40+lb unknown mineral/crystal

Jlarkins18

Jr. Member
May 17, 2021
21
23
Orange County, California
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Found today with my son in a dry riverbed in Southern California. Light tan and pink opaque colors. Little swirls all over when dry. Any ideas? Looks like quartzite/chert/chalcedony.
20211003_154831.jpg
20211003_155412.jpg
20211003_154840.jpg
 

Attachments

  • 20211003_154840.jpg
    20211003_154840.jpg
    102.3 KB · Views: 33
  • 20211003_155307.jpg
    20211003_155307.jpg
    157.3 KB · Views: 34

Julieb

Jr. Member
Oct 3, 2021
33
33
Ohio fairfield county
Primary Interest:
Other
Upvote 0
OP
OP
Jlarkins18

Jlarkins18

Jr. Member
May 17, 2021
21
23
Orange County, California
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Looks like chert and maybe some flint. I live in Ohio its everywhere, too bad its not emeralds everywhere lol
So I chipped a piece off and it can't be chert as the shards are completely translucent and have crystaline grains where as chert/flint have cryptocrystaline grains that are not visible to the naked eye. See photos attached
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_20211005-210947_Gallery.jpg
    Screenshot_20211005-210947_Gallery.jpg
    277.1 KB · Views: 46
  • Screenshot_20211005-210931_Gallery.jpg
    Screenshot_20211005-210931_Gallery.jpg
    195.1 KB · Views: 49
  • 20211005_210611.jpg
    20211005_210611.jpg
    392.8 KB · Views: 45
Upvote 0

blauer

Sr. Member
Jun 17, 2014
316
407
Pennsylbama
Detector(s) used
Bounty Hunter Quick Draw II.
Primary Interest:
Other
It is a big quartzite "pebble" loosed from some conglomerate.

Did you do a streak and hardness test?
 

Upvote 0

MountOlymp

Jr. Member
Jul 16, 2021
90
90
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
So I chipped a piece off and it can't be chert as the shards are completely translucent and have crystaline grains where as chert/flint have cryptocrystaline grains that are not visible to the naked eye. See photos attached
Thats reminds of jade with its interweaved crystals,
 

Upvote 0
OP
OP
Jlarkins18

Jlarkins18

Jr. Member
May 17, 2021
21
23
Orange County, California
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
It is a big quartzite "pebble" loosed from some conglomerate.

Did you do a streak and hardness test?
Yes, against glass it cuts. As for the streak test, it just seemed to cut the different pieces of unpolish porcelain I have around the house, so no color.
 

Attachments

  • 20211007_204926.jpg
    20211007_204926.jpg
    709.6 KB · Views: 26
  • 20211007_204944.jpg
    20211007_204944.jpg
    836.7 KB · Views: 27
Upvote 0
OP
OP
Jlarkins18

Jlarkins18

Jr. Member
May 17, 2021
21
23
Orange County, California
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Thats reminds of jade with its interweaved crystals,
You know, I found another mineral that I posted a few months back that had the same woven exterior, but much more colorful. I think the general consensus what chert but I know that can't be now. Take a look..
 

Attachments

  • 20210531_115455.jpg
    20210531_115455.jpg
    776.1 KB · Views: 34
  • Screenshot_20211007-211252_Chrome.jpg
    Screenshot_20211007-211252_Chrome.jpg
    223 KB · Views: 35
Upvote 0

MountOlymp

Jr. Member
Jul 16, 2021
90
90
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
You know, I found another mineral that I posted a few months back that had the same woven exterior, but much more colorful. I think the general consensus what chert but I know that can't be now. Take a look..
It looks like jade
 

Upvote 0

GoldieLocks

Bronze Member
Dec 28, 2019
1,075
1,122
Nevada
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Y
So I chipped a piece off and it can't be chert as the shards are completely translucent and have crystaline grains where as chert/flint have cryptocrystaline grains that are not visible to the naked eye. See photos attached
Yellow/Honey Common Opal
 

Upvote 0

Clay Diggins

Silver Member
Nov 14, 2010
4,862
14,183
The Great Southwest
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Y

Yellow/Honey Common Opal
Opal has no crystal structure. It is an amorphous mineraloid.

These efforts to classify quartz rocks by name is futile. Here's an example of the different names for the same microcrystalline mineral Chalcedony:

Chalcedony.png

They are all the same mineral, Chalcedony, with different names based mostly on color and the culture you come from.
 

Upvote 0

Julieb

Jr. Member
Oct 3, 2021
33
33
Ohio fairfield county
Primary Interest:
Other
Y

Yellow/Honey Common Opal
I was gonna say agate seeing the inside but yes all in the quartz family. I have rock with crystal attached i broke a chunk off of and im clueless too lol other than prob some type of quartz. It grows weird i think lol did you have a clue? Lol
 

Attachments

  • 20211101_151411.jpg
    20211101_151411.jpg
    520.4 KB · Views: 29
  • 20211101_151519.jpg
    20211101_151519.jpg
    624.4 KB · Views: 33
Upvote 0
OP
OP
Jlarkins18

Jlarkins18

Jr. Member
May 17, 2021
21
23
Orange County, California
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
I was gonna say agate seeing the inside but yes all in the quartz family. I have rock with crystal attached i broke a chunk off of and im clueless too lol other than prob some type of quartz. It grows weird i think lol did you have a clue? Lol
This looks like calcite to me.
 

Upvote 0

beachguy

Tenderfoot
May 26, 2019
6
14
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Upvote 0

beachguy

Tenderfoot
May 26, 2019
6
14
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I was gonna say agate seeing the inside but yes all in the quartz family. I have rock with crystal attached i broke a chunk off of and im clueless too lol other than prob some type of quartz. It grows weird i think lol did you have a clue? Lol
Looks like quartz to me, 99% sure but ya never know...
 

Upvote 0

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top