brotherbill
spending too much on rocks
Member since October 2018
Posts: 388
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Post by brotherbill on Oct 3, 2021 13:02:17 GMT -5
I recently made a purchase from menekse_bilal08 on Instagram. The item was an unpolished stick agate specimen. I knew when I seen it that I had to have it. Price negotiations were short, I didn't have the time to stretch things out and I knew I wanted it. In the end the price was in line with the value in my opinion but certainly not a steal. However the vendor said he would fill the box with rocks to compensate for the shipping (Fedex).
I received within a week and to my surprise the "rocks"(approx 5lbs) were way beyond my expectations! Included were turkish rainforest chrysoprase, pet wood, amethyst tube agate, ***lemon opal***, druzy quartz, a kammererite specimen, banded agate nodules, purple chalcedony, something that looks like seraphinite and 2 outstanding 100g pieces of flawless blue chalcedony! I felt like a kid does at Xmas!
First thing I thought is that I badly overpaid and he felt sorry for me or he was chumming the water! It is terrible that I am such a skeptic, probably he is just an honest guy! Anyway... I will definitely buy from him again. I will let you know how it goes.
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oldschoolrocker
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2019
Posts: 1,578
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Post by oldschoolrocker on Oct 3, 2021 13:22:54 GMT -5
Awesome! One thing I've read about similar vendors on Instagram is the first one or two purchases go smooth but get junk on a subsequent larger purchase. Hopefully, that doesn't end up being the case w you but thot I'd throw it out there. But sounds like you scored a good deal on this purchase!!
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brotherbill
spending too much on rocks
Member since October 2018
Posts: 388
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Post by brotherbill on Oct 3, 2021 15:33:33 GMT -5
Awesome! One thing I've read about similar vendors on Instagram is the first one or two purchases go smooth but get junk on a subsequent larger purchase. Hopefully, that doesn't end up being the case w you but thot I'd throw it out there. But sounds like you scored a good deal on this purchase!! Good point! I have been down that street with poor follow-ups |
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gemfeller
Cave Dweller 
Member since June 2011
Posts: 4,059 
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Post by gemfeller on Oct 3, 2021 23:47:21 GMT -5
The extras sound amazing - so does the specimen you ordered. Enlighten me on the nature of "Turkish rainforest chrysoprase." I'm a chrysoprase buff but have never heard of that particular variation.
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brotherbill
spending too much on rocks
Member since October 2018
Posts: 388
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Post by brotherbill on Oct 4, 2021 12:28:52 GMT -5
gemfellerThe material was received unidentified and I ID'd it as turkish rainforest chrysoprase based on other entries from the vendors Instagram site. A Google search seemed to corroborate my identification. Apparently it comes from the Northwest region of Turkey called Marmara. The turkish rainforest chrysoprase is a very dark green, similar to bloodstone in color. The translucency is jade like. The matrix is just like the aussie chrysoprase. 
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gemfeller
Cave Dweller
Member since June 2011
Posts: 4,059
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Post by gemfeller on Oct 4, 2021 13:52:29 GMT -5
gemfeller The material was received unidentified and I ID'd it as turkish rainforest chrysoprase based on other entries from the vendors Instagram site. A Google search seemed to corroborate my identification. Apparently it comes from the Northwest region of Turkey called Marmara. The turkish rainforest chrysoprase is a very dark green, similar to bloodstone in color. The translucency is jade like. The matrix is just like the aussie chrysoprase. Thanks --very interesting. A search reveals it's frequently referred to as moganite, a polymorph of quartz (same mineral, different crystal structure). Since true chrysoprase is chalcedony colored by nickel I'm curious about the coloring agent in your material. To the eye it looks a lot like the chromium-colored chalcedony originally found in Zimbabwe and now in Australia called Mtorolite, among other names. If it's Mtorolite it should appear red when viewed with a Chelsea filter. |
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brotherbill
spending too much on rocks
Member since October 2018
Posts: 388
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Post by brotherbill on Oct 4, 2021 16:21:56 GMT -5
gemfellerI am familiar with Mtorolite and the color is definitely a match to the darker varieties of it. The difference being that the Mtorolite that I have seen had very faint light colored plumes in it. No plumes in this stuff. Are the plumes typical of Mtorolite?
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gemfeller
Cave Dweller
Member since June 2011
Posts: 4,059
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Post by gemfeller on Oct 4, 2021 18:33:22 GMT -5
brotherbill I'm not sure about the plumes. I've seen cabs of Aussie chrome chalcedony without them -- just pure dark green resembling some colors of nephrite jade. As I recall the African material was dark green with no pattern. Here's a link to mtorolite images: duckduckgo.com/?q=mtorolite+images&atb=v181-1&ia=web
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brotherbill
spending too much on rocks
Member since October 2018
Posts: 388
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Post by brotherbill on Oct 5, 2021 12:53:12 GMT -5
gemfeller"Faint plumes" was probably the wrong description. More like mossy. I went digging around and found this sample. It was bought 3-4 years ago at Desert Gardens and I was told it was African Chrysoprase. It was a 10 lb. piece with lots of matrix. In this condition the quality was hard to establish but the price was too good to pass up. When I slabbed it I found it very mossy. Several members of my gem and mineral club ID'd it as Mtorolite. At this point it doesn't matter as I have given it all away. What is your opinion, Mtorolite or African Chrysoprase or all the same thing? 
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gemfeller
Cave Dweller
Member since June 2011
Posts: 4,059
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Post by gemfeller on Oct 5, 2021 17:49:34 GMT -5
brotherbillI have very little experience with mtorolite/chrome chalcedony, so I'm afraid I can't help you much. As for African chrysoprase, I know chryso's been found in Tanzania and maybe elsewhere, but again my experience is solely with Australian material so I have no basis for comparison. Looks like you're a very generous guy, giving all your mtorolite away!
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Post by rockjunquie on Oct 7, 2021 9:17:24 GMT -5
brotherbill Looks like Mtorolite to me. You should post this mystery in the ID thread. I'm sure you'll get more help.
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Post by roy on Oct 7, 2021 10:35:58 GMT -5
I recently made a purchase from menekse_bilal08 on Instagram. The item was an unpolished stick agate specimen. I knew when I seen it that I had to have it. Price negotiations were short, I didn't have the time to stretch things out and I knew I wanted it. In the end the price was in line with the value in my opinion but certainly not a steal. However the vendor said he would fill the box with rocks to compensate for the shipping (Fedex). I received within a week and to my surprise the "rocks"(approx 5lbs) were way beyond my expectations! Included were turkish rainforest chrysoprase, pet wood, amethyst tube agate, ***lemon opal***, druzy quartz, a kammererite specimen, banded agate nodules, purple chalcedony, something that looks like seraphinite and 2 outstanding 100g pieces of flawless blue chalcedony! I felt like a kid does at Xmas! First thing I thought is that I badly overpaid and he felt sorry for me or he was chumming the water! It is terrible that I am such a skeptic, probably he is just an honest guy! Anyway... I will definitely buy from him again. I will let you know how it goes. he sent you samples and hope you will come back for more |
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Post by socalagatehound on Oct 8, 2021 23:40:46 GMT -5
100 percent mtorolite. I have fair amount of it. Barnhouse lapidary stocks it. This is a good grade with moss/ plumes. Sometimes the plumes can be quite defined. There is a higher grade that is darker and clearer and cuts dramatic stones.
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Post by broseph82 on Oct 11, 2021 20:29:19 GMT -5
Awesome! One thing I've read about similar vendors on Instagram is the first one or two purchases go smooth but get junk on a subsequent larger purchase. Hopefully, that doesn't end up being the case w you but thot I'd throw it out there. But sounds like you scored a good deal on this purchase!! For me it was the initial buy was crap and then they wouldn’t stop soliciting their other stuff even AFTER I said I wasn’t happy with my rock nor the price and I wouldn’t be buying another thing from them. They just wouldn’t stop sending me pics of subpar rough and eventually had to block them. |
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