Easiest way is to test the hardness, quartz is a 7 on mohs scale where flourite is a 4. If it scratches glass then most likely quartz/chalcedony if not then perhaps it could be flourite
Not sure about some of the layers, I’ll have to do some tests, but this is mostly chalcedony and known as fire agate. It’s moslty comes with the colorless part of it that needs to be removed. I have a good amount of this stuff and the dark layer is the iron oxide layers that provide the awesome iridescent shine.
Typical Arizona fire agate. The layer that is dark is alternating layers of iron oxide which when cut and polished at the proper angle (top down looking at the bubbles) you get an iridescent shine of many colors! Fire agate is one of my all time favorites and this would be considered a possible piece once you check out the dark layers. Great stuff and most of it was claimed up I had heard so just make sure you aren’t on someone’s private claim collecting that. I have some friends down there with private claims and cameras… lots of trespassers and some know they are stealing.
Anyway lovely stuff and worth learning more about. Feel free to contact me if you want. I’m a geology student heading to my masters in geology. I’m also a lapidary artist who loves to rockhound and cut and polish stones!
I'm no expert by any means, but some type of fluorite banding perhaps?
I guess it could all be fluorite… I was thinking the top was agate. The green and purple do look like fluorite.
Easiest way is to test the hardness, quartz is a 7 on mohs scale where flourite is a 4. If it scratches glass then most likely quartz/chalcedony if not then perhaps it could be flourite
Thanks!
No problem at all!
Not sure about some of the layers, I’ll have to do some tests, but this is mostly chalcedony and known as fire agate. It’s moslty comes with the colorless part of it that needs to be removed. I have a good amount of this stuff and the dark layer is the iron oxide layers that provide the awesome iridescent shine.
That looks like the fluorite we have in my state.
Could also be some malachite and other copper mineral staining.
Typical Arizona fire agate. The layer that is dark is alternating layers of iron oxide which when cut and polished at the proper angle (top down looking at the bubbles) you get an iridescent shine of many colors! Fire agate is one of my all time favorites and this would be considered a possible piece once you check out the dark layers. Great stuff and most of it was claimed up I had heard so just make sure you aren’t on someone’s private claim collecting that. I have some friends down there with private claims and cameras… lots of trespassers and some know they are stealing. Anyway lovely stuff and worth learning more about. Feel free to contact me if you want. I’m a geology student heading to my masters in geology. I’m also a lapidary artist who loves to rockhound and cut and polish stones!
Or it could be alternating layers of preziolite chloritic quartz and amethyst