WA wheatbelt find

I've found a rock with green veins of Crystal through it. some are bright green others are Rick dark color and some dull pale green. Host rock is dull blue purple with white chalk. The green veins are seated in a Grey metal. Could this be emerald? Please help, Matt

post a pic to help identify it mate

Yeah mate I've been trying to punt some pics up but can't seem to find an add button. Just put one on the FB site but

I'm almost certain it's not Emerald. I've seen WA Emerald from the Agha Khan mine and it looks totally different. I have a pic of it actually, will post it soon.

Matt angwin said:

I've found a rock with green veins of Christal through it. some are bright green others are Rick dark color and some dull pale green. Host rock is dull blue purple with white chalk. The green veins are seated in a Grey metal. Could this be emerald? Please help, Matt

Click to expand...

I've got no expertise in this, Matt, but it's not impossible, as emerald is known from a couple of sites just outside the WA wheatbelt. Have a look at the below links and also compare your specimens to the pics:

Aga Khan Mine, Cue: http://www.mindat.org/loc-18834.html
Wonder Well, Menzies: http://www.gemdat.org/loc-18833.html
Aga Khan specimens
https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=2083
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Emerald-...an-Mine-Poona-Western-Australia-/321500221090

My mate Shauno owns this piece, he's a member here also, said he bought it from someone selling minerals on the side of the road one day. It's still in it's Schist host rock.

Not 100% sure what your mineral specimen is Matt but it's a nice one. Hopefully someone can positively identify it for you. My best guess would be Malachite which is a Copper ore.

Agha Kahn Emerald in Schist.

Maybe beginnings of Chrysoprase?

Not emerald I think, all emeralds I've seen are in the form of crystals like the one in Heatho's picture.

It's certainly a nice shade of green, whatever it is. You might want to take that one to a geologist Matt, it's an interesting looking specimen.

Due to location and studying these pictorial representations I conclude they are almost certainly a form of copper ore. This may be disheartening however it is still a significant find and a beautiful speciman.

Thankyou all so much for your input. I hasn't worked out how to "like" your posts but am truly greatfull.

Matt angwin said:

I've found a rock with green veins of Crystal through it. some are bright green others are Rick dark color and some dull pale green. Host rock is dull blue purple with white chalk. The green veins are seated in a Grey metal. Could this be emerald? Please help, Matt

Click to expand...

I would be surprised if it does not prove to be Malachite (Copper,Cu) Test: Scrape off a bit of the green, crush it into a powder and add it to a teaspoon filled with vinegar and a sprinkle of salt. Put the bowl of the spoon over a flame & boil it dry. If it is copper there should be a copper coating on the spoon.
You have also ruined a spoon, but now you know if it is copper or not Avoid the fumes while you boil it, because no matter what it is, it might contain arsenic.

G'Day Matt

It's a bit fuzzy to tell, but it looks like the crystals a made up of little needles and the very dark green colour suggests a copper mineral called Atacamite. There is another and a little rarer mineral called psuedomalachite. These minerals are more common than malachite in arid regions. You may have a new copper deposit on your hands there mate. You could take it into the geological survey and ask a geologist to have a closer look.

Chees

Araluen

Hey mate,

im a geologist with a fair amount of copper experience and i've also fossicked at the AGHA KHAN emerald deposit.

that is 100% definitely not emerald. no question at all.

i have a collection of minerals very similar to this and i would have to agree with SWright that you have found either atacamite (less likely) or pseudo malachite.

there is no need to ruin your specimen by testing it for copper.

also, there is a large deposit in boddington which is a copper/gold occurrence so regionally (part of the Yilgarn Archean cratonic suite) it totally makes sense to find small amounts of copper around the wheat-belt.

may i ask where you found it (regionally, not necessarily specifically)?

cheers,

Levi.

I am very confused as to how anyone could identify something so extremely out of focus. I am a geologist, who has worked on wheat belt mineralisation and similar rocks in general, as well as decades on copper-gold, and I would not even hazard a guess. If you do get a better photo, would you please post on "Your Mineral Identification Questions" where I won't miss it (or message me). Thanks.