🔎 UNIDENTIFIED I have two gemstones and I have no clue what they are. PLEASE HELP...

Mysterious Outdoors

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Jul 16, 2022
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Mysterious Outdoors

Mysterious Outdoors

Jr. Member
Jul 16, 2022
87
105
NW Indiana
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Ace 250...looking into a Nokta Makro Simplex+
Primary Interest:
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I have friends telling me they are orange garnets, orange calcite, orange sapphire or a dirty orange carnelian....Please help me out, I dont have a hardness tester yet. Any help would be great....Thanks.
 

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Jim in Idaho

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I'm guessing pieces of large garnets. Without density testing, it's almost impossible to be absolutely certain. A streak test would help, too.
Jim
 

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Red_desert

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Feb 21, 2008
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Glacial gravels follow northern Indiana border. I sent samples for assay to assayer in Randsburg CA area once. Assay came back glaucophane a common mineral found in Japan. Yes, abundant glaucophane is found commonly at western coastal ranges often in association with Jadeite. Indiana glaucophane usually bluish gray or blue-green when cleaned with water. Colors can be blackish and a couple pieces were hard enough to be jade, impossible to split just like shrapnel irregular curves shaper than glass. Glaucophane normally splits easy and rubbing on fine black sandpaper gives a clean bluish white powder. If you see yellowish/brown steak or powder it is not glaucophane. It can be lavender also but so rare here.
 

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Mysterious Outdoors

Mysterious Outdoors

Jr. Member
Jul 16, 2022
87
105
NW Indiana
Detector(s) used
Ace 250...looking into a Nokta Makro Simplex+
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Glacial gravels follow northern Indiana border. I sent samples for assay to assayer in Randsburg CA area once. Assay came back glaucophane a common mineral found in Japan. Yes, abundant glaucophane is found commonly at western coastal ranges often in association with Jadeite. Indiana glaucophane usually bluish gray or blue-green when cleaned with water. Colors can be blackish and a couple pieces were hard enough to be jade, impossible to split just like shrapnel irregular curves shaper than glass. Glaucophane normally splits easy and rubbing on fine black sandpaper gives a clean bluish white powder. If you see yellowish/brown steak or powder it is not glaucophane. It can be lavender also but so rare here.
This thing is dark orange when shining light through it, and looks brown when shining light at it. But yes, I am in NW Indiana....lol.
 

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Red_desert

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Feb 21, 2008
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Midwest USA
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Can you tell if glass or mineral? Montana sapphires come in a wide range of color shades. I'm thinking I'd read somewhere about bronze-colored sapphires found a county near Indianapolis. I'll try searching first.
 

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Emil W

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Google how to do a specific gravity test. Very simple if you have a gram scale. Online has lists of various gems and minerals with their respective specific gravity.

Calcite would be 2.71
Carnelian... 2.82
Garnet (depending on variety)... 3.64 to 3.7
Sapphire... 3.95 to 4.03
 

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Emil W

Sr. Member
Nov 4, 2021
473
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Central New Jersey
Detector(s) used
Deus 2
Deus
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Garrett Apex
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BH Discovery 2200
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White's Coinmaster 6000D (have had for decades)
Primary Interest:
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Amber has a specific gravity of 1.05 to 1.09. Amber floats in salt water. It's also very soft, you can make a mark by pushing your fingernail into the surface.
 

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