mystery rock

[dgm1]

I see. I just see no defense of his behavior as being legit. He is arrogant and bullying. Period. I have no problem letting him know it.<br /> <br /> We should try to stick to discussing the topic as much as possible. <br /> Now the only thing I have to agree with him on is that the specimen does indeed look like glass. Keelys descriptions have a lot in common with amber but the pics, especially the last one, look too much like glass to be ignored. The bubble inside also causes the specimen to look like a piece of glass. It's teardrop shape would not be present in a naturally forming crystalline mineral like quartz, diamond or similar minerals.<br /> I can't wait until the item is identified. I hope kelly is not run off before letting us know the results. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[yevaud]

I agree. I truly want to know what it actually is. It's very intriguing. On the one hand, there are some definite indications of high-lead content glass, and on the other, some mineral. Very odd. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Differential Diagnosis:  </em>"<strong><em>I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn than you are</em></strong>."<br /> </p> </div>

 

[chew_on_this]

<font color="yellow">I might also add, damned if *you* or anyone else provided any explanation whatsoever. You were just content to sit there and let her stew. </font><br /> <br />I would have been more than happy to provide an explanation if it hadn't already been given. Looks like quartz to me from handling amethyst and the like. Though I happily concede to the true geologist on this one and will deride the armchair quartzerbacks. Ha! I made a funny.

 

[yevaud]

Maybe so. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Differential Diagnosis:  </em>"<strong><em>I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn than you are</em></strong>."<br /> </p> </div>

 

[kellygirl29]

picture herkimer diamond

 

[yevaud]

Good. You haven't left. Don't. This place has far more worth than at first appearance. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Differential Diagnosis:  </em>"<strong><em>I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn than you are</em></strong>."<br /> </p> </div>

 

[kellygirl29]

another picture of herkimer

 

[jatslo]

That is so cool looking <img src="/images/icons/cool.gif" /> Pay special attention to triangles, and points. A good diamond cutter can see many unique diamond shapes within the diamond.

 

[kellygirl29]

Mine has a triangle and point too. You just cant see it on the angles I posted, as I explained earlier. Im still waiting on my neighbor to get home so he can resend me a picture of mine of an angle of it looking at it from the top down

 

[jatslo]

Here is a link about molecular structure, which is a good research platform for those that are in the business of identifying rocks of various structural compositions:<br /><br />LINK Crash Course <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" />

 

[JonClarke]

Herkimer "diamonds" are of course quartz, as their trigonal (pseudohexagonal) morphology shows.<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[yevaud]

A very attractive mineral. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Differential Diagnosis:  </em>"<strong><em>I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn than you are</em></strong>."<br /> </p> </div>

 

[jatslo]

I had to look up one of those words. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br /><font color="orange">Color is colorless or white. <br /><br />Luster is vitreous. <br /><br />Transparency: Crystals are transparent to translucent. <br />Crystal System is monoclinic; 2/m or m (alpha tridymite) and hexagonal; 6/m 2/m 2/m (beta tridymite). <br /><br />Crystal Habit includes the always small but sometimes well formed crystals that are pseudohexagonal being pseudomorphs of beta tridymite. The crystals are platy with a hexagonal cross-section. The more common habit is microscopic disseminated grains in volcanic rock. Twinning is common and often results in penetration twins that appear to have a second platy crystal growing into another crystal. The twins can look like a normal crystal that has been folded like a taco shell but with a sharp, not a rounded fold. By far, the more interesting twins are the six rayed trillings or "triplets" from where tridymite gets its name. <br /><br />Cleavage is poor in three directions (prismatic). <br />Fracture is conchoidal. <br /><br />Hardness is 7. <br /><br />Specific Gravity is 2.27+ (below average for translucent minerals) <br /><br />Streak is clear. <br /><br />Other Characteristics: Refractive index is approximately 1.47 <br /><br />Associated Minerals include cristobalite, sanadine, hornblende, beta quartz, olivine, pseudobrookite and augite. <br /><br />Notable Occurrences include Cerro San Cristobal, Pachuca, Mexico; San Juan Mountains and Yellowstone National Park, both in Colorado and Mt. Lassen, California, USA and Italy. <br /><br />Best Field Indicators are crystal habit, environment of formation (mostly volcanic rocks), color and index of refraction.</font>/safety_wrapper>

 

[bonzelite]

these geologic mineralogical terms are extremely arcane. i need a latin class or something.

 

[jatslo]

I thought quartz conducted heat almost as good as a diamond, but sylene said the temperature flux peaked at like 275, and I forgot what scale (C?). The pseudohexagonal forms under hotter conditions, unless I misinterpreted the meaning. I also thought the hardness was like 8 or 9, but it is 7, so that just goes to show that I want to learn more than I know, which means I need to learn more than I know. Maybe I have just forgotten over the years, that is possible too.

 

[dgm1]

So kellygirl, have you received the results about your mystery rock yet? I am curious to hear what it is. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[CalliArcale]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>these geologic mineralogical terms are extremely arcane. i need a latin class or something. <p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />Actually, they're standard English. Some (possibly all) may have Latin roots, though, as Latin was the language of scholars for many years -- it served as a sort of esperanto, so that a Frenchman, a German, a Spaniard, and an Englishman could communicate easily and precisely without having to become fluent in all those different languages.<br /><br />Sorry for the digression, but I was an English major, and I find etymology to be fascinating. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> "Vitreous" is one my favorite words. It's not easy to find uses for it, but it just sounds cool. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[munkin]

From what Kellygirl posted - the rock was sent to VA Tech a few weeks ago. I know that the professors have been there since at least last Tuesday. Interesting that she has not posted the results.<br /><br />My own theory - glass with liquid (water) inclusions that include some sort of algae (most likely).<br /><br />Unlikely - Rare clear amber.<br /><br />I would like to know and please tell us the results since you spent so much on your own personal research (and I agree with others - this is not a diamond). And you also thought this was such a great rock - that you spent the time to have this *professionally* photographed and also rented a safety deposit box for safe keeping.<br /><br />Kellygirl, Your continued silence is worrysome.

 

[dgm1]

Well since we have had no further info from kellygirl we can only assume one of three things.<br /><br /> 1) Mr. Knowitall antagonist Steve ticked her off and she fled.<br /> 2) The rock specimen was indeed a highly valuable item and she is currently vacationing in the Bahamas.<br /> 3) The specimen turned out to be a piece of waste glass and the fluid was water that found it's way into an empty gas bubble via capillary action (?).<br /><br /> I think the third choice is probably the most likely. Actually I question whether it was ever sent off in the first place. We will probably never know but at least it was fun speculating. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[chew_on_this]

4) Rock was dilithium crystal and she keeled over due to radiation exposure and/or she was kidnapped to Enterprise. This will all go away once she is returned after trip around the sun and space-time resumes it's normal path.