Is this anything?

[diadigger]

Went to a g sale, didn't see anything, but this cool rock in the landscape. My husband offered the lady 10.00, she said her husband would kill her, but she said okay. She said he found it in Arkansas. It weighs 40 to 50 lbs. Is this Quartz, and is it of any value? We've always wondered.
Thanks!

 

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[PBK]

It certainly looks like quartz, and the reddish brown areas are probably clay &/or iron oxide.

 

[diadigger]

Thanks PBK !

Awhile back, you helped identify an old navy button for me too. I appreciate it!

 

[Eu_citzen]

I'd say quartz and citrine ( the brown like stuff is probable citrine)

 

[deedeelou]

It is definitely quartz, but the brown stuff is probably good old Arkansas clay stain.

We went quartz hunting in AR and came back with a lot of good rocks, but a lot of them had a layer of stain from the clay - my husband soaked some of them in muriatic acid to remove it.

 

[Beefcake]

too bad you don't have a little bottle of diluted hydrochloric acid to see if it bubble when you touch it. take a steel nail and see if you can scratch one of the (not noticeable crystals) and see if it scratches it, if it doesn't scratch you've most likely got quartz(check out the mohs hardness scale for simple tests). If it does scratch you might want to lean towards calcite. the HCL would tell you right away if it is calcite or not. Calcite bubbles. Check your longer crystals, quartz will have 6 sides and scratch a glass bottle if you have one handy. hope this helps.

 

[MEinWV]

Yes, a quartz crystal group. You guys got a good deal on it. As deedeelou stated, Muriatic acid can take off most of the iron oxide stains. Rinse with distilled water so it doesn't stain again.

It could fetch $50 - $150 all cleaned up, otherwise, it's worth what someone is willing to pay for it( especially without all those seeds on it ). Is it under a bird feeder?

Nice find!.............HH

 

[deedeelou]

Is it really worth that much?!? We have boxes of this stuff! Both clusters and individual crystals, some cleaned, some with the iron oxide stains.

The biggest crystal we have is a little over a foot tall. It sits on our coffee table. (I strained my wrist last time I tried to pick it up to clean the table. Now I clean around it. LOL)

 

[MEinWV]

It could very well be worth that much. Like I said, it will be worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it.

Check out e-bay or go to a gem and mineral store if one is nearby. You may be surprised just how much mineral specimans are worth these days.

I have sold several specimens that I have found. At the price you paid, you could easily double your money.

Good luck!!

 

[Eu_citzen]

I'd say that those "extra colors" give it an extra touch. I am an mineral collector, but I only want rocks still in original state.
http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/byname-a.htm

Rough rocks are often cheper then polisched rocks:

http://www.adamsminerals.com/store/

Look around and you'll see...
Some pics of citrine.colors varries from yellow to brown.
http://images.google.se/images?hl=sv&q=citrine&btnG=S%C3%B6k+bilder&gbv=2

 

[deedeelou]

Thanks, EU Citizen!

These are great links on a lot of levels!
Dee

 

[Eu_citzen]

No problem.