Rutile????

[Indian Steve]

Howdy, A friend just found this in Floyd VA. and thinks it is Rutile. What do ya'll think? thanks steve

 

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[Bajahunter]

Can you scratch it with a known piece of quartz?
What color is the streak if you rub it on a piece of white ceramic tile?
if rutile it should be scratched by quartz and leave a red streak.

 

[marinedad]

looks like black tourmaline.

 

[Indian Steve]

I was thinking tourmaline also but told him that i would ask more opinions from people that know more than us. Thanks Steve

 

[Indian Steve]

Howdy All, I took the rock to the Virginia Natural History Museum and they verified it as Rutile.

 

[StoneWhisper]

Sorry.. Someone must have missinformed you about it being rutile.. Clearly I have loads of this (Tourmaline)

Here is a clue to what rutile is.. or should be. Rutile comprises of gold strands.. or spider webbing through out the host stone.. So just remember that rutile is gold strands and tourmalted stones are or have tourmaline strands running through them.

 

[rock]

I have seen Rutile in quartz crystals before and they are gold in color.

 

[marinedad]

i've seen quartz with gold, silver, copper, and black rutiles in it. what would be the hardness of that "rutile" in the picture?

 

[Indian Steve]

Howdy, I thought it was tourmaline by looking at it but the geologist at the museum did a streak test and hardness test and then showed me a picture of a rutile crystal that was almost identical. The main give away to me was its weight. It was very heavy. I have tourmaline and this was 3 or 4 times heavier. I have collected Rutile at Graves mountain in georgia and have a nice crystal about the same size and the weight was very close. I'll post a pic of mine soon. steve

 

[marinedad]

so indian steve, would the hardness of your rutile be that of corundum? 9 on the mohs scale? and what color is your rutile?

 

[Bajahunter]

The streak and hardness tests that they did are difinitive.
I found similar pictures of rutile both online and in my books.
I hope you paid attention to the tests they did. They are easy to do and they alone can be used to ID many minerals.