ingawh
starting to spend too much on rocks
The rock wants to shine, I just help it get there
Member since February 2011
Posts: 194
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Post by ingawh on Feb 23, 2018 4:14:43 GMT -5
2018-02-23_12-32-06 by Inga Holmquist, on Flickr This came out of the vibe without much shine, but it's just so cool, I wondered if anyone has an idea what it is? It is a denim blue, so it doesn't really look like either lapis or sodalite. I've gotten a lovely shine on sodalite before, but this never took more than a soft luster, and it really just doesn't look like either of those blue stones - to me anyway. What doesn't show well in the photo is how sparkly the silver parts are. If I've actually been tumbling some kind of off-color lapis, I'll feel pretty silly... I should add that I have no idea where it came from. Sadly.
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Post by fernwood on Feb 23, 2018 4:28:42 GMT -5
Nice. Sorry, I dunno exactly on ID. Are the lighter parts quartz-like?
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Post by melhill1659 on Feb 23, 2018 7:49:38 GMT -5
I can’t help either but I have found 2 denim blue stones in a stream here in Mississippi that look identical to that without the silver. They even have the same wavy pattern. When I put one to a wheel it gave off a slight sulfur smell. I picked them up because of the beautiful blue color.
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Post by fernwood on Feb 23, 2018 8:13:52 GMT -5
Maybe Dumortierite?
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zarguy
fully equipped rock polisher
Cedar City, Utah - rockhound heaven!
Member since December 2005
Posts: 1,791
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Post by zarguy on Feb 23, 2018 13:14:25 GMT -5
It almost looks like Pet wood. Lynn
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Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,881
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Post by Tommy on Feb 23, 2018 13:26:27 GMT -5
My guess is Dumortierite also - the gray areas look to be areas of severe abrading or undercutting, potentially with grit embedded? It does look neat though
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Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,881
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Post by Tommy on Feb 23, 2018 13:28:09 GMT -5
I should add that there is also a very similar blue chert material that I've found at "Area 54" in central California. I'll try to scare up a picture if I can find it.
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Post by MsAli on Feb 23, 2018 13:31:35 GMT -5
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Post by mohs on Feb 23, 2018 15:23:48 GMT -5
pretty blues!
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goatgrinder
spending too much on rocks
Make mine a man cave
Member since January 2017
Posts: 368
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Post by goatgrinder on Feb 23, 2018 16:20:37 GMT -5
Can't we just call the sparkly bits - druzy quartz?
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NRG
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,687
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Post by NRG on Feb 23, 2018 17:30:13 GMT -5
ingawh Can you try to scratch it with a steel knife or something steel? I think its blue quartzite, which is what dumortierite is? Try googling “azul macauba” and you will see many blue quartzites from Brazil.
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ingawh
starting to spend too much on rocks
The rock wants to shine, I just help it get there
Member since February 2011
Posts: 194
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Post by ingawh on Feb 23, 2018 17:53:02 GMT -5
Thanks to everyone for the thoughts and ideas. It is not quartzy, however, in either the blue or silver parts. I've polished blue quartzite before and am familiar with how it processes. There are two very distinct materials running through this. The silver stuff looks like a very fine crystalline metallic substance, but it's not embedded grit - I promise. Because of that crystalline graininess, it did undercut severely (though I have to admit, I like the ropey effect that created.) The blue part must be pretty soft - if it had been even remotely hard, I think I'd have gotten more of a shine on it. The photo just can't capture it, so I may need to find a rock shop that can take a look at it, because it's still a puzzle. Thanks, everyone, for jumping in to help.
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ingawh
starting to spend too much on rocks
The rock wants to shine, I just help it get there
Member since February 2011
Posts: 194
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Post by ingawh on Feb 23, 2018 17:54:57 GMT -5
I can’t help either but I have found 2 denim blue stones in a stream here in Mississippi that look identical to that without the silver. They even have the same wavy pattern. When I put one to a wheel it gave off a slight sulfur smell. I picked them up because of the beautiful blue color. I'd love to know if you find out what it might be. Thanks!
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ingawh
starting to spend too much on rocks
The rock wants to shine, I just help it get there
Member since February 2011
Posts: 194
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Post by ingawh on Feb 23, 2018 17:56:01 GMT -5
It almost looks like Pet wood. Lynn I'm afraid that's a result of the photo - it's got that ropey pattern, but I'm sure it's not wood. Thanks, though!
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ingawh
starting to spend too much on rocks
The rock wants to shine, I just help it get there
Member since February 2011
Posts: 194
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Post by ingawh on Feb 23, 2018 17:58:37 GMT -5
I should add that there is also a very similar blue chert material that I've found at "Area 54" in central California. I'll try to scare up a picture if I can find it. Thanks for the thought. If it were as hard as chert, I'd have gotten more of a shine on it though, I'm sure. I've polished up lots of cherts, and this one just doesn't take a gleam like they can. I think it's a soft material. (But I WISH I could say it was from "Area 54!!" )
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ingawh
starting to spend too much on rocks
The rock wants to shine, I just help it get there
Member since February 2011
Posts: 194
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Post by ingawh on Feb 23, 2018 18:01:09 GMT -5
Can't we just call the sparkly bits - druzy quartz? Sadly, it's not that easy. Definitely not druzy. I'm realizing that, although a picture is worth 1000 words, in this case, it just begs 10,000 more!
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ingawh
starting to spend too much on rocks
The rock wants to shine, I just help it get there
Member since February 2011
Posts: 194
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Post by ingawh on Feb 23, 2018 18:03:35 GMT -5
ingawh Can you try to scratch it with a steel knife or something steel? I think its blue quartzite, which is what dumortierite is? Try googling “azul macauba” and you will see many blue quartzites from Brazil. I googled it, and that is some gorgeous stuff! I want to do my house in that! But I'm sure it's not what I've got.
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ingawh
starting to spend too much on rocks
The rock wants to shine, I just help it get there
Member since February 2011
Posts: 194
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Post by ingawh on Feb 23, 2018 18:05:04 GMT -5
Great photos - thanks so much for sharing them. I apparently have a very odd rock, as it's just not quartz-like at all, in either the blue or silver areas. Still scratching my head.
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Post by MsAli on Feb 23, 2018 18:10:58 GMT -5
Great photos - thanks so much for sharing them. I apparently have a very odd rock, as it's just not quartz-like at all, in either the blue or silver areas. Still scratching my head. This is one I picked up last weekend at Area 54
Do you have any more of what it looked like before it got tossed in the vibe? Or what state/country it came from?
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ingawh
starting to spend too much on rocks
The rock wants to shine, I just help it get there
Member since February 2011
Posts: 194
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Post by ingawh on Feb 23, 2018 18:22:44 GMT -5
Great photos - thanks so much for sharing them. I apparently have a very odd rock, as it's just not quartz-like at all, in either the blue or silver areas. Still scratching my head. This is one I picked up last weekend at Area 54
Do you have any more of what it looked like before it got tossed in the vibe? Or what state/country it came from?
Before it went in the vibe it was already rounded, like a river rock, and just kinda looked like gneiss. It was already slightly undercut. It didn't look like it had been tumbled before, but I could even be wrong on that. I'm afraid I just have zero idea where it came from, because if I had to guess, I think it came in some buckets of stuff that my old rock club was invited to rescue out of someone's backyard when their estate sold the home in Washington State. So it's possible it's from Washington, but I wouldn't even vouch for that.
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