rock/mineral ID

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I am avid hiker/ trail runner and in the process have become an amateur geologist. I came across these mineral or rocks in my recent outing and I hope someone can help me ID. I got as far as Quartz or gypsum but im not quite sure. Any help would be greatly appreciated. below are the pictures.

http://s25.postimg.org/5nrs55o8b/IMG_20140322_220517_430.jpg

http://s25.postimg.org/looyvvbhn/IMG_20140322_220525_755.jpg

Thank You,

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Type: Question • Score: 3 • Views: 1,168 • Replies: 16

@shavosbeard,

Shav the first maybe quartz, broken up before consolidation

Second, top, maybe calcite. Dilute HCl should make it bubble

Incidentally did you transmit in color as I inadvertently hit the wrong key yesterday. Often quartz in this form purplish

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@shavosbeard,

It looks like grey quartz to me. But the shape of the larger crystals would help to identify it. Do the crystals have a hexagonal shape?

2 Replies

@rosborne979,

Yea, oft grey as well as purplsh

But Ros at top in pix no. 2 doesn't the elongated xtal remind you of calcite

0 Replies

@dalehileman,

Dale thank you for the response. No the colors are as you see them. In reading the responses they in fact did have a light gray color to it. Some more clear than others. The smaller pieces I did not post are much more clear and see through.

1 Reply

@rosborne979,

Ros I will take a better picture when I get home. Some of them were layered and not one solid piece. Thank you for your response, much appreciated.

1 Reply

@shavosbeard,

My pleasure. I've also notified another member here called Farmerman, he's a professional geologist and will be the best bet for an educated assessment.

1 Reply

@rosborne979,

Its hard to say but
they look like dogtooth clcite or celestite
or even chabazite
Are they heavy?
If you tke a chunk (very small) ND POUND IT INTO PWDER nd then hit it woth vingr it should fizz weakly if its calcite. If its heavy, its celestite. If it does nothing its a zeolite,likechabazite

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@shavosbeard,

Quote:

The smaller pieces I did not post are much more clear and see through.

Shav if they're calcite then they ought to fizz even without first smashing

1 Reply

What the heck - check out these Google images of garnets.

http://www.minerals.net/GemStoneInTheRoughImages/almandine-garnet2.jpg

Am I close?
(picture links to the website photos)

1 Reply

@dalehileman,

Im suggesting they use vinegar, that's why the smashing. If it fizzes with an HCL it could be calcite or Dolomite. Calcite will be barely noticeable in household vinegar but ground up, it fizzes nicely.
I don't want kids messing with heavy duty acids till they understand Normality and how to make tst solutions so they don't burn they damn hands. HCl can leave nasty blisters, and if the bottle spills in your pack, well bye bye lunch and stuff.

1 Reply

@farmerman,

Quote:

Im suggesting they use vinegar, that's why the smashing.

Aha!

Quote:

I don't want kids messing with heavy duty acids till they understand

Well reasoned, Man

0 Replies

@neko nomad,

A site I often use to collect chem stats on minerals is [url]webminerals.com[/url]. They will have the many varieties and all you need to do is to enter a "sort of" name of the mineral.

2 Replies

@farmerman,

Thank you kindly Farmer. I will break a piece of and grind it down and see what happens.

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@farmerman,

Farmer you are the man!!! Ok so I crushed it and used vinegar with 5 % acidity and it reacted and bubbled!!! yayyyy!!! science f-ing rules!!!

1 Reply

@shavosbeard,

these are what we call dogtooth calcite crystals. If you routinely hike in that area look for bigger , more "Showy" samples . They make nice specimens.
when you break the chunks, they will always break up into little skewed "Squares" . So using these little clues you should be able to tell this from other rocks. Good hunting.

1 Reply

@farmerman,

Excellent, thank you. Ill pay a visit again in two weeks. Ill post my results.

0 Replies

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