New to gems, possible Topaz?

[Duckwalk]

Getting into the gem hunting when I go prospecting. Big into gold prospecting. Hope you guys can help me out. I have no clue what these gems look like in the rough. Would love some pointers too!

I think the ones around the dime are topaz. Not sure what the other is with a stripe on the side, it is VERY smooth.

 

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[DDancer]

I take it you found the little spraklers in the black sands? If so topaz is the most likely choice. From what I can see in the picture I'd be pretty confident that's what they are. You can try doing a specific gravity test, topaz is much heavier than quartz. The polished stone is a bit of banded jasper or agate. Nice piece
When I'm out panning I keep an eye out on the heavies for various gems~ garnet, topaz, beryl as well as scan the dross for interesting crystals and agates... caught more than a few species with a little gold in them that way as well. Prospecting is not just about the gold but gold pays better where as gems often come home with a good memory of the trip.

 

[Duckwalk]

I'm going through all of the screened gravels from dredge cons where all of this is. Going to take me a while to finish going through it. Will post more of stuff I find.

 

[DDancer]

Keep a sharp eye out on topaz in the screening. When its wet it is often completely transparent and looks like a phantom in water.

 

[rodoconnor]

Hey Ducky, could be topaz, saphire or quartz. Kinda fun finding them ain't it?

 

[Duckwalk]

Sure as hell is. This is all in some dredge cons given to me by Strickman. Awesome guy! Also, in the process of building a light table. Going to be a fluorescent light with a ear piece of plexiglass over it. Makes it easier for me to see the garnets and stuff we have around my location.

I also noticed little black specs inside a few of my suspected topaz pieces. Impurities?
I remember reading as a teenage that sapphires 99.999999% of the time have small tiny black impurities in them. It's how to tell the difference between lab created and natural. Please by all means correct me if I'm wrong lol

 

[DDancer]

Natural stones have many inclusions in them as well a fractures and a host of variables. Little black sphere's makes me wonder if you've got some diamond as that's the only stone I know of that would have that kind of inclusion and diamond has been recovered in Georgia. But don't get to excited

Lab grown stones are often free of impurities~ and in fact impurities are added so that one can distinguish and natural stone form a lab one~ however it takes a trained individual to pick them out and I don't expect you'll be finding any in your cons. hehh

 

[Duckwalk]

Lol, how do I get this checked? Local jeweler maybe?

 

[DDancer]

Jeweler or a pawn shop may have a diamond tester.

 

[MrLee]

Nice finds. Yellow diamonds or heliodor? Sapphire as well. What minerals is your area known for? Beryl? Sapphire? Topaz? Start there and you'll narrow down the possibilities.

Bigger one, jasper maybe?

 

[Duckwalk]

Topaz is def in the area. One of the rounder stones has some small black round inclusions in it.

How do you determine value on stones such as my "jasper" find?

 

[BurntBear]

Definitely looks like colorless Topaz; possibly even Goshenite or Corundum.

 

[DDancer]

Determining the value of stones really falls under the general thought of how much someone is willing to pay for it. Unlike gold stones don't hold any fixed value. But I'm sure you realize that. Semi-precious stones like jaspers, agates and other quartz minerals are generally graded by their aesthetics~ Color, banding, clarity, rarity, shapes or crystalline profiles and decorative appeal. Worked stones will bring a higher value than ruff material~ common sense. The best place to find out what someone is willing to pay for a stone are at rock and mineral shows. You can also check with local lapidary clubs and business's.

Precious stones fall under the same rules however unless they are outstanding specimens ruff material will also fall under the rules that grade the stone for cutting. Precious stones have a more fixed value but the grading is much more stringent and many aesthetics don't apply. How much are they worth~ that will be up to the cutter who buys the ruff and will evaluate how much material they can finish with profitably; or if cut its up to the customer and ones sales ablity however one can demand a premium for cut material.

All in all the answer is kind of vague Duckwalk so you really just have to get out and flog those stones

 

[Duckwalk]

Thanks for the help guys! i was looking into a rock tumbler of sorts or maybe building my own. Is there any other options for maybe polishing the stones without running a loud machine for days on end?

 

[DDancer]

Hehh You can toss it back in the creek and get it back out again in a decade or so

Rock tumbler is the best however there are vibrating ones that are a little more quiet. I set mine outside or in a shed when I use it~ though that's been more than a few years now... have to keep moving to find work. *sigh* They are generally not to expensive and once you get past the learning curve they produce very nice results. Only other option is to pick up a grinder/polisher for cabbing though there are a few here who have been working with simple dremels and such. I think its EU that enjoys shoe string cutting

 

[Duckwalk]

so looking to make myself a rock tumbler out of a paint bucket lined with rubber matting to cut down on noise. my moter is going to be out of an old 18V black and decker drill. will create a new thread when i finish it.

 

[DDancer]

Might work. You'll have to use a heavy, quality bucket and you'll have to bond heavy smooth matting to all inside surfaces or you abrasives will eat it up. Be interesting to see the design. The matting is not so much to deaden noise as it is that its resistant to the abrasive environment inside the bucket. Rubber also provides a grip to flip the stones otherwise they wont wash.... just slosh Also a positive lock on the lid. There are other factors but like I said... be interesting to see.

 

[strickman]

Duck there were some diamonds found on that stretch of river .

 

[huntsman53]

Most natural Gems have Carbon or other specs in them. Quartz and many other Gems and possibly Topaz can have a variety of compounds or other items inside them such as Carbon, Dendrites and even bugs. I once saw a large Spider encased in a large Quartz Crystal at Coleman's Quartz Mine Shop just outside of Hot Springs, Arkansas and they wanted a mint for the specimen. Without seeing the stones in person up close and expecially with a Gem Loupe, it is hard to say what they are. More than likely they may be Topaz and/or Quartz. However, when you look at them in the natural light (not holding them up to the Sun or Sky), if they have the sheen or appearance of the dull (not shiny) side of Aluminum Foil, then they could possibly be Diamonds. This is usually what a natural Diamond looks like before cutting and/or polishing! If they don't have this sheen and you can rub them between your' fingers and they feel greasy, then they are more than likely Topaz. If they do not feel greasy, then they are probably Quartz or possibly White Sapphires.


Frank

 

[rodoconnor]

Ducky , there is a youtube video on using a saruka [sp?]. I know you were working cons but you may find the video informative.