Please ID - Blue Quartz or Blue Chalcedony???

Hiya.

I found this again in the Oulujoki river bed, Oulu, Finland. The river is frozen and it was just underneath the ice. The pictures do not do it justice as it is blue! It also has different coloured light coming through - refraction????? I guess a bit like opal type colour and lightings. It is hard, cannot be scratched with my pen knife but a pegmatite leaves a very slight mark on it. Streak is white.

I checked the blue Quartz page and it is a similar colouring to photo number 69601 if that helps. The lighting colours are pinks purples reddy orangey and yellowy.

Any ideas???????

many thanks.

Claire

It could be quartz, but it could also be beryl or something else. You will have to run some tests or have it tested.

Rock Currier
Crystals not pistols.

I agree with Rock.
If these are fresh fractures, the luster is a bit too high for chalcedony.
The blue probably comes from light scattered at inclusions.

Looks like opal to me.

Hi ya.

Today I went ot Oulu Geological Museum and found the exact same mineral in the photos. It is apparently called Sinikvartsi (in Finnish) and the colouration is due to Crocidolite. Also apparently Sinikvartsi is a popular gem stone. Has anyone heard of it?? or know anymore about it?? I can not find it on here.

Many thanks

Claire

Hi Claire, there is a similar occurrence in Cornog, Pennsylvania, USA. I thing the blue comes from reibeckite that is so fine you can not see it with the eye and it gives the quartz a distinctly blue color.
Steve.

I would be happy to find some regardless of what it turns out to be !

Hi Claire,

sininen=blue
So it is blue quartz.

Milo

I would tend to agree that it is blue quartz, but as Rock pointed out you may want to have it tested somewhere to verify...

Hi Claire, I live in west, central Virginia and it is one of the few places on earth that has something classified as blue quartz. And it is mostly in chalcedony, although I have recently found some that is terminated. Yay! It is the oldest rock known in Va @ 1.9 billion hrs old. I am currently hunting for rocks in western N. Carolina. Also, Yay! When I get home, if you want, I'll take a picture an post it. Also look on: www.varockhound.com. Cool quartz though...

Hi Claire, I live in west, central Virginia and it is one of the few places on earth that has something classified as blue quartz. And it is mostly in chalcedony, although I have recently found some that is terminated. Yay! It is the oldest rock known in Va @ 1.9 billion hrs old. I am currently hunting for rocks in western N. Carolina. Also, Yay! When I get home, if you want, I'll take a picture an post it. Also look on: www.varockhound.com. Cool quartz though...

Hi Claire,

Many years ago (40?), I bought some quartz from Finland that was identical to your specimen. It produced stars when cut in a cabochon. Until now , I've never seen another piece. Blue tinged quartz that is asteriated is common in the US from Virginia to Alabama in inner Piedmont rocks. Color is likely from either amphiboles, tourmaline or dumortierite. The color is both from the inclusions and light scattered from the inclusions. Some quartz with very tiny, non-oriented inclusions also has a blue color from light scattering (same as the sky).

Henry Barwood
Troy University
Troy, Alabama USA

Hi all,
in previous discussion it was called "blue rocks". Here in Lapua, Finland there are lots of them.
see:blue rocks.
regards PekkaR
If somebody interested to get some, pls send pm

Hei Pekka

Thanks for your info and great to have someone near by Oulu...

Do you know the quarry where they all come from? I find mine on either the Oulu railroad (not reckomended!) or near to the Nallikari, sometimes on the Oulujoki as well. There is a peice in the Oulu Geological Museum and is called Sinikvartsi - blue quartz. I had mine bits I have checked by them and yup it is blue quartz!

I have pm'd you....

Kittoksia paljon

Claire