Need a little help identifying secondary copper minerals

[Steve1236]

I found these the other day, they have only been cleaned in dish soap and water because I'm used to using SIO and I've been reading people haven't had the greatest experiences using SIO on secondary copper minerals so if anyone also knows a good way to clean these specimens better it would be much appreciated. Two pics are pics I screenshot from mindat of the minerals found in the area I found these maybe they will help with identification. Thanks in advance
Steve.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Diving for Pleasure and Treasure - Grab it through Amazon!

[DDancer]

Chrysocolla, Malachite and Turquoise are what I see Steve. Acids dont do well with copper minerals just good old soap and water. You can try your wet look technique to polish it up a bit.

 

[Steve1236]

Thanks DDancer, one more quick question, they are easier to see in pics 11 through 14 if you zoom in, I see pyrite specs and little tiny micro red crystals, they resemble garnets, I dont know if they are garnets just looks like it, still quartz or maybe tiny garnets you think and by chance could that be ajoite instead of turquoise, I only ask because mindat list ajoite not turquoise found in the mining district I'm in?

 

[Steve1236]

I just cleaned up my favorite specimen from that outing that day, I soaked it in hot water and dish soap for a couple hours, then I let the sink water run five minutes on each side, repeat it several times. I put clear dish soap on to get an idea of it polished.
I just thought I'd share....

 

[Steve1236]

This material keeps giving me 2.1 to 2.4 specific gravity, maybe its blue boron silica magnesia bauxite mineral? The reason I'm thinking maybe because I did a specific gravity on the reddish brown rock the blue is attached to and again 2.3 2.4 specific gravity.

 

[fuss]

Since these rocks likely have several mineral types in them wont the SG tests be misleading?

 

[Steve1236]

Yes it would but I did a specific gravity on what its attached to and it gave me2.3 2.4 potash ore has that and bauxite does as well, chrysocolla has 2.4 specific gravity but that host rock had me wondering, idk mineral identification can be a pain in the butt sometimes lol

 

[Steve1236]

I really need to know if there's ajoite in there somewhere, I literally found this stuff in a location ajoite is found.

 

[fuss]

you could try posting on the id section of mindat, I think there are a few people there who may be familiar with the location you found these.

 

[Steve1236]

Thanks but it probably needs to be seen in person to really know for sure I'm thinking, especially if I want to sell it as ajoite, I'll probably wait to see if I can find anymore first then I'll find someone local to take a look at it, meantime if it is ajoite, someone is gonna get it cheaper than what ajoite is selling for cause I already listed it lol, but as chrysocolla with some gem silica.

 

[DDancer]

I dont see anything that looks like ajoite. Its described as being fiburous, everything I'm seeing is pretty massive. Even though the mineral ajoite is in the Ajo mining district it may be very limited in location. All else your getting some nice bits where ever your picking them.

 

[Steve1236]

Its minor but I think it might be there, I usually dont have the greatest luck so you are probably right DDancer lol but here's two pics one is real and one is mine, it's in the quartz crystals, I'm noticing a similarity? I'll get it looked at anyway, just in case.

 

[Steve1236]

This is another cool one that looks like it may have a little as well in the quartz crystal, some of the stuff on this stuff does seem fibrous when dry, worst thing is I went at this stuff with a stiff hair brush and dish soap and water for a while not knowing how fragile what I'm supposed to be looking for is, another here's your sign moment for me smh so I dont even know if I damaged them or its weathering, also could this be petrified wood, kind of a weird natural shape.

 

[DDancer]

Not ever having had a specimen in my hand of ajoite Steve it'd be real hard for me to say yeah or nay to what your pointing out. All the postings and pictures I've run over that would make me conclude ajoite shows fiburous to needle like structure. I spent a fair few years picking up minerals in AZ, and in the Ajo district, so my opinion of what your showing is based on stuff I've had in hand. Its not uncommon to pick up mixed bags of minerals with the copper's in AZ. Intrusions of copper minerals into quartz and quartz fractures can look much like your example on the quartz crystal you imaged~ however I expect the person who identified that specimen was able to see distinct boundries between the quartz and a ajoite, not just a coloration.
As to cleaning~ well if ajoite exists as a native spray of crystals you would scrub them mostly off leaving only base crystals to identify. Only a fresh broken specimen might survive with a good spray.

That aside your getting some really good color and I'd keep looking for larger nodules. Some of that stuff looks pretty gemmy.