Help with Identification.

[Ditch]

Found an interesting specimen while out over the weekend about halfway between Inverell & Bundara, NSW on the edge of the granite belt in a roadside quarry at around 1000 meters ASL.

Very dark blue or black crystals with clear crystals on a granite matrix. Some of the crystals change from dark to clear. Specimen also contains some Mica. Have no idea what it could be, thought some of the forum members might know.

Thanks in advance, Ditch.

 

[blisters]

Looks like tourmaline.
Jon

EDIT: The dark stuff I'm referring to due to the striations the clear stuff looks like quartz and hard to tell but likely sitting in feldspar. Looks like a pegmatite.

 

[dam it]

No idea :| Look Awesome tho :Y:
But in photo 5 ..... is that a few small bits of gold hanging on to it

 

[LONEWOLF]

G-day Ditch... Yes Tourmaline in Quartz.... I have a few pieces from the same area... and It could well be Gold in pic 5... Gold is found in the area and looks like it to me... nice Specimen... :Y:

LoneWolf...

 

[AtomRat]

If be digging and following that peg a bit further lovely speccie rock

 

[Ditch]

Looks like tourmaline.
Jon

EDIT: The dark stuff I'm referring to due to the striations the clear stuff looks like quartz and hard to tell but likely sitting in feldspar. Looks like a pegmatite.

Cheers Blisters, had a guess it might be tourmaline after some quick research this morning (and it was only a guess!).

 

[Ditch]

No idea :| Look Awesome tho :Y:
But in photo 5 ..... is that a few small bits of gold hanging on to it

Did notice that little bit of colour.........might have to investigate further 8)

 

[Ditch]

G-day Ditch... Yes Tourmaline in Quartz.... I have a few pieces from the same area... and It could well be Gold in pic 5... Gold is found in the area and looks like it to me... nice Specimen... :Y:

LoneWolf...

Thanks LoneWolf, the gold colour only shows up as a thin film depending on how the light hits it. Might dolly some & see what it reveals............

 

[DrDuck]

My first thought was hornblende, but it could certainly be tourmaline. Hornblende is a little softer than tourmaline, so a hardness test may help. Cleavage can distinguish hornblende from black tourmaline, apparently.

 

[blisters]

I'd be leaning towards the gold colour being due to reflection off internal fracture.
Jon

 

[NeilM]

Great quality piccies too

 

[Kingsolomon]

Possibly kyanite .

 

[Ditch]

I'd be leaning towards the gold colour being due to reflection off internal fracture.
Jon

Could be right there Blisters. Have a few quartz specimens that give off that colour under certain light conditions as well so not getting my hopes up that it is gold, although there is a bit of colour on the feldspar as well.

 

[Kingsolomon]

Looks like it has vertical striations , quartz has horizontal striations . Yet , it's just a photo , so hard to tell . If it's indicolite tourmaline , that would be something . I can test it if you want .

 

[Heatho]

It looks like hornblende to me too, there is plenty of it between Bundarra and Inverell. The overlay map I use shows quite a few deposits of it in the area mentioned. I'm no gemologist though.

Or maybe pyroxene??

 

[Ditch]

Looks like it has vertical striations , quartz has horizontal striations . Yet , it's just a photo , so hard to tell . If it's , that would be something . I can test it if you want .

I don't think it is indicolite tourmaline as it is very dark & the crystals are not transparent at all.

I could send you a sample if you like. PM me your address & I`ll send some to you.

 

[Kingsolomon]

Ah. Ok , I thought you said they had light refracting out of them , and blue , didn't think it would be blue tourmaline as I don't think any has been found here ( green yes ) so if opaque , then scholl or something else as others have suggested . Sort of crazy trying to assess a stone from photos .

 

[Martin]

Possibly kyanite .

Was thinking the same. Does not look like tourmaline, seen plenty and have plenty of tourmaline and this does not look like it.

 

[shivan]

I was thinking along the lines of amphibole or pyroxene, hornblende could be a good candidate.

Could be tourmaline if there are striations, but the more whole crystal faces do not seem to have them which makes me wonder if they could be cleavage planes or parting?

If it was kyanite i would think it should pass some light through?

 

[Kingsolomon]

I don't like to assume , I like to see and test things in hand , unfortunatly it's like looking at a gold nugget or a spray painted piece of lead in photos . And I would usually rather not chime in on this type of thing . Because it's not really going to tell you much .