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Post by vegasjames on Jun 9, 2022 14:47:18 GMT -5
Some turquoise (glassy veins, not host rock or other copper minerals in the rock) I found from an abandoned mine in Northern Nevada.
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Post by jasoninsd on Jun 9, 2022 19:56:25 GMT -5
That's some really cool Chrysocolla!! (TOTALLY KIDDING! I saw your comments about Chrysocolla in another thread.  ) |
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Post by vegasjames on Jun 9, 2022 20:13:11 GMT -5
That's some really cool Chrysocolla!! (TOTALLY KIDDING! I saw your comments about Chrysocolla in another thread.  ) I should have specified up front the veins and not the rest of the rock. Some people are so eager to argue that they do not even look closely, they just glance then post their opinions as fact. |
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Post by jasoninsd on Jun 9, 2022 20:17:20 GMT -5
That's some really cool Chrysocolla!! (TOTALLY KIDDING! I saw your comments about Chrysocolla in another thread. ) I should have specified up front the veins and not the rest of the rock. Some people are so eager to argue that they do not even look closely, they just glance then post their opinions as fact. I usually try to state the caveat that MY opinion is rarely backed by actual education, experience, or knowledge in any shape or form! LOL |
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Post by liveoak on Jun 10, 2022 6:28:03 GMT -5
What about all the nice green rocks in the background ?
Did you bring them all out ??
Great haul !
Patty
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Post by vegasjames on Jun 10, 2022 12:19:28 GMT -5
What about all the nice green rocks in the background ? Did you bring them all out ?? Great haul ! Patty
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Post by liveoak on Jun 10, 2022 12:41:31 GMT -5
What beauties !
I'm thinking the veins you pointed out look like Turquoise , but the base rock ?
That looks different .
No matter- beautiful stuff - nice find !
Patty
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Post by vegasjames on Jun 10, 2022 13:05:02 GMT -5
What beauties ! I'm thinking the veins you pointed out look like Turquoise , but the base rock ? That looks different . No matter- beautiful stuff - nice find ! Patty Yes there are other copper minerals present. That is why I went back to specify the veins. The other copper minerals found there are azurite and malachite. As i told someone on another board though, turquoise can occur in stringers in another host rock including copper minerals. If we post turquoise stringers in a different host rock isn't it still turquoise? Here is an example. Turquoise stringers in a purple quartz from Nevada.
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Post by liveoak on Jun 10, 2022 17:03:22 GMT -5
Beautiful stuff vegasjames. Thanks for showing me something you cut out of it. Patty |
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Post by vegasjames on Jun 10, 2022 17:14:15 GMT -5
Beautiful stuff vegasjames . Thanks for showing me something you cut out of it. Patty That cab is actually from material I find in Southern Nevada. I have not cut or cabbed any of the Northern Nevada material. I have cabbed some solid Southern Nevada turquoise. A lot of Nevada turquoise runs in the green colors (turquoise comes in around 70 shades of blues and greens) due to a high iron content.
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Post by liveoak on Jun 10, 2022 17:37:26 GMT -5
Really nice stuff. Extra special that you collected it locally (or somewhat anyway). How do you test it to know it's turquoise ? Is it just the hardness & location ? Neat - as you said, lots of different shades. Patty
Edit- I ask because there are so many shades in turquoise- how can you tell , it's not like you can look at the color & know ?
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Post by vegasjames on Jun 10, 2022 18:59:49 GMT -5
Really nice stuff. Extra special that you collected it locally (or somewhat anyway). How do you test it to know it's turquoise ? Is it just the hardness & location ? Neat - as you said, lots of different shades. Patty These were locally collected. I am in Southern Nevada. Travel to Northern Nevada several times a year though so visit other spots I know of or find new places to explore om my trips.
Yes, ran a variety of tests. Hardness, which was consistent with turquoise and too hard for chrysocolla. Density was consistent with turquoise and too high for chrysocolla. Tested high in phosphorus, which is a major component of turquoise (hydrated copper aluminum phosphate), which is not found in chrysocolla (hydrated copper silicate). And I can dissolve samples in concentrated hydrochloric acid, consistent with turquoise. Chrysocolla does not dissolve in hydrochloric acid.
The only test I have not run so far is checking it with the spectrometer yet. Luckily the material is naturally hard and therefore does not need stabilization, which can throw off the reading.
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Post by liveoak on Jun 10, 2022 19:35:56 GMT -5
Thank you for explaining vegasjames. As I said, I had to wonder , so many shades of colors, how to id must be difficult. Patty |
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Post by vegasjames on Jun 10, 2022 20:26:17 GMT -5
Thank you for explaining vegasjames . As I said, I had to wonder , so many shades of colors, how to id must be difficult. Patty Not that difficult. A few simple tests such as density, acid dissolution and phosphate testing can narrow it down really quick. Then if it is possibly variscite, most variscite can be confirmed with a Chelsea filter. And of course there is always the spectrometer and inorganic analysis using spot tests. Al these are things people can do at home. |
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Post by liveoak on Jun 10, 2022 21:02:05 GMT -5
Interesting,
You've obviously put more effort into identifying then most people do.
Patty
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Post by vegasjames on Jun 10, 2022 22:05:35 GMT -5
Interesting, You've obviously put more effort into identifying then most people do. Patty I do a lot of research especially with things I have been working on synthesizing such as turquoise and opal.
And I love playing with my chemicals. One of my favorite books in my library is Spot Testing in Inorganic Analysis. Very helpful information, and cannot find this information on the internet.
This is my first batch of synthetic turquoise. This is hydrated copper aluminum phosphate.
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Post by liveoak on Jun 11, 2022 6:14:00 GMT -5
I'm impressed vegasjames , obviously your a chemist ! So when you synthesize turquoise, like you show, does the hardness come in similar to real turquoise ? Or is it just the color & look that work out ?? Patty |
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Post by vegasjames on Jun 11, 2022 12:22:38 GMT -5
I'm impressed vegasjames , obviously your a chemist ! So when you synthesize turquoise, like you show, does the hardness come in similar to real turquoise ? Or is it just the color & look that work out ?? Patty It is actual turquoise the hardness is the same as the natural softer turquoise. Turquoise varies a lot in hardness though depending a lot on the silica content. Therefore, turquoise can run from a soft chalk to fairly hard. Naturally hard turquoise though is very rare and therefore very expensive. I tried a new method that did not work out as well, but I will be working on making the turquoise harder in future experiments by introducing silica to the formula.
Here is an example of softer natural turquoise, which for best results should be stabilized.
Here are examples of naturally hard turquoise that did not need stabilization:
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Post by rockjunquie on Jun 11, 2022 12:30:50 GMT -5
You find the most amazing stuff! All of it is simply beautiful.  eta
This really got me!
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Tommy
Administrator 
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,989
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Post by Tommy on Jun 11, 2022 12:37:54 GMT -5
Thank you for explaining vegasjames. As I said, I had to wonder , so many shades of colors, how to id must be difficult. Patty I'm glad you asked Patty because I was wondering also. It all looks like pretty blue rock to me! haha |
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