turquoise, the dark green looks like malachite and the brick red looks like siderite (iron carbonate) common at some of the copper mines around here. Here is a siderite crystal I found here in Southern Nevada.
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Post by Peruano on Feb 10, 2023 7:38:12 GMT -5
Its pretty, cab it carefully and you may end up with a spiderweb like beauty.
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Post by rockjunquie on Feb 10, 2023 8:20:51 GMT -5
An amazing keeper is what it is!
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Feb 10, 2023 9:19:43 GMT -5
Dang, that's beautiful! You're a lucky duck.
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Post by vegasjames on Feb 10, 2023 10:10:43 GMT -5
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Post by MsAli on Feb 10, 2023 10:21:30 GMT -5
I agree with James that it could be Red Mountain
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goldfinder
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2020
Posts: 225
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Post by goldfinder on Feb 10, 2023 11:35:59 GMT -5
Dang, y'all rock!! I was hoping you'd chime in vegasjames as you seem to the the copper ore expert around here. I think you nailed it with the ID! I'd never heard of that turquoise before but it's looks to be a dead ringer. I thought I saw a test around here for turquoise, I'll have to dig through the forum to try finding that. Thanks again!!
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goldfinder
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2020
Posts: 225
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Post by goldfinder on Feb 10, 2023 11:39:20 GMT -5
The red is Cuprite. Resembles sonoran sunrise/sunset but I don't think I've seen it with the spiderwebs like that Thanks for the info Lee! Yeah the Sonoran sunrise/sunset definitely looked close but the spiderwebing and turquoise color seemed a bit different.
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goldfinder
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2020
Posts: 225
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Post by goldfinder on Feb 10, 2023 11:42:25 GMT -5
Its pretty, cab it carefully and you may end up with a spiderweb like beauty. Thanks! I cut a couple slabs off it last night so I'm going to try cabbing it to see how it turns out. It feels very solid so I'm hoping for the best and that it won't need stabilization.
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goldfinder
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2020
Posts: 225
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Post by goldfinder on Feb 10, 2023 11:43:53 GMT -5
An amazing keeper is what it is! Thanks! Yeah I guess this one earned a place inside the garage and not in the milk crates outside haha.
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goldfinder
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2020
Posts: 225
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Post by goldfinder on Feb 10, 2023 11:50:37 GMT -5
Dang, that's beautiful! You're a lucky duck. Haha thanks! Yeah I do feel very fortunate to have acquired this bunch for free. Glad I cut it last night or maybe it would have never been cut to revel it's beauty.
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goldfinder
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2020
Posts: 225
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Post by goldfinder on Feb 10, 2023 11:53:53 GMT -5
I agree with James that it could be Red Mountain Thanks! Yeah fingers crossed that's what it is, it looks to be a deadringer. I'm gonna try some turquoise tests on it to verify.
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Post by vegasjames on Feb 10, 2023 22:37:11 GMT -5
Dang, y'all rock!! I was hoping you'd chime in vegasjames as you seem to the the copper ore expert around here. I think you nailed it with the ID! I'd never heard of that turquoise before but it's looks to be a dead ringer. I thought I saw a test around here for turquoise, I'll have to dig through the forum to try finding that. Thanks again!! There a so many turquoise mines here in Nevada, more than anywhere else in the world. And so many different looking turquoises. Some you would never guess they were turquoise by looking at them.
Hardness and density are a couple good indicators for turquoise if it has not been stabilized. Turquoise is generally harder than chrysocolla, and it is has a higher density than chrysocolla.
Another major difference is that chrysocolla (hydrated copper silicate) does not dissolve in hydrochloric acid as where turquoise does, especially hot hydrochloric acid.
Another test I have used on my turquoise is to get a pool phosphate test kit. Chrysocolla does not contain phosphate as where turquoise does. And this is the easiest thing to test for. The sample is dissolved in the hydrochloric acid, then the excess acid is neutralized. I generally use lime (calcium oxide) to neutralize the excess acid. The use the phosphate test kit to test the sample for phosphorus. A pretty turquoise blue forms in the the test tube is phosphorus is present.
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goldfinder
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2020
Posts: 225
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Post by goldfinder on Feb 11, 2023 0:24:17 GMT -5
Dang, y'all rock!! I was hoping you'd chime in vegasjames as you seem to the the copper ore expert around here. I think you nailed it with the ID! I'd never heard of that turquoise before but it's looks to be a dead ringer. I thought I saw a test around here for turquoise, I'll have to dig through the forum to try finding that. Thanks again!! There a so many turquoise mines here in Nevada, more than anywhere else in the world. And so many different looking turquoises. Some you would never guess they were turquoise by looking at them. Hardness and density are a couple good indicators for turquoise if it has not been stabilized. Turquoise is generally harder than chrysocolla, and it is has a higher density than chrysocolla. Another major difference is that chrysocolla (hydrated copper silicate) does not dissolve in hydrochloric acid as where turquoise does, especially hot hydrochloric acid. Another test I have used on my turquoise is to get a pool phosphate test kit. Chrysocolla does not contain phosphate as where turquoise does. And this is the easiest thing to test for. The sample is dissolved in the hydrochloric acid, then the excess acid is neutralized. I generally use lime (calcium oxide) to neutralize the excess acid. The use the phosphate test kit to test the sample for phosphorus. A pretty turquoise blue forms in the the test tube is phosphorus is present.
Thanks for the great info! I really appreciate it! I was looking for chemical turquoise tests today but came up dry. My day job is as a scientist so I'm not afraid of a bit of chemical and chemistry lol. I'll try to dissolve a chunk of it in some muriatic (hydrochloric) acid and see what happens. Also the follow-up phosphorus test sounds very conclusive. I couldn't resist and tried the end cut on the cabbing wheels to make a little freeform. My 220 and 600 novas only have a few cabs through them so they are still pretty prickly and aggressive, especially the 600. The 3000 is still quite prickly as I replaced that one not too long ago as well. With that said, the material held up great. Definitely felt like the hardness I'd expect for turquoise. I kind of just rushed through the wheels to test if the material needs to be stabilized, I think it held up great and took a decent shine for only 3000 grit. There was slight undercutting of the matrix material. I'm sure hitting it with Zam would make it com alive. I'll wait to break in the new wheels for a while before working anymore of it. Thanks again for the helps and ID!
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goldfinder
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since December 2020
Posts: 225
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Post by goldfinder on Feb 11, 2023 0:26:27 GMT -5
A bad picture of it in the terrible kitchen lighting of the test piece I used to check for hardness. This is only off the 3000 grit wheel.
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Post by fernwood on Feb 11, 2023 8:31:14 GMT -5
Nice. I have some very similar pieces. Acquired from the estate of someone who self collected them in the 1980's. Mine were in a bag marked Chrysocolla, Arizona.
Will post in another thread.
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Post by vegasjames on Feb 11, 2023 9:43:39 GMT -5
Nice. I have some very similar pieces. Acquired from the estate of someone who self collected them in the 1980's. Mine were in a bag marked Chrysocolla, Arizona. Will post in another thread. Pretty much any copper bearing mineral gets called "chrysocolla" these days. I have even seen malachite called "chysocolla" on rock boards.
Chrysocolla is not very common. and too soft to be worked without stabilization.
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Post by mohs on Feb 11, 2023 10:26:28 GMT -5
I coming to the realization that correct I been giving the landscapers at the zoo grief Because no one knows what chryscholla is! Your in Arizona, The Copper State. Need to knohs these things Ha I’m like its common. Once you see it you’ll know it Then I scan the Zoo landscape & realize its pretty rare. Not at all common And even in my traillting I don’t spot lots of it Altho it must be abundant when found Now I actually wonder if my copper seam rock is actually chryscolla ? Or even if the seam is copper? O well it makes for a good story… Mostly
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