Sulfides - nugget XRF results - blue mystery mineralization

[Rific]

I've found a couple sulfides, hopefully I'm getting closer to the origin, and I was wondering if you guys could help me out identifying them and this blue mineralization in a few spots in my area.


Here are the sulfides and the nuggets that came out of the one:



This sulfide has a coating of what I believe to be alunite on it - its just gorgeous!:
"S1"

Would someone mind elaborating on the alunite/sulfide as to what the sulfide may be and why the alunite? formed on it? Am I getting closer to the origin of deposit with this alunite on the sulfide?


Im assuming this is a sulfide and these are the nuggets which reside inside that I had XRFd:
"S2"


Analysis results (Slight variation between the 3 nuggets I had placed in the device):
90% FE
6% CU
1% Ti
Less than or around 1% - Zn, Mg or Mn, Cr or Co (I forget the exact percentages and trace elements as I was let down it wasnt the assumed awaruite or platinum) and maybe there was a tad vanadium in there too. I just remember the main constituents were Fe,Cu,Ti. There was no nickel detected by the XRF or by my DMG test kit.

Bornite?:
"S3"



And finally the mystery mineralization! In my area, at times I crack open rocks or chunk open a protrusion of a wall/hill outcrop and find a deep blue/turquoise coloring inside. I take them home until I learn more about geology and I've noticed that the color fades. Sometimes color fades within a day or two, and the color fade is different too. Sometimes it just disappears and only few specimens have turned into a green color and stayed green. Some retract to the darker areas and turn almost like a black. I'm guessing that this is some type of copper enrichment?

The one rock looks to me like a basalt or similar makeup and the others are less dense i dont know whats. The rock that turned green was chunked off of a hillside embankment exposure:

The second picture here doesn't have great lighting, but the rock also is exhibiting the fade I was talking about. Yesterday it was so bright and vibrant and now its dulling and fading.
The fourth picture looks like thats a chunk of sandstone stuck in the matrix if that helps in identifying the matrix?

 

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[Eu_citzen]

You will need to help us here. Get the basic tests: hardness test, magnetism & streak. See Moesia's post:
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/rocks-gems/527975-rocks-minerals.html

I don't think #3 is alunite. Perhaps pyrophyllite or possibly stillbite.

The change of color you notice is actually oxidization or commonly known as tarnishing.
Fresh Bornite will show a copper-red color, quickly tarnishing/oxidizing to the colors it's known for.

After you do the tests we might find out what we're dealing with.

By the way, those nuggets are likely indeed not of natural origin. 90% Fe is crazy much!
I believe in the "world famous" Kiruna mine is close to 50% iron, which is a lot!

#8 from the bottom, would need a better picture!

 

[Rific]

You will need to help us here. Get the basic tests: hardness test, magnetism & streak. See Moesia's post:
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/rocks-gems/527975-rocks-minerals.html

I don't think #3 is alunite. Perhaps pyrophyllite or possibly stillbite.

The change of color you notice is actually oxidization or commonly known as tarnishing.
Fresh Bornite will show a copper-red color, quickly tarnishing/oxidizing to the colors it's known for.

After you do the tests we might find out what we're dealing with.

By the way, those nuggets are likely indeed not of natural origin. 90% Fe is crazy much!
I believe in the "world famous" Kiruna mine is close to 50% iron, which is a lot!

#8 from the bottom, would need a better picture!

Only the bottom set of pictures are dealing with the color change. The peacock ore is always like that and I just thought I might have had a couple eezy peezys for u guys...The 90% iron comment is interesting though...would you say with almost certainty that the rocks in that picture group are not of slag origin?

I also want to reiterate and say that I only had the solid metal nuggets examined, not the entire "s2" rocks.

I will file a more thorough description here soon and shoot a couple of better pictures.

 

[Rific]

As far as the magnetism is concerned...


Granted, thats a neodymium magnet, but a small one and that rock weighs 260 grams. So, the rocks in the second set of pictures are highly magnetic. The other sulfides are fairly magnetic as well. Both neodymium and standard magnetic stick to the rocks under their own weight, they just won't pick the rock up and I can feel a slightly reduced pull from those rocks. One thing worth of note is that where the crystals formed on top of the one sulfide, there isn't much magnetism there.

S1: Very magnetic and had a hard time getting ANY streak out of it...wld only streak a very light grey on certain spots of it, all other spots would scrape the actual plate apart. Light grey streak or no streak

S2: Incredibly magnetic / Brownish-orangish streak

S3: Very magnetic / Dark grey-black streak




I suppose I could calculate the density now with the new addition of my scale! To be continued..

 

[Eu_citzen]

Only the bottom set of pictures are dealing with the color change. The peacock ore is always like that and I just thought I might have had a couple eezy peezys for u guys...The 90% iron comment is interesting though...would you say with almost certainty that the rocks in that picture group are not of slag origin?

I also want to reiterate and say that I only had the solid metal nuggets examined, not the entire "s2" rocks.

I will file a more thorough description here soon and shoot a couple of better pictures.

I said they are almost certainly not natural.

And, well, metallic minerals are never easy. Because many of them look similar, only by doing the tests can most of them be ID'd.
Keep in mind, there are more then 4000 minerals known to man. Most of the time, it's not easy. Luckily only about a 100 of them are common.

 

[Eu_citzen]

As far as the magnetism is concerned...
View attachment 1443078

Granted, thats a neodymium magnet, but a small one and that rock weighs 260 grams. So, the rocks in the second set of pictures are highly magnetic. The other sulfides are fairly magnetic as well. Both neodymium and standard magnetic stick to the rocks under their own weight, they just won't pick the rock up and I can feel a slightly reduced pull from those rocks. One thing worth of note is that where the crystals formed on top of the one sulfide, there isn't much magnetism there.

S1: Very magnetic and had a hard time getting ANY streak out of it...wld only streak a very light grey on certain spots of it, all other spots would scrape the actual plate apart. Light grey streak or no streak

S2: Incredibly magnetic / Brownish-orangish streak

S3: Very magnetic / Dark grey-black streak

View attachment 1443084


I suppose I could calculate the density now with the new addition of my scale! To be continued..

#1 Very interesting. Would like a better picture of that one for sure.

#2 Suggests a limonite coating, perhaps with some magnetite hiding underneath. Typically only magnetite and pyrrhotite show magnetism, the latter only weakly.
Pyrrhotite has a sorta bronz-like colour. Magnetite is more a dark grey to blackish.

#3 Magnetite.

 

[Moesia]

No, it is not a meteorite.

 

[Rific]

No, it is not a meteorite.

Moesia do you ever contribute anything besides your shortcomings? Where I think we may all agree it takes some time to learn how to properly ID minerals, it doesn't take much to ID a nuisance. Kick up and ID or kick rocks cool guy

In regards to EU_citizen, I definitely think you are correct on the pyrrhotite and perhaps that is what numbers 1 and 3 are. After looking at some pictures I think thats a way better fit than bornite.

 

[Moesia]

Well you were hinting of it being a meteorite.
90% FE: 6% CU: 1% Ti. This is a man made alloy if correct at all. Pyrrhotite and magnetite are magnetic minerals. You're rocks are pervasively altered and no host can be discerned. Pictures are out of focus, no large minerals are present, no small minerals can bee seen. All that can be seen is the oxidation of the rock. So sulfide leaching has occurred and you might have an iron cap. Some of the rocks are clearly transported so they are not all co-genetic. You can not streak a rock for an id, you can only streak specific minerals, and on you're rocks it is just silly. You need at least one fresh surface of the unaltered host rock. Be honest with you're id, do not imprint.
I do kick rocks.

 

[Rific]

Mosia, I do not understand the do not imprint remark but thank you for the other information shared. Are you saying even the rock labeled S1, leaching has occured? The leaching process wouldn't destroy the secondary mineralization on top/bottom? And can you leach such a large rock? Leaching will reach the inner portions of the rock of that size as well? Any thoughts on the blue mineralization?

 

[Eu_citzen]

He's referring to weathering, i.e. the "leaching & alteration" caused by water. Such as pyrite oxidizing to limonite and something else.
The weathering is limited, usually, to the outermost portion of the rock.

 

[Moesia]

I am thinking that some of them appear to be hydrothermaly altered then weathered. Some of the rocks appear to be high iron silica rocks which were pervasively weathered thus giving them that rusted look. It is common with weathered mafic ultramafic rocks.

When you take a picture like that and it glimmers it makes it impossible to deduce the processes. And there is a lack of resolution in the pictures. Some of the rocks most likely do not show the same color in person as they do in the pictures.

Guess this...