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Gemstones, Minerals & Fossils
Gemstones and Minerals
Unknown Green Crystal/rocks need identifying
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<blockquote data-quote="user 4386" data-source="post: 418821" data-attributes="member: 4386"><p>Are you quite sure that you do not have three minerals, quartz (or chalcedony), calcite and the green one? You need to test each one with the sharp point of a small steel pocketknife. Calcite is only hardness 3 (scratch with a coin) and even the other carbonate minerals (the rhomb you have indicates a carbonate mineral) are always softer than steel. I wondered if the main block was quartz or chalcedony (white) and the crystalline stuff calcite (white) plus a green mineral (both chrysoprase and chrysocolla can be hard but are often a bit softer than quartz).</p><p></p><p>I say use the tip of the knife, and test a few spots - sometimes two intergrown minerals of the same colour can look like one mineral.</p><p></p><p>Powder for flame tests can be got from what you scratch out, or I sometimes use a dentist drill.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="user 4386, post: 418821, member: 4386"] Are you quite sure that you do not have three minerals, quartz (or chalcedony), calcite and the green one? You need to test each one with the sharp point of a small steel pocketknife. Calcite is only hardness 3 (scratch with a coin) and even the other carbonate minerals (the rhomb you have indicates a carbonate mineral) are always softer than steel. I wondered if the main block was quartz or chalcedony (white) and the crystalline stuff calcite (white) plus a green mineral (both chrysoprase and chrysocolla can be hard but are often a bit softer than quartz). I say use the tip of the knife, and test a few spots - sometimes two intergrown minerals of the same colour can look like one mineral. Powder for flame tests can be got from what you scratch out, or I sometimes use a dentist drill. [/QUOTE]
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Gemstones, Minerals & Fossils
Gemstones and Minerals
Unknown Green Crystal/rocks need identifying
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