Au Seeker 3,173 Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 #37 maybe Hematite, but I'm guessing Magnetite, Hematite usually has to be heated before it's readily attracted to a magnet, but Magnetite will always stick to a magnet, a simple streak test on a piece of unglazed ceramic will help determine which it may be, Hematite will have a reddish/brown streak, Magnetite will have a dark gray to black streak, if any other color, not Hematite or Magnetite, but knowing the streak color will help lead to an ID, not only on this piece but on all of your samples.#43 looks like Moonstone to me but I'm no expert. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pondmn 265 Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 #32 is mariposite, #34 is tiger jasper, #43 looks like tumbled quartz, #40 looks like agate, #36 looks like malachite, #30 jasper/agate, #38 pyrite and #31 might be soapstone or serpentine --more likely the latter. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
4meter 201 Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 (edited) My best guesses based solely on photos for this batch:Minerals:32 – Malachite34 – Quartz - var. Leopard Agate35 – Quartz - var. Tiger's Eye37 – Hematite - var. Specularite38 & 39 – Pyrite43 - Plagioclase Feldspar - var. Moonstone (polished)45 – Sulfur (massive, check its hardness, sulfur is soft) OR rock covered in sulfurRocks:31– Serpentinite (metamorphic rock) with slickensides due to faulting (jagged edges on upper surface of rock seen in right hand photo)44 – Obsidian (volcanic glass) OR furnace slag36, 40-42 - dyed pebbles (pretty but not natural)Unknowns:30 - Could be many things. Test for hardness, taste, fizz (acid test) & report you findingsWhat cameria do you use to take these photos? The photos are very nice. Edited February 12, 2016 by 4meter Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MrCheese 6 Posted February 12, 2016 Author Share Posted February 12, 2016 A lot of these were picked up from those bins they have in museum gift shops. I know all of the ones I picked up had a fancy name to them. I guess on some of them I got ripped off. I wasn't aware they could dye a rock. I'll still hold on to them. They are very pretty to look at. I just won't put them in the new case I am building.4Meter, I used a Canon 40d with a 100mm macro lens. I'll be happy to show you my setup if you would like.I have one more batch to upload. Thank you guys for being so kind to help me out. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Au Seeker 3,173 Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 A lot of these were picked up from those bins they have in museum gift shops. I know all of the ones I picked up had a fancy name to them. I guess on some of them I got ripped off. I wasn't aware they could dye a rock. I'll still hold on to them. They are very pretty to look at. I just won't put them in the new case I am building.4Meter, I used a Canon 40d with a 100mm macro lens. I'll be happy to show you my setup if you would like.I have one more batch to upload. Thank you guys for being so kind to help me out.Mr. Cheese, IMHO if you like the rocks/minerals no matter if some of them are not what you thought they might be when you acquired them, put them in your display case anyway, I hoping you're displaying them for your enjoyment not what others may think of them, of course sharing your passion with others is a great thing, but do up your display to your liking/enjoyment first and foremost!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
d_day 350 Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 34 is called leopard skin Jasper. It's an orbicular rhyolite from Mexico. It sells for around $3.50 a pound and cut my fair share of it. I say this is what it is with 100% certainty.35 definitely tigers eye.37 magnetite38 & 39 pyrite40 is an agate41 looks like a silicified chrysocolla43 test for hardness. Might be quartz, selenite, moonstone, or any other number of minerals.44 obsidian Quote Link to post Share on other sites
4meter 201 Posted February 14, 2016 Share Posted February 14, 2016 MrCheese, if you found the rock or mineral to be worthy of your collection then it should be there and displayed prominently because it is special to you.Yes, I would love to see/hear how you set up and take your photos of minerals/rocks. Thanks Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MrCheese 6 Posted February 21, 2016 Author Share Posted February 21, 2016 046 - Is this a shell?047 - I don't think this one is anything special. Looks like a common rock.048 - Quartz049 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MrCheese 6 Posted February 21, 2016 Author Share Posted February 21, 2016 050051052053 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MrCheese 6 Posted February 21, 2016 Author Share Posted February 21, 2016 054055 - I wonder if this is a piece of brick that somehow got into the box I had.056057 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MrCheese 6 Posted February 21, 2016 Author Share Posted February 21, 2016 058 - Gold Ore (This one was bought claiming it contained specks of gold)059060061 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MrCheese 6 Posted February 21, 2016 Author Share Posted February 21, 2016 That is the end of the collection. Everything else I have I either know what it is or it is already labeled. I really want to thank you all for helping me. 4Meter I will get some photos of the setup I used. I also picked up a porcelain plate to test some of the questionable ones. I also have some that are supposed to be florescent so I also ordered a SW/LW UV lamp to see. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Au Seeker 3,173 Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 That is the end of the collection. Everything else I have I either know what it is or it is already labeled. I really want to thank you all for helping me. 4Meter I will get some photos of the setup I used. I also picked up a porcelain plate to test some of the questionable ones. I also have some that are supposed to be florescent so I also ordered a SW/LW UV lamp to see.Be sure you have a good pair of UV safety glasses to protect your eyes from harmful damage when using the UV light! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MrCheese 6 Posted February 21, 2016 Author Share Posted February 21, 2016 (edited) I ran a magnet over all of them and I found out that #024 and #059 are magnetic. AU Seeker, thanks for the heads-up! Edited February 21, 2016 by MrCheese Quote Link to post Share on other sites
4meter 201 Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 My best guesses based solely on photos for this last batch:Minerals:47 – Quarts pebble48 – Quartz fragment49 – Feldspar fragment52 – Epidote with Hornblend (black) & Quartz seams59 - Hematite60 - either: Epidote, Jadite or Nephrite hardness and specific gravity will tell which is whichRocks:46 – Travertine (cave or hot springs, calcite deposit)50 - Granite53 - Sandstone with Dendrites (fern like mineral growth of manganese oxides and hydroxides)54 - Granite fragment with possible uranium/vanadium mineral(s) (green)56 - Gneiss58 - Conglomerate with pyrite and gold (?)61 - Pebbly Conglomerate with goethite cement (yellow), limonite (brownish red) & a very colorful rock clast (green/red thingy)Unknowns:51 - No idea55 - Brick fragment, works for me 57 - Quote Link to post Share on other sites
4meter 201 Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 24 & 59 - Magnetite, hematite is not magnetic unless you crush it to a powder, then fuse it in the oxidizing flame of a blow pipe. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MrCheese 6 Posted May 2, 2016 Author Share Posted May 2, 2016 I just wanted to thank everyone for their help in figuring out what was in my old collection. I've since decided to start collecting again. Sorry for the delay. I said I would show you guys the setup for the photos. Unfortunately I forgot to take a photo before I disassembled my setup. I've been meaning to put it back together so I could take a photo but life got in the way. Anyway I put it back together so you can see what I did. Note the camera in the photos below is not the same one I used for the photos. I shot everything in a light tent. I used a square of reflective black plexiglass for the items to sit on. There are three 100w cone cfl 5000k lights illuminating the light tent; one on each side and another on the top. For reflective items I put a front screen over the opening. The screen had a slit in it to stick the camera lens. For items that contained traces of minerals that sparkled, I used an led bulb of the same color temp as the lights. The bulb has multiple led's inside to give a sparkle to anything that will reflect light. I use this type of bulb when I am shooting jewelry with gemstones. I used a canon 40d (different then in the picture) with a 100mm macro lens on the front. I also used extension tubes with the lens. Photos were shot in RAW, manual mode at f16 and developed in adobe camera raw. The camera and lighting was all profiled beforehand so I was able to apply that profile to the photos when developing them so I could ensure the color was accurate. I hope this helps someone! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.