Discussions

💬 Home 🔎 Search 📅 Latest

╳Discussions

💬 Home 🔎 Search 📅 Latest

Groups

Recent Images in Discussions

Identity HelpPortuguese online store

25th Mar 2024 14:58 UTCAna Santos

Hello!

This example was sold to me, in a Portuguese online store, as being African turquoise. I'm pretty sure it's not turquoise. There are other stores here selling it as Brazilian turquoise (which I also think is wrong).

From what I researched, there are several similar minerals on the market, such as green jasper skinsnake, green quartz snake (all commercial names and must be misidentified minerals). Chrysotile is similar, but doesn't have the white bands... I'm leaning toward zoisite. Thanks!

Questions Answered
Can it scratch glass? : Yes
Can you scratch it with your fingernail? : Yes
Is it light/heavy for the size? : Normal

25th Mar 2024 15:19 UTCMark Heintzelman 🌟 Expert

If you can scratch it with your fingernail, then it's talc, if not quite, then the greasy luster at least suggests a serpentine mineral.

25th Mar 2024 15:28 UTCThe Evje og Hornnes geomuseum, Fennefoss Expert

But it is a bit self-contradictory: yes, it can scratch glass, and yes, it can be scratched by a fingernail...

I have seen feldspar with a similar green color, but zoisite would be possible.

25th Mar 2024 15:48 UTCAna Santos

The Evje og Hornnes geomuseum, Fennefoss Expert ✉️

feldspar

The nail test, for me, is a little difficult, as I bite my nails. However, when I run my tiny fingernails through it, I don't scratch the stone, but small grains, much smaller than sand, come off.

25th Mar 2024 15:51 UTCAna Santos

Maybe I expressed myself badly. You can't scratch it with your fingernail. It just releases a few tiny grains. Do you think it could be serpentinite?

https://www.mindat.org/min-48762.html

25th Mar 2024 15:49 UTCLalith Aditya Senthil Kumar

Might be aventurine. I have a few banded pieces, that look similar to the photo.

25th Mar 2024 16:39 UTCEd Clopton 🌟 Expert

This is a rock consisting of multiple minerals, and each mineral has its own properties. One is green, another is black or grey, and there may be others that aren't clearly visible. It may be hard to tell, for example, which one is scratching the glass. That's part of what makes rocks more difficult to identify than minerals. Whatever it is, I think you are right that it is unlikely to be turquoise (from anywhere).

29th Mar 2024 04:19 UTCGregg Little 🌟

Offering possible ID's of jasper, quartz, chrysolite, zoisite, serpentinite and aventurine, etc., on no information and what is clearly a rock, a poly-mineralic rock, is mission impossible. African turquoise is a marketing gimmick, unfortunately. Without some basic information the best guess would be possibly a gneiss.

Mindat.org is an outreach project of the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
Copyright © mindat.org and the Hudson Institute of Mineralogy 1993-2024, except where stated. Most political location boundaries are © OpenStreetMap contributors. Mindat.org relies on the contributions of thousands of members and supporters. Founded in 2000 by Jolyon Ralph.
Privacy Policy - Terms & Conditions - Contact Us / DMCA issues - Report a bug/vulnerability Current server date and time: April 28, 2024 20:31:24

Go to top of page