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Post by liveoak on Mar 13, 2022 12:38:00 GMT -5
FINALLY had the local rock & gem show yesterday after 2 years & the old guy selling slabs was still there, although he said this might be his last year.
Anyway, I went a little overboard & bought over 10 lbs of slabs from him - all kinds.
So I maybe posting a couple of ID requests.
I'm no expert, so I hope you'll bear with me
First up is a purple / blue piece. I did a scratch test on it & I think it's around Mohs 7.
Beyond that, I don't know.
Any ideas ?
Photo dry & wet
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oldschoolrocker
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2019
Posts: 1,578
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Post by oldschoolrocker on Mar 13, 2022 12:43:43 GMT -5
Hard to tell from pic but may be dumortierite.
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Post by liveoak on Mar 13, 2022 12:55:27 GMT -5
Thank you Michael - I looked it up & think you're right. Thank you.
Stay tuned for my next quiz :-)
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Post by perkins17 on Mar 13, 2022 13:01:44 GMT -5
10 pounds sounds like a lot of fun! My show is coming up in two weeks!
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Post by liveoak on Mar 13, 2022 13:24:55 GMT -5
It was a lot of fun. Now I get to cab lots of new stuff !
Trying to now figure out a good organized slab storage solution. Tossing them all in a box seems uninspiring.
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,487
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Slab ID
Mar 13, 2022 17:32:48 GMT -5
Post by Sabre52 on Mar 13, 2022 17:32:48 GMT -5
Dumortierite seems a good bet to me too. I'm more used to seeing more rounded cobbles in the Indian Pass material but the outer skin on your slab looks right too.
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Post by liveoak on Mar 13, 2022 19:19:30 GMT -5
OK, thank you, we'll agree that the last one was Dumortierite & it's a nice piece.
Next one has me stumped, but I think it's exactly what the old guy that sold it me said, it's a "pretty rock".
I tested it at between Mohs 3 & 4 . The background matrix is a dark brownish black , and the bands are a speckely bright blue.
The blue bands made me think of a galaxy of stars. I bought it cause it was pretty :-)
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AzRockGeek
has rocks in the head
Member since September 2016
Posts: 682
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Post by AzRockGeek on Mar 13, 2022 19:23:23 GMT -5
Looks like some type of variscite.
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Slab ID
Mar 13, 2022 19:36:44 GMT -5
Post by liveoak on Mar 13, 2022 19:36:44 GMT -5
I looked up variscite, and every photo I saw is of a green mineral. The bands are definitely light blue, no green in it.
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AzRockGeek
has rocks in the head
Member since September 2016
Posts: 682
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Post by AzRockGeek on Mar 13, 2022 19:39:09 GMT -5
Google spider web variscite. Colors range from blue, to whiteish yellow.
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Slab ID
Mar 13, 2022 19:48:21 GMT -5
Post by liveoak on Mar 13, 2022 19:48:21 GMT -5
Maybe...... let's see if any one else weighs in.
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Post by victor1941 on Mar 17, 2022 15:26:13 GMT -5
I think AzRockGeek nailed the material. I had some similar material-cabs that needed identifying that I posted on July 18, 2019 for identification.. Some of the possibilities were variscite, chalcodiderite, faustite, and variquoise. Most of the material was thought to be from the Tortoise Turquoise Mine and was identified by the miner as from his mine but was no longer considered to be turquoise after lab analysis.
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Slab ID
Mar 17, 2022 18:08:51 GMT -5
Post by liveoak on Mar 17, 2022 18:08:51 GMT -5
victor1941 any chance of some photos of that old material. Sounds VERY interesting . Variquoise sounds like a mix between variscite & turquoise
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Post by liveoak on Mar 17, 2022 18:43:52 GMT -5
@vicor1941 I looked up your old post & I think you're on the right track.
But I think it looks more like Faustite
I'm trying to imagine this piece cut into a slab
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Post by liveoak on Mar 26, 2022 10:52:57 GMT -5
Here's a stumper, at least for me.
On my cheap mohs test kit, It shows up as mohs 9. Quartz will not scratch on it , neither will Corundum.
They didn't give you a diamond
The first photo is against a background- kind of a nice looking redish slab.
But look when you hold it up to the light - with the sun shining through it , it looks amazing.
Any ideas ??
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Post by liveoak on Mar 26, 2022 11:04:47 GMT -5
UPDATE - I found a photo of a ruby slab, and it kind of looks like this & it said Ruby was a Mohs 9 ! Anyone else thing this is ruby ?? I never had a ruby
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oldschoolrocker
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2019
Posts: 1,578
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Post by oldschoolrocker on Mar 26, 2022 11:07:36 GMT -5
I was gonna say color and hardness would seem to be ruby. Dunno what rough looks like or anything but the other aspects line up. Was gonna say garnet but is softer than 9 and little diff color.
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oldschoolrocker
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2019
Posts: 1,578
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Post by oldschoolrocker on Mar 26, 2022 11:12:11 GMT -5
After some reading red garnets hardly have visible inclusions but most all ruby has some...
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oldschoolrocker
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2019
Posts: 1,578
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Slab ID
Mar 26, 2022 11:12:49 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by oldschoolrocker on Mar 26, 2022 11:12:49 GMT -5
Beauty regardless of what it is!
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Post by liveoak on Mar 26, 2022 11:28:37 GMT -5
YEAH
I'm going for ruby, until someone tells me different !
My husband is challenging me to cut a heart shaped cab out of it - I think it's going on the to do list when I'm a little better at this .
Thanks Michael,
Patty
Forgot to mention is was only $ 1 at the show.
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