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Post by mrbrett on Sept 3, 2004 7:02:38 GMT -5
Ok, this is driving me nuts! I need to know if this stuff is amber or something else.   This one has something inside it!  Noltie is saying he like to know what this is too!  I got about 50 Lbs. or so sitting in a box. |
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Post by sandsman1 on Sept 3, 2004 7:47:25 GMT -5
hi brett --it kinda looks like carneilian agate but iv never seen alotta amber is it real hard like agate ,,because amber is on the soft side its 1.2 to 2.5 on mohs
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Post by mrbrett on Sept 3, 2004 8:01:40 GMT -5
sandman, It seems hard, I have found some in the pile that was alot lighter and seemed softer. The people i bought this stuff from said that their was amber but when you get 25 boxes of rocks which box is it in? So I didn't know if this was or not.
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bschultz
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since March 2004
Posts: 234
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Post by bschultz on Sept 3, 2004 8:26:17 GMT -5
Brett, it looks like it could be amber. Is it unusually light weight. Amber is very light. If you can imagine a plastic rock, that is about what amber should feel like, weight wise.
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Post by Cher on Sept 3, 2004 9:52:25 GMT -5
[glow=red,2,300]WOW[/glow]
You got 25 boxes of rocks? Where did you get it all?
Man you in rock tumblers heaven!!! I've found stuff
like that but I just thought it was some kind of quartz.
What ever it is, looks like it should tumble nicely.
[glow=red,2,300]~ Cher ~[/glow]
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Post by BearCreekLapidary on Sept 3, 2004 10:25:57 GMT -5
Hello Brett,
That doesn't appear to be amber to me ... going by the banding in photo #3. It looks like a bunch of agates, from the exterior charachteristics of the pieces photgraphed.
I have never seen amber with any banding what so ever. It is extremely light ... if your stones have any weight to them at all ... I would lean towards the agates or possibly even carnelian or a mix of both.
Most carnelian is a reddish-brown color. Carnelian can also have banding ... but it is generally soft banding (not in hardness ... but, in an optical aspect - light to very light). In photo #3 the banding is much stronger.
I have seen prarie agates that look very much like the ones you have photographed. My vote is for agates.
Enjoy,
John
PS. I'll post some photo's of some amber, later today. I have some in my shop, that I have not yet finished. You'll be able to see differences in the two.
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Post by mrbrett on Sept 3, 2004 12:31:46 GMT -5
John, the one that has banding is something else in the rock. It almost looks like a seashell that is stuck in it. And it is heavier than I would think amber is.
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Post by krazydiamond on Sept 3, 2004 15:13:48 GMT -5
Noltie looks like he is used to getting what he wants too!! what a CAT!
KD
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rollingstone
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since July 2009
Posts: 236
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Post by rollingstone on Sept 3, 2004 15:24:37 GMT -5
Brett, make up a saturated solution of water and table salt -- you should be able to dissolve about 2.5 tablespoons of salt per cup of water. Amber will float in this solution. Agates, carnelian, etc. will sink. Imitation amber such as glass or plastic imitations will also sink. Note that your piece that has the inclusion in it might also sink, because that inclusion will affect the density of stone. But the pure pieces will float if they are amber. Hope this helps.
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Post by BearCreekLapidary on Sept 3, 2004 20:49:48 GMT -5
Hello Brett, Here are some photo's that might be of some help ...   These two photo's are of the same piece of Carnelian, notice the two very distinct patterns of the rough material. You will also notice some light bandiing in the one photo.   These photo's are of Amber Amber is extremely soft and light ... just like holding plastic, as mentioned earlier. Let us know what you discover ... Enjoy, John |
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rollingstone
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since July 2009
Posts: 236
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Post by rollingstone on Sept 4, 2004 1:35:45 GMT -5
Here's another test you can use for amber....heat up something like the tip of a small nail very hot, glowing red if you can. Then touch it to the amber. If it's amber, it will give off a puff of smoke that smells like Christmas trees or piney woods. If it's something like carnelian, it won't give off any smoke, and if it's a plastic imitation it will smell like burned plastic. Funny that even though it is fossilized, amber will still give off a burst of pine gum essence.
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Post by mrbrett on Sept 4, 2004 8:47:04 GMT -5
I have come to the conclusion that it is not amber. but what is it? Is it carnealian ? This material was collected in the 70's that I know. I'll dig some more in the box and takes more pics.
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Post by Feanor on Sept 4, 2004 12:04:12 GMT -5
Hi. They look exactly like some Lake Superior agates . I used to think that agates were generally defined by having at least some banding but have seen many Lake Superior agates with none at all. They also tend to have the small indentations I see on your material. Hope this helps. Dan
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Post by mrbrett on Sept 6, 2004 9:24:42 GMT -5
Hey Bear, I was digging in the box and found some red carnelian that looks just like your pic. So this stuff might be a lighter shade of carnelian. Anyways I busted up about 5 lbs and stuck them in the tumbler.
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Post by BearCreekLapidary on Sept 6, 2004 21:25:56 GMT -5
Hello Brett,
Sounds great ... keep us posted!
John
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Post by creativeminded on Sept 7, 2004 9:42:05 GMT -5
I was told that one way to find out if it is amber or not is to get a pin or a nail hot and touch it to the stone and if it melts it is Amber, you also might get a pine smell depending on what tree the amber came from.
Tami
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