Identification time!

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tourennatrix
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Identification time!

Post by tourennatrix »

I remembered I had a bunch of stones stashed away in an old jewelry box, which I got when I was maybe 13, and I was wondering if anyone would like to try to help me identify these mystery stones? :)

I tried to get a decent photo, but I've included notes on the coloring because some of them are hard to read.

#1 is black with grey spots
#2 is blue and black. The stone itself is opaque, but when I look closely at it, it looks like you can see *into* the stone like parts are transparent/translucent
#3 is a soft white-pink. It seems more solid/less translucent than #7
#4 is completely clear with some veins or blemishes inside
#5 is darker and more red/brown than #6
#6 should be carnelian, because they assured me that it was at the shop :p
#7 is probably the same as #3, it just has less white in it, and my guess is probably rose quartz
#8 seems to have white and greyish striations, with Amber/light brown blemishes
#9 is probably tiger's eye
#10 is translucent and the inside shimmers when you rotate it under a light
#11 is a Hunter's green with red/brown flecks that don't really show up well in the photo
#12 is a lighter green, but not nearly as teal as the photo makes it seem. It has flecks of darker green, but not much else distinguishing about it.
#13 is a tiny bit of a transparent light Amber color
#14 is medium-dark blue and grey, and might just be discounted as 'colorful pebble'
#15 is balck with dark grey striations along some of it's sides. It has an interesting shimmer on its striated sides.

Now we'll see if I can figure out how to add photos ;)
Thanks in advance for anyone who takes a stab at identifying these!
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SpiritTalker
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Re: Identification time!

Post by SpiritTalker »

[*]#1 is black with grey spots - Snow Flake Obsidian
#2 is blue and black. The stone itself is opaque, but when I look closely at it, it looks like you can see *into* the stone like parts are transparent/translucent - Sodalite or dark blue chalcedony?
#3 is a soft white-pink. - possibly snowy quartz or pale rose quartz
#4 is completely clear with some veins or blemishes inside - clear quartz
#5 is darker and more red/brown - looks like carnelian or red aventurine?
#6 should be carnelian, because they assured me that it was at the shop - yea, Carnelian
#7 is probably the same as #3, it just has less white in it, and my guess is probably rose quartz -yes
#8 seems to have white and greyish striations, with Amber/light brown blemishes - agate
#9 is probably tiger's eye - yes
#10 is translucent and the inside shimmers when you rotate it under a light - amethyst
#11 is a Hunter's green with red/brown flecks - blood stone
#12 is a lighter green, but not nearly as teal as the photo makes it seem. - green aventurine
#13 is a tiny bit of a transparent light Amber color - amber is fossilized tree sap, very light weight
#14 is medium-dark blue and grey, - matrixed lapis lazuli? More likely sodalite.
#15 is black with dark grey striations along some of it's sides. - one of the "sheen" obsidians
tourennatrix
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Re: Identification time!

Post by tourennatrix »

Omg Spirit Talker you're amazing! Thank you :D
tourennatrix
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Re: Identification time!

Post by tourennatrix »

With this starting point, I've looked a little closer at some of them... Based on pictures, it looks like...

#2 could be either sodalite or dumortierite. from here it looks like an even 50/50, could go one way or the other
(as a side note, after searching 'blue chalcedony' I have now identified one of my favorite pair of earrings that I got at a street festival in France XD)
#3 is still tricky. When I compare it to snowy quartz, it *definitely* has a pink tone to it, but when I compare it to rose quartz, it looks pure white XD perhaps "VERY pale rose quartz" is the right term for it!
#5 - images I'm seeing of red aventurine seem to have more of a grainy texture under the polish, where this one looks smooth and has that "swirl" characteristic I'm seeing in the carnelian images. So, likely a darker carnelian?
#14 - Sodalite looks right for this. Comparing it with #2 makes #2 look way more like it might be dumortierite (higher content of black versus sodalite looking a little more grey)?

All the rest look to be spot-on :D
(I might be a little more excited about this than i expected to be...)
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SpiritTalker
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Re: Identification time!

Post by SpiritTalker »

Oo - and I've learned a new stone; dumortierite. Thanks. Those images of the spreading dumortierite within the crystal points are splendid.
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Firebird
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Re: Identification time!

Post by Firebird »

I think #14 is blue apatite.
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evil ed
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Re: Identification time!

Post by evil ed »

Most of these are pretty much spot on!
#2 could also be a dyed quartz. Shine a light from your phone through it. If almost no light gets through, sodalite or dumotierite. My "guess" would be sodalite from the picture.

#13 Too small to tell. could be amber or copal (another resin often sold as amber, bugs get trapped in this stuff too!), could also be a chip of light topaz, citrine, or even yellow apatite. If it is really light, I'd bet on it being copal.

#14 I'd bet on the tumbled blue apatite. Look for any golden flecks of pyrite- most (but not all) lapis will have this.

#15 Check this one in bright sunlight. Turn the stone slowly and look for the sheen to show up on the surface. May also be banded obsidian- not sheen, but still pretty, and useful for grids!

This is just my "two cents", based on the pictures. For Identification nothing beats having the stone right there in your hand! :)
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tourennatrix
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Re: Identification time!

Post by tourennatrix »

I'll see if I can get some better photos of the blue mysteries soon, and maybe something that better shows the variations on the black stone :D
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