View Full Version : Identify this rock/crystal?
leeevinnn
Mar 15, 2010, 01:15 PM
Very fragile, will break if dropped, or even bent slightly, discovered a 1 inch thick, over 50 inches long sheet of this buried, and STUCK to the dirt of a hill in California. Shiny if you cannot notice on and almost has stuff like crystal bars sticking up out of it. IMAGE: http://i41.tinypic.com/6xu90m.jpg, Can someone tell me what type of crystal, or rock this is, and if it has any value? Thanks.
justcurious55
Mar 15, 2010, 01:26 PM
The image didn't come through. Can you try posting it again?
leeevinnn
Mar 15, 2010, 01:37 PM
http://i41.tinypic.com/6xu90m.jpg
Copy and paste the above into your browser, it should work.
hheath541
Mar 15, 2010, 01:45 PM
http://i41.tinypic.com/6xu90m.jpg
There, I fixed it for you.
It looks like desert rose celenite, also known as rock gypsum. It's really hard to tell from the picture. You might be able to get a better one by placing it on a smooth, plain-colored, non-reflective surface (like a table with a table cloth over it) in a well-lit area.
If it IS desert rose celenite, then it's not worth much. You could try taking it to a local pagan or metaphysical store or other shop that sells crystal specimens.
One way to tell is to submerge a small piece in water. Selenite will dissolve, turning into a sand-like silt at the bottom of the container.
leeevinnn
Mar 15, 2010, 01:54 PM
No I let the crystal soke in water for a couple days to clean it a little. It did not disolve. And how much would this "Desert rose celenite? I am working on another picture right now.
leeevinnn
Mar 15, 2010, 02:04 PM
Pictures:
http://i44.tinypic.com/mwcgfb.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/2n1s8sx.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/6xu90m.jpg
hheath541
Mar 15, 2010, 02:07 PM
Most places that I've been to sell a small (around the size a quarter or just a bit bigger) piece of desert rose for about $.50-$.75.
Hopefully you can get a better picture up and someone will be able to help you identify what you found.
Also, what color is it? From the picture, it looks tan. I can't tell if it's more of a gray-tan or red-tan, though.
leeevinnn
Mar 15, 2010, 02:13 PM
Tan, and gray, I have no idea how to make the pictures better.
hheath541
Mar 15, 2010, 02:24 PM
It's impossible to tell from those pictures what it is. It may, very well, be a composite rock. That is, a rock made up of several types of rocks and minerals. If that's the case, then they may not be a name for it, and it's probably not worth much.
Is there somewhere around you that would be able to identify them? A store that sells crystal specimens? A college with a geology department?
Most likely it's not worth much. I'm curious now, though. I'm not sure I've ever seen a rock quite like that, before.
leeevinnn
Mar 15, 2010, 02:27 PM
I'm getting a much more high quality picture right now off my Cam Corder.
leeevinnn
Mar 15, 2010, 02:36 PM
Ok here it is: http://i39.tinypic.com/12161pj.jpg
leeevinnn
Mar 15, 2010, 02:43 PM
Here's more HQ pics:
http://i42.tinypic.com/2jab86x.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/209r0vd.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/14mcal1.jpg
leeevinnn
Mar 15, 2010, 02:44 PM
Sorry the images are so large, can't fix it, Just use full screen.
hheath541
Mar 15, 2010, 03:32 PM
It's gorgeous. My guess would be it's a simple quartz formation.
While I don't think you'll be able to make much, if any, money off it (it's full of impurities), I think it's an amazing find.
Quartz is, very possibly, the most common crystal on the planet. It comes in every color of the rainbow, and then some. Clear quartz was sometimes used as a cheap alternative to diamonds, before CZ was invented. It's found in composite rocks, like granite.
leeevinnn
Mar 15, 2010, 03:52 PM
Estimated amount of money for it?
hheath541
Mar 15, 2010, 03:54 PM
No idea. It really depends on who you find willing to buy it. I can't see you getting more than about $10-$15 for it, though. Especially if you sell it to someone planning on reselling it.
leeevinnn
Mar 15, 2010, 04:03 PM
I have a whole bucket full of it.
hheath541
Mar 15, 2010, 04:07 PM
The only way you're going to find out, is to find someone willing to buy it.
leeevinnn
Mar 15, 2010, 04:11 PM
Ok. One last question, is there a way to make it cleaner or more purified?
hheath541
Mar 15, 2010, 04:13 PM
no. the impurities are part of the crystal's structure.
Kind of like baking bread with sand in it. You can't get the sand out without ruining the bread.
leeevinnn
Mar 16, 2010, 07:17 PM
Do you think that there would be pure ones around the same location?
hheath541
Mar 16, 2010, 07:32 PM
It's doubtful. The mineral impurities in the crystals are most likely present in the surrounding area.
Even if you did find purer specimens, they still wouldn't be worth much. Quartz is too common to ever bring much money on it's own.
Stratmando
Mar 25, 2010, 04:03 PM
Gold sometimes occurs with Quartz, I don't think that's what I'm seeing.
I have both the Gypsum Rose and a Barite Rose(Darker color) both look like roses made of stone.
Here's some photos:
http://images.google.com/images?q=gypsum+rose&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=wuurS6XWOcP88AbXt4HqCg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBIQsAQwAA