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Author Topic: Help identify this gemstone!  (Read 1921 times)

candlemagic

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Help identify this gemstone!
« on: June 21, 2013, 08:00:49 pm »
At our local gemstone they have a 'peddle patch' and you can get a bag of small stones for a dollar. I picked through and found some that I really loved but don't know what this stone is and was hoping that you could help out.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/annieplayswow/9102597377/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/annieplayswow/9104825290/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/annieplayswow/9104825540/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/annieplayswow/9104825508/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/annieplayswow/9104825794/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/annieplayswow/9102597455/

Sorry the pics are so blurry, I only had the camera on my phone to take them with. Any and all help will be appreciated.

Candle.

PhantomQueen

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Re: Help identify this gemstone!
« Reply #1 on: June 21, 2013, 08:26:33 pm »
Quote from: candlemagic;113253
At our local gemstone they have a 'peddle patch' and you can get a bag of small stones for a dollar. I picked through and found some that I really loved but don't know what this stone is and was hoping that you could help out.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/annieplayswow/9102597377/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/annieplayswow/9104825290/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/annieplayswow/9104825540/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/annieplayswow/9104825508/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/annieplayswow/9104825794/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/annieplayswow/9102597455/

Sorry the pics are so blurry, I only had the camera on my phone to take them with. Any and all help will be appreciated.

Candle.

 
I think it *might* be white howlite.  Aster may know more about it as she's brilliant at gem info :)

Aster Breo

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Help identify this gemstone!
« Reply #2 on: June 21, 2013, 09:16:03 pm »
Quote from: PhantomQueen;113254
I think it *might* be white howlite.  Aster may know more about it as she's brilliant at gem info :)

Aw, shucks.  Thanks!

Could you (the OP, I mean) describe the stone?  It's often difficult to ID stones from pics, and I'm on my phone right now, so the pics are small.  Color(s)? Pattern? Texture?  Does it feel heavy for its size?

Just based on what I can see in the pics, I'd guess some kind of agate, but it's hard to tell.  More info might help.

Agate is a microcrystaline type of quartz (with various inclusions and minerals mixed in).  ("Microcrystaline" basically means that the quartz crystals are too small to be seen by the naked eye, as opposed to the "macrocrystaline" type that many people are familiar with: clear quartz, amethyst, citrine, smokey quartz, etc.)  Agate is typified by bands of color.  There are many names for various colors/patterns of agate, often based on where it's found, and plenty of agates that don't have names.  And lots of agate names that are made up to market beads and such.

So, that's my guess right now. If you can post better pics and more info, that guess might change.  ;)
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candlemagic

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Re: Help identify this gemstone!
« Reply #3 on: June 21, 2013, 09:29:30 pm »
Quote from: Aster Breo;113261
Aw, shucks.  Thanks!

Could you (the OP, I mean) describe the stone?  It's often difficult to ID stones from pics, and I'm on my phone right now, so the pics are small.  Color(s)? Pattern? Texture?  Does it feel heavy for its size?

Just based on what I can see in the pics, I'd guess some kind of agate, but it's hard to tell.  More info might help.

Agate is a microcrystaline type of quartz (with various inclusions and minerals mixed in).  ("Microcrystaline" basically means that the quartz crystals are too small to be seen by the naked eye, as opposed to the "macrocrystaline" type that many people are familiar with: clear quartz, amethyst, citrine, smokey quartz, etc.)  Agate is typified by bands of color.  There are many names for various colors/patterns of agate, often based on where it's found, and plenty of agates that don't have names.  And lots of agate names that are made up to market beads and such.

So, that's my guess right now. If you can post better pics and more info, that guess might change.  ;)

 
It has bright white splotches,  light grey spots and thin ribbons of orange running through it. It also has eight spots of dark orange on on of it's longer sides. It's not heavy, and it's smooth and rather cool. It didn't look like the other agates I had picked up but if it is, then it is.

Aster Breo

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Help identify this gemstone!
« Reply #4 on: June 21, 2013, 10:57:06 pm »
Quote from: candlemagic;113262
It has bright white splotches,  light grey spots and thin ribbons of orange running through it. It also has eight spots of dark orange on on of it's longer sides. It's not heavy, and it's smooth and rather cool. It didn't look like the other agates I had picked up but if it is, then it is.

If it has more spots or splotches, it's probably a jasper, which is another macrocrystaline quartz.  

There isn't really a clear delineation between agates and jaspers.  In general, agates tend to have horizontal markings (bands of color), while jaspers tend to have rounded markings (spots, splotches, etc.).  Other than that, they're very similar.

I think it's most likely that you have some type of macrocrystaline quartz, partly because that fits what you've described and partly because they're VERY common, so chances are good that's what it is.

Without better pictures or seeing it in person, I'm afraid that's the best I can do.

If you want another opinion -- from actual factual experts -- I'd recommend the forum at gemaddicts.com.
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candlemagic

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Re: Help identify this gemstone!
« Reply #5 on: June 21, 2013, 11:34:00 pm »
Quote from: Aster Breo;113271
If it has more spots or splotches, it's probably a jasper, which is another macrocrystaline quartz.  

There isn't really a clear delineation between agates and jaspers.  In general, agates tend to have horizontal markings (bands of color), while jaspers tend to have rounded markings (spots, splotches, etc.).  Other than that, they're very similar.

I think it's most likely that you have some type of macrocrystaline quartz, partly because that fits what you've described and partly because they're VERY common, so chances are good that's what it is.

Without better pictures or seeing it in person, I'm afraid that's the best I can do.

If you want another opinion -- from actual factual experts -- I'd recommend the forum at gemaddicts.com.

 
Thank you for all the information you've given me. It helps since I had no idea where to start with it. It probably is an agate of some kind so I'm going to look more into them.

Again, thank you.

Aster Breo

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Help identify this gemstone!
« Reply #6 on: June 22, 2013, 01:52:26 am »
Quote from: candlemagic;113274
Again, thank you.

You're very welcome.  Gotta use that geology degree somehow, ya know.  :cool:
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Fagan_the_Pagan

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Re: Help identify this gemstone!
« Reply #7 on: July 08, 2013, 12:51:08 am »
Quote from: candlemagic;113253
At our local gemstone they have a 'peddle patch' and you can get a bag of small stones for a dollar. I picked through and found some that I really loved but don't know what this stone is and was hoping that you could help out.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/annieplayswow/9102597377/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/annieplayswow/9104825290/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/annieplayswow/9104825540/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/annieplayswow/9104825508/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/annieplayswow/9104825794/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/annieplayswow/9102597455/

Sorry the pics are so blurry, I only had the camera on my phone to take them with. Any and all help will be appreciated.

Candle.

Yeah, I am thinking a Jasper.  Cross referencing the coloration of your stone to google images, I would guess Picasso Jasper.
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Enid

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Help identify this gemstone!
« Reply #8 on: July 08, 2013, 01:54:42 am »
Quote from: Aster Breo;113271
If it has more spots or splotches, it's probably a jasper, which is another macrocrystaline quartz.  

There isn't really a clear delineation between agates and jaspers.  In general, agates tend to have horizontal markings (bands of color), while jaspers tend to have rounded markings (spots, splotches, etc.).  Other than that, they're very similar.

I think it's most likely that you have some type of macrocrystaline quartz, partly because that fits what you've described and partly because they're VERY common, so chances are good that's what it is.

Without better pictures or seeing it in person, I'm afraid that's the best I can do.

If you want another opinion -- from actual factual experts -- I'd recommend the forum at gemaddicts.com.

I am a geologist and I am inclined to agree.
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Aster Breo

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Help identify this gemstone!
« Reply #9 on: July 08, 2013, 03:58:45 am »
Quote from: Enid;114934
I am a geologist and I am inclined to agree.

Cool.  Although when I re-read my post just now, I realized I said "macrocrystaline" when I meant "microcrystalline".  Ooooop.
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Fagan_the_Pagan

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Re: Help identify this gemstone!
« Reply #10 on: July 08, 2013, 05:42:38 pm »
Quote from: Aster Breo;114939
Cool.  Although when I re-read my post just now, I realized I said "macrocrystaline" when I meant "microcrystalline".  Ooooop.

 
Since we have pretty much decided on the nature of the stone above, can I hijack this thread a bit to ask about one of mine?  I think I knew it at one point but I forgot.  It is yellow-orange in color, and somewhat translucent, with one clear whitish splotch on each the top and bottom.  My images of it are all of it attached to a new wand I made.  It naturally fit perfectly into the recess of the wand, so I knew that they were meant to be together, I'd just like to be able to tell people accurately what I am selling them.

My best educated guess is orange agate, but I don't see any banding in it, so I am not sure.

[attach=CONFIG][/attach]    [attach=CONFIG][/attach]    [attach=CONFIG][/attach]    [attach=CONFIG][/attach]
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Enid

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Re: Help identify this gemstone!
« Reply #11 on: July 08, 2013, 09:51:09 pm »
Quote from: Fagan_the_Pagan;114983
Since we have pretty much decided on the nature of the stone above, can I hijack this thread a bit to ask about one of mine?  I think I knew it at one point but I forgot.  It is yellow-orange in color, and somewhat translucent, with one clear whitish splotch on each the top and bottom.  My images of it are all of it attached to a new wand I made.  It naturally fit perfectly into the recess of the wand, so I knew that they were meant to be together, I'd just like to be able to tell people accurately what I am selling them.

My best educated guess is orange agate, but I don't see any banding in it, so I am not sure.

[attach=CONFIG][/attach]    [attach=CONFIG][/attach]    [attach=CONFIG][/attach]    [attach=CONFIG][/attach]

 
Since I can't have you run some tests on it, my best guess is an orangey tumbled calcite.
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Fagan_the_Pagan

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Re: Help identify this gemstone!
« Reply #12 on: July 08, 2013, 10:44:56 pm »
Quote from: Enid;115005
Since I can't have you run some tests on it, my best guess is an orangey tumbled calcite.

 
Yes!  I am pretty sure that is it.  It rang a bell as soon as I read it, and when I looked up pictures they match pretty much perfectly.  Thanks!
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