❓Your Mineral Identification Questions answered here

Prospecting Australia

Help Support Prospecting Australia:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Hey Guys,

I found this really neat rock I want to try identify, I'm hoping someone will be able to help me :)

I found this in central west NSW Australia.

1632739002_img_0508.jpg

1632739003_img_0509.jpg

1632739003_img_0510.jpg

1632739004_img_0511.jpg

1632739005_img_0512.jpg
 
Looks like a vuggy volcanic. Recommend getting a sample of the greenish/yellow crystal and determine its specific gravity & follow goldilocks guidelines. My guess - Mix of colours suggest lead mineralisation.
 
Hi everyone, I'd be grateful for any opinions on this little gemstone from Grabben Gullen. I've photographed it against 5mm grid paper and it comes in at just over 2ct. Specific gravity is around 3.9 but I don't have accurate enough scales to state that with any certainty.

I'm leaning towards zircon or tourmaline rather than sapphire, but any opinions would be appreciated: I'm new to this. Apologies for the lines that my little lightbox inserts.

Cheers,
Jude

1635417699_gg_gem_2.jpg


1635417699_gg_gem_1.jpg


1635418000_gg_gem_3.jpg
 
Thanks so much, both of you! Of the four people who know a lot more than me who've weighed in with an opinion, that makes about 3.5 votes for sapphire. I wasn't expecting to get that lucky so early in the hobby - I'm chuffed. I'll see about getting it cut :) Thanks a bunch
 
Not sure what this is
Got it at a garage sale one time with some other minerals from an estate collection
1644115878_screenshot_20220206-124545_gallery.jpg

1644115878_screenshot_20220206-124602_gallery.jpg

Heavy, so I Rubbed it on the cement
1644115928_screenshot_20220206-124626_gallery.jpg

(Even the mozzie was interested)
1644115973_screenshot_20220206-124641_gallery.jpg

Groved a little
1644116038_screenshot_20220206-124658_gallery.jpg

1644116038_screenshot_20220206-124710_gallery.jpg

1644116039_screenshot_20220206-124721_gallery.jpg

Added heat
1644116089_screenshot_20220206-124739_gallery.jpg

1644116089_screenshot_20220206-124807_gallery.jpg

1644116089_screenshot_20220206-124823_gallery.jpg

1644116089_screenshot_20220206-124839_gallery.jpg

Didn't change anything
1644116129_screenshot_20220206-124856_gallery.jpg

1644116129_screenshot_20220206-124909_gallery.jpg

That was all late last year
Thought I'd put a magnet to it today..... and it attracts(not magnetic itself at all), plus it's rusted over again.
Does not shatter or deform when hammered.

Could it be anything other than a lump of steel ?
 
Hi everyone, trying to figure out what this is.

Detector went nuts when I hovered it over a pile of rocks, moved the rocks and a little bit of topsoil and found what you can see on the top of the picture, split it open to a nice shiny surprise.

I'm thinking it might be Pyrite, maybe?

Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

1644123766_silver2.jpg
 
Daniel77 said:
Hi everyone, trying to figure out what this is.

Detector went nuts when I hovered it over a pile of rocks, moved the rocks and a little bit of topsoil and found what you can see on the top of the picture, split it open to a nice shiny surprise.

I'm thinking it might be Pyrite, maybe?

Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/22295/1644123766_silver2.jpg
going to stick out my man ******* and agree with you as i have safely seen way too much pyrite over the last week
 
silver said:
Not sure what this is
Got it at a garage sale one time with some other minerals from an estate collection
https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...115878_screenshot_20220206-124545_gallery.jpg
https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...115878_screenshot_20220206-124602_gallery.jpg
Heavy, so I Rubbed it on the cement
https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...115928_screenshot_20220206-124626_gallery.jpg
(Even the mozzie was interested)
https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...115973_screenshot_20220206-124641_gallery.jpg
Groved a little
https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...116038_screenshot_20220206-124658_gallery.jpg
https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...116038_screenshot_20220206-124710_gallery.jpg
https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...116039_screenshot_20220206-124721_gallery.jpg
Added heat
https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...116089_screenshot_20220206-124739_gallery.jpg
https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...116089_screenshot_20220206-124807_gallery.jpg
https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...116089_screenshot_20220206-124823_gallery.jpg
https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...116089_screenshot_20220206-124839_gallery.jpg
Didn't change anything
https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...116129_screenshot_20220206-124856_gallery.jpg
https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...116129_screenshot_20220206-124909_gallery.jpg
That was all late last year
Thought I'd put a magnet to it today..... and it attracts(not magnetic itself at all), plus it's rusted over again.
Does not shatter or deform when hammered.

Could it be anything other than a lump of steel ?
mill ball
 
Fishermandan said:
silver said:
Not sure what this is
Got it at a garage sale one time with some other minerals from an estate collection
https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...115878_screenshot_20220206-124545_gallery.jpg
https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...115878_screenshot_20220206-124602_gallery.jpg
Heavy, so I Rubbed it on the cement
https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...115928_screenshot_20220206-124626_gallery.jpg
(Even the mozzie was interested)
https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...115973_screenshot_20220206-124641_gallery.jpg
Groved a little
https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...116038_screenshot_20220206-124658_gallery.jpg
https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...116038_screenshot_20220206-124710_gallery.jpg
https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...116039_screenshot_20220206-124721_gallery.jpg
Added heat
https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...116089_screenshot_20220206-124739_gallery.jpg
https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...116089_screenshot_20220206-124807_gallery.jpg
https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...116089_screenshot_20220206-124823_gallery.jpg
https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...116089_screenshot_20220206-124839_gallery.jpg
Didn't change anything
https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...116129_screenshot_20220206-124856_gallery.jpg
https://www.prospectingaustralia.co...116129_screenshot_20220206-124909_gallery.jpg
That was all late last year
Thought I'd put a magnet to it today..... and it attracts(not magnetic itself at all), plus it's rusted over again.
Does not shatter or deform when hammered.

Could it be anything other than a lump of steel ?
mill ball

Thanks Fishermandan :Y:
 
Thanks Fishermandan, I was looking at a lot of pictures and Pyrite looked the closest to what I had, was not 100% sure though. :Y:
 
Daniel77 said:
Hi everyone, trying to figure out what this is.

Detector went nuts when I hovered it over a pile of rocks, moved the rocks and a little bit of topsoil and found what you can see on the top of the picture, split it open to a nice shiny surprise.

I'm thinking it might be Pyrite, maybe?

Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/22295/1644123766_silver2.jpg

Is it magnetic, could be meteorite :eek:

Tuck ya mantities away for a few days Fishermandan. The picture obviously won't allow for positive ID I'm sure there will be others who will offer suggestions :beer:
 
Daniel77 said:
Thanks Fishermandan, I was looking at a lot of pictures and Pyrite looked the closest to what I had, was not 100% sure though. :Y:

what i cant answer is why your detector picked it up unless it has iron in the mix or maybe even gold as from what i have read all can be present with Pyrite but plenty of reading on the net on the above subject
 
RM Outback, yes it is magnetic.

Fishermandan, could not say if it had any gold in it or iron, can only see what's on the surface and the point where I broke it.
 

Latest posts

Top