Red rock with crystals inside. Anybody?

[G Freeman]

Don't know what crystals are in this rock. Anybody have a guess? Thanks.

 

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[DDancer]

Hrm, you could try a flame test and see if its possibly barite. Gotta ask does it feel heavy as compared to other stones of similar size?
An interesting link for the flame test: BARITE (Barium Sulfate)

 

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[Eu_citzen]

That's interesting. Try scratching it where you can't see the scratch and put some vinegar on the fine powder you got from the scratch. Same result?
Thinking Dolomite which can be a confusing bugger. I think it should react with the powdered rock if it is.

 

[G Freeman]

That's interesting. Try scratching it where you can't see the scratch and put some vinegar on the fine powder you got from the scratch. Same result?
Thinking Dolomite which can be a confusing bugger. I think it should react with the powdered rock if it is.

Went and tried that Eu no bubbles or fizzle. When I wiped the vinegar off the scratch was gone too. Coulden't tell I put a scratch on it. Did the scratch with clear quartz.

 

[Eu_citzen]

Use a loupe to double check if you really got a scratch, the vinegar shouldn't remove any scratches.

 

[G Freeman]

Use a loupe to double check if you really got a scratch, the vinegar shouldn't remove any scratches.

Eu I always do it that way with Loupe. It looked like it had a scratch but it didn't so the quartz did not scratch it because the vinegar removed the mark that the quartz put on the stone. The vinegar did not remove a scratch but removed the powder that the quartz put on it that looked like a scratch..

 

[DDancer]

So its harder than quartz?

 

[BurntBear]

Could be a red-orange variety of Topaz. That would be interesting and would definitely be a rare specimen indeed.

 

[pat-tekker-cat]

That is a real pretty rock!
Are you able to put it on a clear glass plate, with a light underneath, to see how it lights up? Maybe turn it on it's side so the light will go through the crystal structure. (I'm always hoping someone stumbles on to a mother vein of red emeralds. LOL!)
Also, maybe share, where/what area you pulled it out of? eta: I guess I could deduce you maybe got it from your area on your profile, which, there are emeralds around there, no?

 

[BurntBear]

Unfortunately it can't be Emerald due to it's crystal structure. There is Heliodor (Golden Beryl) and Aquamarine (Blue Beryl) in his vicinity though. Red Beryl is one of the rarest gemstones and to my knowledge have not been found outside of Utah and New Mexico. Sure would be nice to find some this way!

 

[G Freeman]

So its harder than quartz?

Yeah DDancer it must be harder. I told you that I put a scratch on it before because it looked like a scratch with the powder mark but when I put vinegar on it and washed it there was no scratch. I don't know buddy. Still fun trying to figure it out.

 

[pat-tekker-cat]

BB, I'm not a crystaline structure specialist, not a mineral specialist, not a chemical specialist,
but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night.

If we are/were talking beryl, we would be talking Bixbite. I figure with the emeralds in the carolina areas, there would only have to be the right mineral composition, to create Bixbite, vs heliodor or aquamarine, talking beryls, I mean. Follow me?
I have heard of one instance of Bixbite being found (in the Carolinas, I thought), and of course, I could probably never find, where I seen that.

Like I said, I have dreams of me or someone finding that red emerald mother load vein!

Beryl: The mineral Beryl info & pictures (aquamarine, emerald)

 

[G Freeman]

Unfortunately it can't be Emerald due to it's crystal structure. There is Heliodor (Golden Beryl) and Aquamarine (Blue Beryl) in his vicinity though. Red Emeralds are one of the rarest gemstones and to my knowledge have not been found outside of Utah and New Mexico. Sure would be nice to find some this way!

BruntBear I think I have got a lot of Aquamarine from this site as it is blue green but very light blue crystals. Got to turn the crystals a certain way in shade of the lamp to see the blue in them. Does that make sense? Also under black light I found 4 places that flourese a bright orange red and it is just little specks of red but they are so bright under UV light but with regular light can't see them.

 

[pat-tekker-cat]

BruntBear I think I have got a lot of Aquamarine from this site as it is blue green but very light blue crystals. Got to turn the crystals a certain way in shade of the lamp to see the blue in them. Does that make sense?

Raw aquamarine has subtle shading, from what I have seen. It's almost like, it isn't even there.
I thought they heat treated aquamarine to bring out color? Please do correct me if I am mistaken.

 

[BurntBear]

Heat treatments can be used to enhance the color in Aquamarine. It is usually very pale blue or green-blue. As far as the UV fluorescence, I'm going to have to research that. Very interesting.

 

[G Freeman]

Unfortunately it can't be Emerald due to it's crystal structure. There is Heliodor (Golden Beryl) and Aquamarine (Blue Beryl) in his vicinity though. Red Beryl is one of the rarest gemstones and to my knowledge have not been found outside of Utah and New Mexico. Sure would be nice to find some this way!

BruntBear I will try taking a picture with my loupe and show you the little red specks in a aquamarine or blue green crystal piece I have and if it comes out good enough to see it I will post it. Okay?

 

[G Freeman]

Heat treatments can be used to enhance the color in Aquamarine. It is usually very pale blue or green-blue. As far as the UV fluorescence, I'm going to have to research that. Very interesting.

BruntBear I don't think the blue green part flourese but the red did as it would stand out in the crystal.

 

[BurntBear]

It makes me curious, that's for sure. There must be some sort of other mineralization involved. Aquamarine itself should not fluoresce to my knowledge. Aqua is merely Goshenite (Colorless Beryl) that is loaded with iron impurities which give it it's blue color. Emerald's green color is achieved in a different way through Chromium and Vanadium.

 

[G Freeman]

It makes me curious, that's for sure. There must be some sort of other mineralization involved. Aquamarine itself should not fluoresce to my knowledge. Aqua is merely Goshenite (Colorless Beryl) that is loaded with iron impurities which give it it's blue color. Emerald's green color is achieved in a different way through Chromium and Vanadium.

BB does Chromium or Vanadium fluoresce?

 

[BurntBear]

To my knowledge, no metals fluoresce. I was explaining why Beryl colors differ. Sorry if that was confusing.

 

[G Freeman]

To my knowledge, no metals fluoresce. I was explaining why Beryl colors differ. Sorry if that was confusing.

Here is a couple pictures through loupe to show but may not help.