ceoutdoors
off to a rocking start
Member since July 2022
Posts: 6
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Post by ceoutdoors on Jul 3, 2022 12:44:40 GMT -5
Hi all, looking for ID on these brown and blue rock (circled in red) that we got on the side of the road heading back from the Utah Dugway geode area. We were off a side gravel road that the Utah rockhounding book said there were agates. Didn’t find much agate but found a few neat rocks. This is one that a cut on the tile saw. Also, any good for Tumbling? Thanks for any help, Chris
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stonemon
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2017
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Post by stonemon on Jul 3, 2022 13:06:12 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum!
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Post by vegasjames on Jul 3, 2022 19:08:22 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum Chris.
Don't know what the blue stones are, but they are nice looking.
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Tommy
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Post by Tommy on Jul 3, 2022 22:15:08 GMT -5
Hi all, looking for ID on these brown and blue rock (circled in red) that we got on the side of the road heading back from the Utah Dugway geode area. We were off a side gravel road that the Utah rockhounding book said there were agates. Didn’t find much agate but found a few neat rocks. This is one that a cut on the tile saw. Also, any good for Tumbling? Thanks for any help, Chris Welcome! I do not know what the blue material is either but based solely on the blue color I'm guessing maybe dumortierite? Was there more where you found this? If you try with a knife are you able to scratch it? It's really attractive. Honestly if this blue pattern is reasonably true to color wet I would haul ass back up there and grab every piece I could find until I get it figured out. Edited to add some interesting reading: csmsgeologypost.blogspot.com/2013/04/a-nice-blue-boron-mineral-dumortierite.html
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Benathema
has rocks in the head
God chased me down and made sure I knew He was real June 20, 2022. I've been on a Divine Mission.
Member since November 2019
Posts: 703
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Post by Benathema on Jul 4, 2022 3:31:38 GMT -5
Dude. I know exactly where you were. I almost high centered my CR-V trying to get there. Found lots of jasper and jasp-agate. Can't help you on the blue, but I found green like that.
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ceoutdoors
off to a rocking start
Member since July 2022
Posts: 6
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Post by ceoutdoors on Jul 4, 2022 6:17:15 GMT -5
Tommy - I originally thought it would be softer based on how it was cutting on the saw but knife doesn’t scratch it. We were there on vacation there from NJ and spent a day out picking rocks, so not able to get back there. And yes, the blue is true color wet, ever better in person. Actually told my wife yesterday that we should fly out just to grab more stuff... she just gave me that look. She spent the 13hr day driving around the Utah desert and looking for the pretty stuff but I think that was her quota for awhile 😀. I think she was actually the one who grabbed this piece. Chris
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fuss
spending too much on rocks
Member since October 2018
Posts: 250
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Post by fuss on Jul 6, 2022 8:34:43 GMT -5
Any chance of getting a close up of the surface? as well as one of a dry not cut surface?
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gemfeller
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Member since June 2011
Posts: 3,759
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Post by gemfeller on Jul 6, 2022 16:11:07 GMT -5
ceoutdoors PLEASE don't tumble that blue material. I can't identify it but from the images and description you give it looks like very fine jewelry-grade cabbing stone. That area of Utah has some very interesting geology. It's near the topaz deposit where you can also find Bixbyite crystals along with very rare red beryl (confusingly named Bixbite -- without the "y" -- for the man who discovered both). It's also an area known for other forms of beryl. I suspect lab analysis would be required to ID the blue in your stone. It's very pretty and a great find IMO.
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ceoutdoors
off to a rocking start
Member since July 2022
Posts: 6
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Post by ceoutdoors on Jul 7, 2022 17:59:59 GMT -5
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fuss
spending too much on rocks
Member since October 2018
Posts: 250
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Post by fuss on Jul 10, 2022 10:21:46 GMT -5
Are you able to get the hardness of this more precisely? this will be very helpful, you tried a knife, how about a piece of quartz or steel file if you have them available. Also do yourself a favor and do these two other tests,
Acid reaction. A drop of either Muriatic (HCL) or with more patience the strongest vinegar you have and look for any reaction.
Streak. A streak test is very valuable even if it does not streak (streak plate is softer than the mineral).
Also look at it under magnification (Everyone should have a loupe in my opinion), looking at surface detail in 10x can provide incredible data such as seeing associate minerals not recognized with the naked eye (associate minerals can really help in an ID).
So if you can eliminate what this is not, it will be easier to figure out what it is.
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ceoutdoors
off to a rocking start
Member since July 2022
Posts: 6
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Post by ceoutdoors on Jul 12, 2022 9:10:56 GMT -5
- no reaction on the brown or blue material with acid. - no streak, at least on back of porcelain tile (that's all I had for a streak plate) - hardness of 6.5-7+ since no steel I have marks it - added a couple close-ups of a scrap I had, but not sure if they will come across very well. first one is the wider view and subsequent ones are various closse-ups of either side of that scrap piece
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Tommy
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Post by Tommy on Jul 12, 2022 9:50:36 GMT -5
I'm still following along here. What a really interesting material you have there. You might have already answered this but when you do the scratch test are the brown areas are as hard as the blue or do they scratch?
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Post by rockjunquie on Jul 12, 2022 9:54:09 GMT -5
I don't know what to say other than you have some really (!) gorgeous stuff there.
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ceoutdoors
off to a rocking start
Member since July 2022
Posts: 6
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Post by ceoutdoors on Jul 12, 2022 13:22:22 GMT -5
brown and blue very similar hardness
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ceoutdoors
off to a rocking start
Member since July 2022
Posts: 6
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Post by ceoutdoors on Jul 13, 2022 21:30:37 GMT -5
Just did specific gravity and got 2.4
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gemfeller
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Member since June 2011
Posts: 3,759
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Post by gemfeller on Jul 14, 2022 13:46:22 GMT -5
Just did specific gravity and got 2.4 I doubt that will tell you much because it 's a rock made of multiple minerals, not a single mineral. The mixture of minerals in the rock won't yield an identifiable species. For instance, that S.G. puts it in the range of glasses like moldavite, obsidian etc. and apophyllite which is usually pink. They are all much softer than the hardness you report. As I posted earlier I think a lab work-up will be needed to I.D. all the constituent minerals. The blue is intriguing. There aren't a lot of blue non-transparent minerals with the hardness you report. Tommy's suggestion of dumortierite would fit, and sodalite though softer might be a possibility. I'd love to see a polished piece.
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