MrCheese 6 Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Hello!When I was a kid I had a nice collection of rocks and minerals that I would pickup on vacations and class trips. They were put into a display case where they were ordered and labeled. Unfortunately, as I got older and moved out, the case broke and the contents eventually ended up in a box mixed together. After lugging stuff around for 25 years, I came across one of the boxes and suddenly got enthusiastic about making a new display case to show them off once again. The problem is, I have no clue what I am looking at. I am able to identify several pieces but others have me boggled. I have gone online and done some searches but I can't be sure what I have.I would like to know if I can share photos of my collection and others here might be willing to help identify them. I see that it is commonly done here but I have about 100 or so pieces that I am unsure of and I want to ask first before I do anything.Thank you for your help! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
d_day 332 Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Share away. Just be advised that a proper ID is not always possible by photo alone. Try to get very clear, well focused, and well lit pictures. Try to provide as much info as you can such as hardness, streak color, specific gravity, and location they were found. The more info you can provide, the more likely you are to get a correct ID. If all you have are pictures that's fine too, but they might not get identified that way. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
4meter 198 Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Looking forward to seeing your collection MrCheese and helping out. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MrCheese 6 Posted February 3, 2016 Author Share Posted February 3, 2016 (edited) Thank you for your replies. This evening I photographed all the items I have that are tennis ball size and larger.I photographed the items with a color checker so the colors are exact.001 - I believe this one is Amethyst Edited February 3, 2016 by MrCheese Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MrCheese 6 Posted February 3, 2016 Author Share Posted February 3, 2016 (edited) 002 Edited February 3, 2016 by MrCheese Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MrCheese 6 Posted February 3, 2016 Author Share Posted February 3, 2016 (edited) 003 - This one has silver flakes mixed in. Mica maybe? The black top on the last photo feels a bit waxy. Edited February 3, 2016 by MrCheese Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MrCheese 6 Posted February 3, 2016 Author Share Posted February 3, 2016 (edited) 004 Edited February 3, 2016 by MrCheese Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MrCheese 6 Posted February 3, 2016 Author Share Posted February 3, 2016 (edited) 005 Edited February 3, 2016 by MrCheese Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MrCheese 6 Posted February 3, 2016 Author Share Posted February 3, 2016 (edited) 006 - This one has very interesting green deposits. 007 - This feels a bit chalky but it is not soft enough to easily scratch. Limestone? Edited February 3, 2016 by MrCheese Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MrCheese 6 Posted February 3, 2016 Author Share Posted February 3, 2016 008 - Coal?009 - Quartz?010 - I believe this is iron ore.011 - Iron ore? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
d_day 332 Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 For some reason I can't get the photos to enlarge on my phone, so I'll have to take a look on my computer in the morning. They do look like great photos which really helps. I can't count the number of times someone has asked for an ID with a blurry photo. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Edge 545 Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 The third quartz looks like its been napped into an ax head. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
4meter 198 Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 Here's my 2 cents worth.Minerals:1) Quartz, variety Amethyst2) Quartz, variety Citrine9) Quartz, variety Rose8) Bornite(?), what color is the streak for this mineral?7) Kaolinite - clay mineralRocks: 4) Limestone (if it fizzes with warm vinegar placed on it; if not then it's Quartzite) 3) Gneiss with quartz and mica 6) Gneiss with the mineral Chlorite (green mica) 5) Rock showing chemical weathering (yellow) 10) poorly sorted, Pebbly Conglomerate with quartz concretions heavily stained by Goethite (yellow) and Hematite (red) 11) Heavily weathered, poorly sorted, Pebbly Conglomerate similar to sample # 10. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
d_day 332 Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 I think 4meter is probably correct on all of them. Many of these are outside my (small) area of expertise. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MrCheese 6 Posted February 4, 2016 Author Share Posted February 4, 2016 Thank you guys! You have no idea how helpful this is and how much I appreciate it. I started painting a white dot with numbers on the items so I can actually label them this time around.Here are more from my collection. All of these are around golf ball size. I have included a few photos from my magnifying scope. Magnifications are around 30-40x.012 - Bornite?013 - Marble? It has small silver flakes mixed in.014 - This one is very smooth and has a depression in the center which appears to have crystals (Quartz?) inside. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MrCheese 6 Posted February 4, 2016 Author Share Posted February 4, 2016 015016 - This one is olive green and salmon in color.017 - Ignore the square shaped stain in the second photo. This was from double sided tape what used to be on the bottom. The color of this one is light gray.018 - This one is pink / rose in color and then red to yellow. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MrCheese 6 Posted February 4, 2016 Author Share Posted February 4, 2016 019 - Looks very similar to 017 but this one is very dark grey.020 - Color is black and white.021 - This one seems rather hard022 - Looks like Quartz but is very pink. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MrCheese 6 Posted February 4, 2016 Author Share Posted February 4, 2016 023 - Looks like a mix of lots of small pebbles (about 1/4" and smaller)024 - Granite?025 - White with lots of silvery deposits.026 - Has silvery flakes (Mica?) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MrCheese 6 Posted February 4, 2016 Author Share Posted February 4, 2016 027 - Looks like it has Quartz mixed in.029 - Dark grey with white stripes. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
4meter 198 Posted February 5, 2016 Share Posted February 5, 2016 My best guesses based solely on these photos:Minerals:12 – Bornite13 – Calcite18 – Quartz - with iron stains (yellow and red)20 – Quartz - var. Flint with calcite seams21 – Quartz or Calcite (if fizz with warm vinegar, then calcite)22 - Quartz – var. Rose26 – Quartz with Muscovite MicaRocks:16 – Granite with quartz seams17 & 19 – river pebbles (clasts)18 – (alternative to minerals) Quartz Conglomerate (note the rounded clasts within this rock)23 – Breccia (note the non-rounded clasts within this rock)24 – Andesite (igneous rock) with Plagioclase Feldspar phenocrysts (large, whitish, crystals).26 - Granite with mica27 - Conglomerate29 - Limestone with calcite seams (see if anything fizzes) if not - Slate with quartz seamUnknowns:14, 15 & 25 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
4meter 198 Posted February 6, 2016 Share Posted February 6, 2016 Picture 025 might be a marble with a green mineral in it. Place some warm vinegar or weak HCl acid on the white part and see if it fizzes. If it does, then it is a marble and that would help gives us a clue to the ID of the ingrown green mineral. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MrCheese 6 Posted February 10, 2016 Author Share Posted February 10, 2016 Thank you. I'm still working on testing a few of the ones you suggested. Here is another batch.030031032034 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MrCheese 6 Posted February 10, 2016 Author Share Posted February 10, 2016 035 - Tiger's Eye Quartz?036037 - Hematite? This one sticks to a magnet.038 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MrCheese 6 Posted February 10, 2016 Author Share Posted February 10, 2016 039 - Pyrite?040041 - Turquoise?042 - Turquenite? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MrCheese 6 Posted February 10, 2016 Author Share Posted February 10, 2016 043044 - Obsidian045 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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