jamijr
having dreams about rocks
Member since April 2021
Posts: 59 
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Post by jamijr on Jul 21, 2022 20:25:43 GMT -5
 I bought this at the county fair but have already forgotten the name and it didn't come with a card. Part of me wants to tumble it to make it all smooth but part of me is worried that due to the structure it might shatter. I am hoping to get a vibrating tumbler for my birthday, so if that would be a safer option for it let me know. Even if it's safe for a rotary one I still might hold on until I get the vibrating kind. It's still pretty even raw, but I just so want to make it all smooth be it in a rotary tumbler or a vibrating one. |
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Post by rockpickerforever on Jul 21, 2022 20:37:20 GMT -5
I bought this at the county fair but have already forgotten the name and it didn't come with a card. Part of me wants to tumble it to make it all smooth but part of me is worried that due to the structure it might shatter. I am hoping to get a vibrating tumbler for my birthday, so if that would be a safer option for it let me know. Even if it's safe for a rotary one I still might hold on until I get the vibrating kind. It's still pretty even raw, but I just so want to make it all smooth be it in a rotary tumbler or a vibrating one. Looks like Kyanite. Not sure where all it is found, but it is found in the desert in SoCal, southeast corner of the state near Yuma, AZ, near the Cargo Muchacho Mountains. There is/was a mine there called "The Bluebird Mine." Don't know how it would hold up in a tumbler. Here's just a couple lines from my search: Kyanite, also spelled cyanite, also called disthene, silicate mineral that is formed during the regional metamorphism of clay-rich sediments. It is an indicator of deep burial of a terrain. Kyanite occurs as elongated blades principally in gneisses and schists, and it is often accompanied by garnet, quartz, and mica. Kyanite is used primarily in refractory and ceramic products, including porcelain plumbing and dishware. It is also used in electronics, electrical insulators and abrasives. Edit to ad - Probably more than you wanted to know, but here is a link to Kyaniteinformation and photos of it on Mindat. |
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Post by rockjunquie on Jul 21, 2022 21:45:17 GMT -5
I agree. It looks like kyanite. I doubt very much if it can be tumbled.
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Post by perkins17 on Jul 21, 2022 22:05:24 GMT -5
I've handled a little of this before, and would say definitely do not tumble this. It is a great specimen,but by the time you would get done with coarse, there'd be nothing left. Nice stone though!  |
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jamijr
having dreams about rocks
Member since April 2021
Posts: 59
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Post by jamijr on Jul 21, 2022 22:28:33 GMT -5
Okay, I'll resist the urge! It's such a pretty color and now that you've all told me the name I do remember them telling me that's what it was. I wish it had come with a card.
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Post by vegasjames on Jul 21, 2022 23:09:09 GMT -5
Blue kyanite. Also comes in black, orange, pink and other colors. I would keep it as a specimen.
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mossyrockhound
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since January 2011
Posts: 1,315
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Post by mossyrockhound on Jul 21, 2022 23:11:47 GMT -5
Jami, that's a real nice kyanite shelf specimen. I've got one just like it in my display case - which has a card with the name on it. 😁 Jean ( rockpickerforever) posted some good info on kyanite. I had no idea where it came from before I read her post. |
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Post by rockpickerforever on Jul 21, 2022 23:34:37 GMT -5
Thanks, Garry mossyrockhound . Happy to pass on any knowledge when I can. I agree, Jami jamijr has a nice shelf specimen, not worth the risk to try to tumble it. |
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Post by Pat on Jul 21, 2022 23:49:47 GMT -5
I agree: lovely shelf specimen. Admire it frequently, dust it as needed, and enjoy it as it is.
YOU can make a card for it!
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wpotterw
spending too much on rocks
Member since September 2016
Posts: 450 
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Post by wpotterw on Jul 22, 2022 7:45:56 GMT -5
I bought this at the county fair but have already forgotten the name and it didn't come with a card. Part of me wants to tumble it to make it all smooth but part of me is worried that due to the structure it might shatter. I am hoping to get a vibrating tumbler for my birthday, so if that would be a safer option for it let me know. Even if it's safe for a rotary one I still might hold on until I get the vibrating kind. It's still pretty even raw, but I just so want to make it all smooth be it in a rotary tumbler or a vibrating one. Looks like Kyanite. Probably won't tumble well... |
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rockbrain
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2022
Posts: 3,217
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Post by rockbrain on Jul 22, 2022 9:15:08 GMT -5
Even if it would tumble well it would be tiny by the time it was smoothed out.
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jamijr
having dreams about rocks
Member since April 2021
Posts: 59
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Post by jamijr on Jul 22, 2022 10:39:09 GMT -5
Even if it would tumble well it would be tiny by the time it was smoothed out. Yeah, I decided not to take the chance, not even if I get a vibrating tumbler for my birthday. |
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Post by Pat on Jul 22, 2022 14:40:00 GMT -5
jamijr I use a small vibrating tumbler to polish metal jewelry pieces. I use a variety of sizes of stainless steel shot (re-usable), some water almost to the top, and one drop of Dawn dishwashing soap. Works well on sterling, copper, red brass and Swarovski crystal beads. Good luck! Glad you are saving your kyanite specimen.
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jamijr
having dreams about rocks
Member since April 2021
Posts: 59
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Post by jamijr on Jul 22, 2022 20:36:19 GMT -5
jamijr I use a small vibrating tumbler to polish metal jewelry pieces. I use a variety of sizes of stainless steel shot (re-usable), some water almost to the top, and one drop of Dawn dishwashing soap. Works well on sterling, copper, red brass and Swarovski crystal beads. Good luck! Glad you are saving your kyanite specimen. I plan on trying to use the vibrating tumbler for glass. I actually want to start with an experiment. Lots of blogs about tumbling your own glass say to put salt in there along with grit and media but they don't say what kind. So I've bought those colored glass beads for vases and I plan on doing one color without salt, one with epson, one with the pink stuff that's all the rage, and one with regular table salt, keeping a control piece out of each color to compare with. I wanted to do it with my rotary tumbler but it filled up with gas so quickly no matter what I did that one barrel actually got completely ruined and I had to buy a replacement. But I understand vibrating tumblers don't have that problem. |
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Post by Pat on Jul 22, 2022 20:46:28 GMT -5
Good luck! I don’t know anything about tumbling, only that it takes forever, and is not done by dinner.
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Post by pauls on Jul 23, 2022 17:29:38 GMT -5
I have tried polishing Kyanite and have not been at all successful, Not tumbling but I tried cabbing it, I started with a decent solid nice dark blue piece, inch long 3/4 wide, ended with a small piece about the size of half a pea. It has different hardnesses depending on the orientation with the crystal. Arghh. Then quite some time later when I had forgotten the trauma of that I thought I would see how it faceted, bad move.
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quartzilla
Cave Dweller
Member since April 2020
Posts: 1,242
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Post by quartzilla on Jul 28, 2022 7:03:25 GMT -5
Check the hardness. Kyanite actually has 2 different hardness: 7 down the length and around 5 perpendicular. I think it’s the only mineral that has a different hardness in the directions you scratch it.
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