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Blue Onyx
Oct 29, 2021 18:58:28 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by knave on Oct 29, 2021 18:58:28 GMT -5
I wonder why this shop is selling it as Blue Onyx. She also sells towers of the same stuff.
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Blue Onyx
Oct 29, 2021 19:00:43 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by knave on Oct 29, 2021 19:00:43 GMT -5
Help me understand the difference between travertine, calcite, and onyx
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Post by knave on Oct 29, 2021 19:02:00 GMT -5
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Post by rmf on Oct 29, 2021 19:14:02 GMT -5
The Mexican rock dealers sell Blue, Orange, Red and Green calcite. they all polish it with muriatic acid. I have had some luck with it, I diluted it about 50% (Tap water & HCl in equal amounts) Some polished some did not. These colored calcites have a coarser crystal structure than travertine, but are made of the same mineral.
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Blue Onyx
Oct 29, 2021 19:21:06 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by knave on Oct 29, 2021 19:21:06 GMT -5
The Mexican rock dealers sell Blue, Orange, Red and Green calcite. they all polish it with muriatic acid. I have had some luck with it, I diluted it about 50% (Tap water & HCl in equal amounts) Some polished some did not. These colored calcites have a coarser crystal structure than travertine, but are made of the same mineral. You just tumbled them in water plus HCI?
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Post by rmf on Oct 29, 2021 19:26:31 GMT -5
knave No tumbling. I used a 5 gal bucket with acid and a 2 gal bucket with holes drilled in the bottom and put the stones in. There is some trick to it that I have not learned to being 100% good. but some polished. It may be the duration that it is in the acid but the acid itself rounds and polished or the bubbles polish. Nothing else just acid and stones.
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Blue Onyx
Oct 29, 2021 19:35:44 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by knave on Oct 29, 2021 19:35:44 GMT -5
Thank you for your wisdom! And muriatic and HCI are similar?
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jamesp
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 36,560
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Post by jamesp on Oct 31, 2021 9:11:01 GMT -5
Soft is hard to tumble Evan. No idea why. The Chinese get it done somehow. Not just calcite but fluorite apatite and other softies. Gift shops have these stones polished nicely grrr.
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