🔎 UNIDENTIFIED Jade or Serpentine?

[ToddsPoint]

I found this in the creek near my house. Glacial till. I ground a window and polished it.

Slabbed it and made a 25X18 cab.

Whatever it is, it polished up pretty nice for a rock from the creek by my house.

 

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[tamrock]

Not sure what it is either, but it sure polished up rather pretty. It's fascinating what you might find in all of what the glaciers had deposited all over the upper Midwest.

 

[Clay Diggins]

Serpentine will not take a high polish. It always looks and feels "waxy". Obviously your rock is not serpentine.

I have my doubts that it's jade or jadeite. Typically cutting jade is rough on your equipment and slow. It's the toughest rock so when cutting it will be slow progress and take several more sand/polish steps to bring up the polish without orange peel problems.

If you didn't experience that cutting sequence I'm thinking your rock is more likely to be Chlorite or possibly a Amphibole like Tremolite or Actinolite. The amphiboles include nephrite but there are a lot of other green minerals and rocks associated with the Amphibole group.

A word of caution. Many Serpentines and Amphiboles have considerable asbestos in their composition. You never want to work those rocks dry or barehanded. Run copious water, clean your equipment after use and wear gloves for cleanup. Work safe.

 

[galenrog]

I have to agree with Clay. No visual characteristics of either jade or serpentine. I would suspect one of the many amphiboles, of which several are green.

If there is a rock hounding, or a gem and mineral club near you, one of the members may be able to assist. Some candidates can easily be either ruled out or confirmed by a thorough personal inspection.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

I found this in the creek near my house. Glacial till. I ground a window and polished it. View attachment 2147911 View attachment 2147912

Slabbed it and made a 25X18 cab. View attachment 2147914 View attachment 2147915 View attachment 2147916 View attachment 2147917

Whatever it is, it polished up pretty nice for a rock from the creek by my house.

I think neither. But looks good and durable.

 

[ToddsPoint]

Serpentine will not take a high polish. It always looks and feels "waxy". Obviously your rock is not serpentine.

Thanks for the information. My interest in glacial till rocks started with Indian artifacts. I’ve tried to identify the types of rocks they used from the till and why. Only lately have I started looking at all the “other rocks”. So many rocks, so little time!

 

[ToddsPoint]

I have my doubts that it's jade or jadeite. Typically cutting jade is rough on your equipment and slow. It's the toughest rock so when cutting it will be slow progress and take several more sand/polish steps to bring up the polish without orange peel problems.

If you didn't experience that cutting sequence I'm thinking your rock is more likely to be Chlorite

My rock was not difficult to cut or polish. I’ve worked both Alaskan jade and WY jade. The Alaska Jade was the meanest rock I’ve ever worked so I know what you’re talking about. Diamond tools chattered away on it.
I compared my rock to pics of chlorite and it indeed looks like it visually. That in itself is very interesting. Chlorite was used for banner stones, particularly in OH. The OH archaeologists have argued that the use of chlorite shows trade between OH and points east where chlorite is found. If chlorite is available in IL glacial till, it likely is present in OH as well. So much for long distance trade! Just another case of natives being aware of what is available locally and modern arkies not being aware. Thanks again Clay.