jcervay 41 Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 Small spot of purple colored mineral(?) On the back of a piece with fluorite and calcite. Continues into rock as a vein. Ideas? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bedrock Bob 3,997 Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 (edited) It is fluorite. Flourite is probably the most common violet mineral and one of the few violet minerals. I am going to say those are little fluorite crystals. The proper mineral name is violetic purplite. It is the ore of concord grapes. That is what makes Mad Dog 20/20 wine so rich in fluoride. Edited August 10, 2018 by Bedrock Bob 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jcervay 41 Posted August 10, 2018 Author Share Posted August 10, 2018 5 minutes ago, Bedrock Bob said: It is fluorite. Flourite is probably the most common violet mineral and one of the few violet minerals. I am going to say those are little fluorite crystals. The proper mineral name is violetic purplite. It is the ore of concord grapes. That is what makes red wine so rich in fluoride. Does it make a difference if the fluorite on top is yellow? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bedrock Bob 3,997 Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 Just now, jcervay said: Does it make a difference if the fluorite on top is yellow? Doggone if I know. But the crystals look like little fluorite crystals and fluorite is often beautiful violet like that. That is all I m going by. I have seen three or four different color bands in the same fluorite crystal so I would assume that colors could change pretty abruptly from one side of the rock to the other. I know a hole with red, yellow and purple crystals on the same vein. I am just taking a stab at it. I have already given the disclaimer that I am not a mineral guy in that respect. I am just giving you my best impression based on just a photo. I am familiar with fluorite/calcite deposits and have seen a whole lot of it. I feel pretty confident that is what it would be but someone with a lot more savvy might come along and make a monkey out of me too. That might be a completely different mineral and I might be way off in left field. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Morlock 1,678 Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 I'm going with flourite as well. Flourite comes in many colors, often on the same specimen. 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bedrock Bob 3,997 Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 Should we summon Clay and make it a quorum? 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Au Seeker 3,153 Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 36 minutes ago, Bedrock Bob said: Should we summon Clay and make it a quorum? Maybe or maybe not, will we have to change the title of the thread? 1 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bedrock Bob 3,997 Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 (edited) Skip, Let's just call it fluorite and leave it then. No use having to change the name of the thread and explain the birds and the bees to get his opinion on this one. Edited August 10, 2018 by Bedrock Bob Sometimes it is best to let sleeping dogs lie 2 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
adam 3,127 Posted August 11, 2018 Share Posted August 11, 2018 Lepidolite 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
d_day 341 Posted August 11, 2018 Share Posted August 11, 2018 3 hours ago, Morlock said: I'm going with flourite as well. Flourite comes in many colors, often on the same specimen. Even individual crystals have multiple colors quite often. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
d_day 341 Posted August 11, 2018 Share Posted August 11, 2018 Knowing fluorite was on the other side, my first thought was fluorite. Adam mentioned lepidolite, which is possible, but it doesn't quite look right for lepidolite, at least not to me. I still think it's probably fluorite. I could tell you with 95 to 100% certaintity if I had it in hand, but wouldn't venture to give an a definitive answer from a picture alone. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bedrock Bob 3,997 Posted August 11, 2018 Share Posted August 11, 2018 (edited) It is too vivid purple for lepidolite IMHO but I am not about to differ with Adam. He is the man. He is probably right. You are right about ID from a photo with no other physical info. It is just a guess based on color and you can't really see the crystal details. It is a good exercise though. I like taking a crack at it based on nothing but looks alone. . Edited August 11, 2018 by Bedrock Bob 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
adam 3,127 Posted August 11, 2018 Share Posted August 11, 2018 Hey guys, I tossed Lepidolite out there to throw out a little different objective. I think a quick look under a loupe would segregate one or the other. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Saul R W 741 Posted August 11, 2018 Share Posted August 11, 2018 8 minutes ago, Bedrock Bob said: ... like taking a crack at it based on nothing but looks alone. . Rocks are like mail-order spouses. A photo just isn't enough to determine their composition. 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bedrock Bob 3,997 Posted August 11, 2018 Share Posted August 11, 2018 (edited) 26 minutes ago, Saul R W said: Rocks are like mail-order spouses. A photo just isn't enough to determine their composition. Yeah but a lonesome prospector will stare at a photo of either and imagine the composition. Sometimes the imagining is the issue at hand and not so much the actual composition. Edited August 11, 2018 by Bedrock Bob 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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