More yellow rock crystals?

[G Freeman]

Got these this week out of the ground. Don't know if it is just quartz or something more. Ideas welcome. Thanks to all.

All of these are transparent and can see light through them except for the last one.

 

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[shaman15771]

Hey Freeman, That looks like some of the stuff we're finding here in Franklin Co, Va. I kinda thought it might be Citrine or yellow beryl. We have beryl around here. Do know that this area of Va has lots of gemstones.

 

[G Freeman]

Thanks shaman15771. Yeah man I would like to see some of yours. Post a few pictures when you can. Any rock that is transparent enough to see light through I bring home and wash it up. I posted on here a day ago of some rocks I got from this same dig and they look like topaz. Been looking for a rock and gem show near my area to try and find out some of the stuff I have and know what it is. No clubs in my area either. Check the other rocks out.

 

[shaman15771]

Will post pics as soon as I get a chance. There is a rock show in Roanoke in May and Sept. Maybe Citrine?

 

[G Freeman]

shaman15771, let me know where this rock show is in Roanoke if you know. Thanks a lot. Might even join a rock club if I can find one. I am only a little over an hour drive to Roanoke. Thanks.

 

[Eu_citzen]

Both look like quartz.

 

[G Freeman]

Thanks Eu_citzen for reply. Can't scratch some of it with a steel harden drill bit so it must be at least a hardness of 8 on Mohs scale. Guess its time to get it checked out by a pro so I will know for sure. This stuff is yellow crystal all the way through and we have not found any quartz here that looks like this but sure is fun collecting. Thanks again.

 

[StoneWhisper]

Yellow = Weathered/Stained Quartz
Gray/Brown = Smokey Quartz

 

[Eu_citzen]

Hardened steel has a hardness of about 6.5 - so quartz is still in the game. Perhaps it can vary a bit, but that's what I use as a rule of thumb.
Try the other way around, can the "rock" scratch the steel bit?

 

[G Freeman]

Eu_citzen case solved. Went and had it checked by a GIA Gemologist and its Topaz. Thanks.

 

[huntsman53]

I can't say that every piece can be identified with certainty but I have been able to identify most pieces of Topaz vs Quartz by feel. Topaz has a definite feel that it is greasy when rubbed with your' thumb or finger, while some Quartz may have a slight feel of greasiness but most often not.


Frank

 

[woof!]

My first reaction was that it sorta looks like quartz, but even in the photos it has that greasy lustre like diamond has. And, the yellow seemed a bit too uniform to be iron oxide/hydroxide pigmented quartz. I grew up near the Calif. Mother Lode country and have seen lots of yellow quartz and it didn't look like in your photos.

On the other hand, gemstones that size don't usually just get dug up out of the ground as though they were common.

I don't know from squat about topaz, but am happy to hear that you got a credible opinion that it's not quartz.

 

[Eu_citzen]

Frank, Topaz feels heavier then a quartz of similar size to, that's usually what I notice first.

G Freeman, glad you got a positive ID!

 

[G Freeman]

Thanks huntsman53, Yeah I noticed the feel was different than any quartz we have had. To me it has a velvet feel with my thumb if that makes any sense.

 

[StoneWhisper]

My last word on this.. and you know my feelings seeing how you sent me a pm about this.. I'm very happy that you've found something of value.. and if in fact it is a "topaz" crystal.. then you're looking at a few thousand dollars worth thou would be worth more if one would section it off and systematically have gems cut from this host stone.. depending on the facets and who cut them.. your measly thousand could turn into a few hundred thousands more.. Typical a cut stone such as topaz is very desirable in the fact that many heat threat the topaz which in turn makes the topaz turn red or Ruby like..

 

[huntsman53]

Frank, Topaz feels heavier then a quartz of similar size to, that's usually what I notice first.

G Freeman, glad you got a positive ID!

While I never paid much attention to the weight of my' Topaz specimens compared to my' Quartz specimens, you are right! Smaller Topaz specimens are much harder to determine weight differences compared to Quartz and is the main reason I rely on feel. However, this is not a fool proof way to determine a specimen is Topaz vs Quartz as I have dug Quartz specimens at the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas that have a similar greasy feel to them. This is due to the soil and other materials found at the State Park that are associated with a Kimberlite Pipe. In an attempt to make finding Diamonds easier, a friend and myself tried to process the material there through my' 4 tiered sifter that has 4 screens that mount on 4 legs. The first two larger screens handle the material well but the bottom smaller sized screens gum up very quickly not having a water source to wash the greasy soil and material down through the screens. Some of the soil and material at the Ray Mica Mine outside of Burnsville, North Carolina is very similar and this must have to do with the compounds and materials associated with Vulcanism (Volcanic activity) which this area has a long past history of having.

Thanks for the tip!


Frank

 

[huntsman53]

Thanks huntsman53, Yeah I noticed the feel was different than any quartz we have had. To me it has a velvet feel with my thumb if that makes any sense.

That makes perfect sense! The feel of Topaz does feel as if you are running your' finger over fine Velvet and thus the association that it has a greasy feel to it.


Frank

 

[G Freeman]

Yeah StoneWhisper, now the task of finding some one to cut and polish. I admit I don't know where to start but I will start looking as soon as I can figure it out. Thanks for your help.

 

[StoneWhisper]

It's always been a dream of mine to be able to hone my skills and cut stones.. clear evidence of this is my shoe string faceting projects.. But Unlike others who post here, I am not feed with a silver spoon nor do I have the physical ability to cut stones (any more) Thou I have tried and failed several times.. I've ended up selling my equipment..

Now if one was to ask me to tumble and polish a stone like this.. I could handle that.. thou running short on grit.. I'm in the stages of tumble colored glass for my wife to achieve a seaglass appearance.. The only other alternative is to seek out a gemologist.. I personally have used Gem Mountain, North Carolina.

 

[niffler]

I have found some topaz back in the 80's in the Sawtooth mountains in Idaho, but nothing that big! Topaz has a nearly perfect cleavage, I've never seen one that oddly shaped. Are you going to start mining it, cause I would love to try faceting some. Cool rock!