╳Discussions
💬 Home🔎 Search📅 LatestGroups
EducationOpen discussion area.Fakes & FraudsOpen discussion area.Field CollectingOpen discussion area.FossilsOpen discussion area.Gems and GemologyOpen discussion area.GeneralOpen discussion area.How to ContributeOpen discussion area.Identity HelpOpen discussion area.Improving Mindat.orgOpen discussion area.LocalitiesOpen discussion area.Lost and Stolen SpecimensOpen discussion area.MarketplaceOpen discussion area.MeteoritesOpen discussion area.Mindat ProductsOpen discussion area.Mineral ExchangesOpen discussion area.Mineral PhotographyOpen discussion area.Mineral ShowsOpen discussion area.Mineralogical ClassificationOpen discussion area.Mineralogy CourseOpen discussion area.MineralsOpen discussion area.Minerals and MuseumsOpen discussion area.PhotosOpen discussion area.Techniques for CollectorsOpen discussion area.The Rock H. Currier Digital LibraryOpen discussion area.UV MineralsOpen discussion area.Recent Images in Discussions
Identity HelpHeavy as Death Metal at 16 RPM
4th Oct 2019 04:38 UTCMatt Ciranni
I need your guys help with this one.
I bought it at a Gem Faire from a dealer in Pakistan (Skardu) minerals and he had the usual expected assortment of Skarduvian aquamarines, topazes, and a whole suite of minerals from that area. So I assume this one is from there as well. His prices were wholesale and relatively low, and he offered some really good deals.
I love all of those gemstones but this particular stone caught my eye...after I picked it up. This thing is DENSE. As in, it feels every bit as dense as galena and cassiterite- both of which I am familiar with. It's considerable heft is it's most noticable feature- So as I picked it up I was inclined to think, "Ah, Cassiterite."
The dealer didn't know for sure what he had. He simply shrugged and said, "Cassiterite huh, Well, that works for me I guess. I'll give you a deal, 60 bucks for both that and the $40 Axinite you were eyeballing earlier" (I got both. Other stone's identity was easy to confirm.)
So, I would be tempted to go with that ID- it doesn't scratch with a steel pick so it's hard enough, but a few things to question: The crystals are rather distinctive- rectangular prisms here, mainly. Cassiterite crystals tend usually to be more angled and pyramidal. And these here are distinctively color toned- ruby red in the center and dark brown on the outside. So I'm not so sure- it could be another really dense mineral, some kind of ColTan mineral perhaps, or something more sinister (I hope not, since I don't have a Geiger counter to test for that.)
Your thoughts? Again, location is from Pakistan, hardness about 5-6-ish, specific gravity about that of cassiterite or galena, i.e. very heavy for it's size. Is it cassiterite or some other mineral?
4th Oct 2019 04:41 UTCMatt Ciranni
4th Oct 2019 04:50 UTCRuss Rizzo Expert
Although I have never seen a reddish-colored one from Pakistan before. Could possibly be from Afghanistan. In my experience the Pakistani-Afghani dealers tend to say that whatever they're trying to sell is from "their" country.
4th Oct 2019 10:19 UTCJosé Zendrera 🌟 Manager
5th Oct 2019 19:32 UTCMatt Neuzil Expert
6th Oct 2019 20:38 UTCMatt Ciranni
9th Oct 2019 13:15 UTCHarold Moritz 🌟 Expert
隐私政策 - 条款和条款细则 - 联络我们 - Report a bug/vulnerability Current server date and time: 2024.5.4 12:39:59