No kidding found at thrift stores

TeAra

Sr. Member
Oct 4, 2012
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Butler, TN.
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Found some specimens at 2 local thrift stores..and hubby thought I was nuts for buying a bag and vase of rocks as he said lol..Here are just a few

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Contains emeralds I do believe
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The brown ones I was told could be arsenic ore
 

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Ive bought lots of my collection from garage sales. Love it when people clean house.
 

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I was tickled pink when I found them..Can't beat the price total $3.25 between the 2 stores lol
 

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First pic looks like garnet, possibly Almandine.
Second pic I have no idea. Resembles stillbite from Svappavaara, Sweden. But doubt that's the case.
third pic is a bit to fuzzy to be sure, first thought is peridotite..? Seems unlikely.
Fourth is also not clear enough. Do they feel heavy for their size? Streak? Hardness?
Fifth resembles corundum
Sixth could be several things; schorl (black tourmaline) and obsidian come to mind.
Seventh is quite likely K Feldspar

And finally your last pic could be emerald.

Well, that's for my guesses. :)
 

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Thanks for the help..The 3rd pic is easily scratched with a knife and when I hold a light to it you can see green gems in them...the same pic as the last..I have many of them..The forth is very soft streaks reddish brown and stinks like cinnamon but husbands says garlic...so they stay outside till I know for sure..I have quite a few of the black..very hard not see through even with light..I am hoping to get all identified this weekend.
 

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The third pic is same as ones on top but you can see the gem in it better
The 4th is a deep red when light under it and hard
 

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Nice collection TeAra
I see
First pic. Garnet, pyrope (rounded one) and almandine (cubic one)
Second pic. Possibly lazurite. How hard is the blue?
Third pic, Give us more to work with on the green stone. Can you tell how hard it is? The last pic you sent it looks very rounded. Does it have any noticeable crystal shape. Streak? Gonna withhold judgement until I know more but it doesn't look like emerald.
Fourth pic. Garlic smell is an identifier for arsenic.
Fifth pic. Can't tell from picture. Possibly some kind of ore with amethyst. How hard is the pink area? Can you get us a pic of just one rock, as close as possible.
Sixth. Obsidian
Seventh, feldspar.
Eighth, can see the green but nothing else.

Second batch of pics.
first pic, several things in that rock. Looks like quartz and ?calcite? How hard are the milk white crystals?
second pic. Now that is an emerald. Looks exactly like the one in my hardness test kit.
Third pic, This why I say it is not emerald. That stone is too rounded. Epiodot, green tourquoise?
Fourth pic, Really hard, corundom (ruby).
Fifth pic. Hardness test please. Also looks like emerald.
 

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Got to quit responding before I finish my coffee.
Green stones in the mikasious host rock could be peridote [not epidote]. Way to clear to be tourquoise also. How big are the green stones and what is the host rock like.
The one in the second group I called an emerald is probably the one Wizard is calling an aquamarine. Both are beryl. If that is so I would go with his call.
 

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The blue stone with white streak clear and can be scratched with a knife
The blackish with green..host rock streaks greenish black scratched with copper penny..green gem clear streak scratched with knife
the pink stone streaks clear and cannot be scratched with a knife
the geode looking one clear streak and scratched with knife on clear and milky crystals
the light green scratched with knife and streaks clear

hear are a few close ups as best as my camera would do
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The one that smells like garlic is probably arsenic. One of the field tests for arsenic is to strike it with a knive blade or similar to get the garlic smell. TTC
 

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My husband says it smells like garlic...to me and my sister it smells like cinnamon...so I do not know.
 

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