❓Your Mineral Identification Questions answered here
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20xwater said:Your on to meHeatho said:
:lol: , yeah it's Rhodonite. I gave up there after an hour. Wish it was better quality. :Y:
I read that it oxidize's at the surface so you would have to dig deep I reckon.Heatho said:20xwater said:Your on to meHeatho said:
:lol: , yeah it's Rhodonite. I gave up there after an hour. Wish it was better quality. :Y:
20xwater said:I read that it oxidize's at the surface so you would have to dig deep I reckon.Heatho said:20xwater said:Your on to meHeatho said:
:lol: , yeah it's Rhodonite. I gave up there after an hour. Wish it was better quality. :Y:
Yes without a doubt, the oxidised manganese isn't pleasant, bit messy. :Y:
It is a rock of course, composed of multiple minerals - so not sure which one you are asking about. You need to consider each individually and their properties (fresher material would help). With only a photo of a weathered rock to look at and no individual proprtires it is pure guesswork (the photos themselves are clear and good quality), but it looks like quartz, feldspar and perhaps very weathered mica, so something along gthe lines of granite or pegmatite?
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This one came out of a piece of decomposing Chalcedony host material, a little fibrous, goldish-toned, about the size of a 5 cent piece. Found near Dysart, Central Qld.
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It is likely to be from a decomposed coal seam, being from Dysart area, but Marcasite looks to hit the nail on the head and the colouration, that I cannot capture too well, is very distinguishing. Thank you for your time and knowledge, GR.
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Thanks goldierocks for your speedy reply re: Lilac layered chalcedony
Marcasite specimens tend to breakdown in air over months to years. They are commonly sprayed to protect them from the air. The highly reducing (Oxygen-free) nature of coal seams preserves them for millions of years though (also in black, carbon-rich shale). Very common in the brown coal of the Latrobe Valley, Victoria.
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I actually placed the specimen in a specimen container and as you say the piece has developed a crack in the globular surface area and part way into the stone from just being exposed in a tight shutting container out of direct, harsh light.
Oxygen more than light is the problem - oxidises to iron sulphate I think (a white powder -the mineral melanterite, FeSO47H2O.) . Some sort of clear spray as a thin layer shuts out oxygen.Pat Hogen said:
If you found it close to old coal dumps it might be worth breaking some coal open to get fresher material - it can be really beautiful. It can be really abundant in places in coal seams - I have loaded many 5 gallon buckets within a few hours in Latrobe Valley mines, of disks up to 15 cm or so in diameter. It can look good left in a coal matrix - just give the surface a light clear spray, because it always breaks down over time otherwise. The to[ one looks good with its leaf fossils in the coal, eh?
Happy collecting!
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Very, very, interesting, thank you.
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Hi All,
I have been scratching around out at Vulcan SF. I found the attached. Any indication what they may be?
Thanks.
I have been scratching around out at Vulcan SF. I found the attached. Any indication what they may be?
Thanks.
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