Help? On Identity Please?

[Nitric]

My wife and I are looking through some things we...Well she collected. We know little about minerals unless we go to a site and dig our own. We are trying to learn but it's a slow go...A lot to learn.

What is the crystal(?) on the small rock? We have larger chunks too. I don't know if the pics will show it well, but they look like flowers. Really cool! We believe they came out of PA,OH,WV,Or IN. Not exactly sure, someone gave them to us and we can not remember where they told us.. Normally we aren't in a big hurry to figure this kind of thing out, but she's giving one to her friend and wants to at least be able to say what it is. Plus, I'm really curious too! I hope the pics show it well, they look really cool!

The larger rock has some yellow going through it that is real bright. Almost, looks like it may glow under a black light. We have no clue what that is or where it came from either. That one I just used to try to get a better pic of the smaller. Added...You can barely see the yellow stripe in the last pic...I'll worry about that one a different day.

Also, the pics don't show it as cool as it is to the eye. I'll try for better pics tomorrow...





I added pics off the yellow striped rock ... We are guessing sulfur? Can anyone say if we are right or not? Please. Thank you!

 

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[Nitric]

she just threw me another one. We have no clue if this is just melted or broken glass. And Is there an easy way to check? I have a stone checker outer thingamajig with a probe and hardness compartment(?), but I left the batteries in it and it's on the bench for "when I get to it", and may not be able to repair it. But at least that would give us a starting point when trying to ID. This is about an inch and half big. roughly the whole way around, like a ball(I know, my description stinks, but I don't know the words). She found this in the dirt somewhat close to AL,GA border. Can't remember exact location, we stopped along gravel/dirt road to check the truck for a noise and she's always checking the washouts. So we have no idea if it's someones trash, washed down the hillside, or where it actually came from.

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[stdenis_jd]

Those certainly do look like sulfur crystals on calcite - the first pics also appear to be calcite of a dog-tooth variety. Your second post, the pics didn't attach correctly.

 

[DDancer]

I'm with stdenis. I suggest a hardness test if you can find a spot that wont damage the crystals, and the sulfur, much.

 

[Nitric]

Those certainly do look like sulfur crystals on calcite - the first pics also appear to be calcite of a dog-tooth variety. Your second post, the pics didn't attach correctly.

Thank you!! We can't remember if we got both rocks from the same person, but probably did.

I don't know why I can't get the other pics to attach? I'll try it on a different computer when I go in. This one I'm using is antique. My garage computer. You have to kick it around, twist a few wires, yell at it.....to get it to work.

Thanks again! We didn't even know what direction to look. We've collected a lot of things we have no idea what it is. The stuff we went to the site and dug we know because of what you learn from the dig places and seeing it come out of the ground.

 

[Nitric]

I'll try this again..

We have no clue if this is just melted or broken glass. I really don't believe it is, but I'm no expert. And Is there an easy way to check? I have a stone checker outer thingamajig with a probe and hardness compartment(?), but I left the batteries in it and it's on the bench for "when I get to it", and may not be able to repair it. At least that would give us a starting point when trying to ID. This is about an inch and half big. roughly the whole way around, like a ball(I know, my description stinks, I don't know the words). She found this in the dirt somewhat close to AL,GA border. Can't remember exact location, we stopped along gravel/dirt road to check the truck for a noise and she's always checking the washouts. So we have no idea if it's someones trash, washed down the hillside, or where it actually came from.








Is it possible that this is topaz? I do see what looks like a Bubble or two. Does that happen? If it is? I'm going to try to find the spot again!! And see if can get permission from the property to look deeper!! If this is what washed out I can only imagine what might be buried. Iit may be wishful thinking. The pics don't show it well! The inside has some nice clear areas, and it's more of a light blue than the pics show. They are showing more of a coke bottle green, it's not that color. I put it on a black background to try to bring the true color out. I always have a difficult time with cameras. I think it looks really cool and clear(as in seeing through it) in person, the pics just don't look the same.

I'll have to see if I can get to the....(can't remember it's name)..Thermal tester(?) I know the probe checks with heat(I think?) and the compartment tests with? Radiation(?)......Oh heck!! The tester thingamajig that tests stone hardness. It's on a bench buried with battery damage. I think I can just cut that all out, clean it up, and use the wall plug. If I can get to it! That would be so much easier! Or at least a starting point. I hope I can repair it. It's older and we paid somewhere close to $400 for it new to test stones in jewelry, mostly Diamond. It would work great for this stuff too! It has the needle meter, and a digital hardness part of it.

 

[Nitric]

Those certainly do look like sulfur crystals on calcite - the first pics also appear to be calcite of a dog-tooth variety. Your second post, the pics didn't attach correctly.

My wife also thanks you!! She is happy to have an ID. Then we can look it up, and study it and what the book says with it in our hands. Trying to understand how it was created etc...

Thanks again!!!!

 

[Nitric]

I'm with stdenis. I suggest a hardness test if you can find a spot that wont damage the crystals, and the sulfur, much.

We thank you too DDancer! I'm going to try to repair the hardness checker outer thingamajig. I'm just going to make my own names since my memory stinks!! Once I understand, I know what it does, and somewhat how to use it, I just have a hard time with terms. That's what makes Geology tough! I want to know it bad!! But I have to visually walk through the process, the books are like reading foreign language, no matter how many times I read them. I think we are going to look for a local club. I'd learn so much better and faster one on one with someone that can walk me through it. This site is great too!! But I don't want to drive you guys nuts with boxes and buckets of rocks and minerals.

 

[DDancer]

Lots of materials can be used for simple hardness tests. I'm uncertain of what device your talking about repairing and using. There are more comprehensive charts of common items that can be used to test hardness but here's a simple one : https://www.minerals.net/resource/property/Hardness.aspx

As to your reposted pictures have to say its likely just melted glass that washed out of someones burn pit or camp fire and not topaz. The bubbles and conical fractures as well as the coloration say glass to me. But if you like it I have a fist sized chunk myself.

 

[stdenis_jd]

I concur with DD, it's cullet (recycled/melted) glass due to the bubbles & conchoidal fracture - if you do a hardness test it should come out to roughly 5.5 Moh's. If it somehow comes out 7 or higher let us know!

 

[Nitric]

Thank you everyone!!!! I'll try to do a hardness test on the glass just out of curiosity. I don't doubt that you are correct. The few bubbles had me doubting it. I just didn't know enough.

 

[Plumbata]

The first specimen is probably calcite as already suggested but the structure of the larger crystals is reminiscent of Gypsum, which would be soft enough to scratch with a fingernail.