Ask Me Help Desk

Ask Me Help Desk (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/forum.php)
-   Geology (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=138)
-   -   Identify this rock/crystal? (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=457932)

  • Mar 15, 2010, 01:15 PM
    leeevinnn
    Identify this rock/crystal?
    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.
  • Mar 15, 2010, 01:26 PM
    justcurious55

    The image didn't come through. Can you try posting it again?
  • Mar 15, 2010, 01:37 PM
    leeevinnn

    http://i41.tinypic.com/6xu90m.jpg



    Copy and paste the above into your browser, it should work.
  • Mar 15, 2010, 01:45 PM
    hheath541

    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.
  • Mar 15, 2010, 01:54 PM
    leeevinnn

    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.
  • Mar 15, 2010, 02:04 PM
    leeevinnn

    Pictures:
    http://i44.tinypic.com/mwcgfb.jpg

    http://i41.tinypic.com/2n1s8sx.jpg
    http://i41.tinypic.com/6xu90m.jpg
  • Mar 15, 2010, 02:07 PM
    hheath541

    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.
  • Mar 15, 2010, 02:13 PM
    leeevinnn

    Tan, and gray, I have no idea how to make the pictures better.
  • Mar 15, 2010, 02:24 PM
    hheath541

    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.
  • Mar 15, 2010, 02:27 PM
    leeevinnn

    I'm getting a much more high quality picture right now off my Cam Corder.
  • Mar 15, 2010, 02:36 PM
    leeevinnn

    Ok here it is: http://i39.tinypic.com/12161pj.jpg
  • Mar 15, 2010, 02:43 PM
    leeevinnn

    Here's more HQ pics:

    http://i42.tinypic.com/2jab86x.jpg

    http://i39.tinypic.com/209r0vd.jpg


    http://i42.tinypic.com/14mcal1.jpg
  • Mar 15, 2010, 02:44 PM
    leeevinnn

    Sorry the images are so large, can't fix it, Just use full screen.
  • Mar 15, 2010, 03:32 PM
    hheath541

    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.
  • Mar 15, 2010, 03:52 PM
    leeevinnn

    Estimated amount of money for it?
  • Mar 15, 2010, 03:54 PM
    hheath541

    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.
  • Mar 15, 2010, 04:03 PM
    leeevinnn

    I have a whole bucket full of it.
  • Mar 15, 2010, 04:07 PM
    hheath541

    The only way you're going to find out, is to find someone willing to buy it.
  • Mar 15, 2010, 04:11 PM
    leeevinnn

    Ok. One last question, is there a way to make it cleaner or more purified?
  • Mar 15, 2010, 04:13 PM
    hheath541

    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.

  • All times are GMT -7. The time now is 04:12 PM.