Could this have been a decent crystal ?

[Ashman]

Could this have been a decent crystal ?

It is about as big around as a nickle.

 

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[G Freeman]

Ashman, I been getting a lot of Hexagonal crystals out and wonder where the rest of it is. That is a really nice crystal. HH.

 

[Ashman]

Thank You.

Here is a question and please keep in mind I am new to all this. Is there a way to remove crystals like this one from the host rock or is that something that you just don't do.

 

[MrLee]

My opinion is it's a quartz point that didn't grow further. A nice piece for your collection.

 

[DDancer]

Cutting away the base material is the safest way. Otherwise careful chipping away of the base material will reduce the size of the specimen with the potential of damaging it. Such points are better left as found from a collectors point of view as it shows natural growth. A conversation piece and something you can study to understand the dynamics of crystal growth.

 

[G Freeman]

Ashman, believe DDancer point is right on or my wife when we first started she would find a rock like yours and she would hold it over her head and throw it to the ground and throw herself farther than the rock and I ask what are you doing and she got the little crystal from the ground in about 100 pieces and said I just wanted to get this out of it. LOL. Yeah I can see the crystal in your rock but its really hard to get them out.

 

[huntsman53]

Cutting away the base material is the safest way. Otherwise careful chipping away of the base material will reduce the size of the specimen with the potential of damaging it. Such points are better left as found from a collectors point of view as it shows natural growth. A conversation piece and something you can study to understand the dynamics of crystal growth.

I agree to leave it alone! Besides, the crystal grew somewhat oddly probably due to being under some weight pressure as well as heat when it grew. Because of the way it grew, it would be hard to determine where the hidden portions of the crystal are laying inside the host rock and chiseling could fracture a hidden portion of it which could then cause the rest of the crystal to fracture.


Frank

 

[Ashman]

Sounds like I should just give it a bath and stick on my shelf as my first decent crystal. Thank you all for your input. I went out walking and driving around today looking at some new areas to play in. Had a blast and took a lot pictures.

 

[huntsman53]

I hope you carry a rock pick, regular pick and Gold Prospecting equipment with you to take samples, do some panning and also do some rock crushing when you get back home and pan the powder out to see if there is any Gold in it! Those locations look great for not only great rock specimens but also Gems and Gold...especially the Quartz veins and mineralization in the last pic. The other two locations look very promising as well.


Frank

 

[BurntBear]

Very cool specimen! Just the fact you are finding terminated crystals that are intact is a good sign!

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Very nice specimen and great addition to your collection.

 

[LuckDaNova]

could be sapphire?

 

[DDancer]

Luck thats a quartz crystal. Sapphire and corundum's have a different geometry when it comes to points and thier planes. Welcome to the forum.