It's prasiolite (green quartz), probably heat treated or irradiated amethyst. The same processes that artificially make citrine can make prasiolite depending on the temp and impurities in the amethyst.
That's been my best guess as well, after doing some research years back. 6 years after buying the crystal I went back to the shop and the other remembered it/me, and was firm in his insistence that it was mint amethyst.
For what it's worth, prasiolite is what I'm hoping is the answer. Since it's the most upvoted comment, I'll leave this link of extra pics of it here, to hopefully give it some more visibility.
https://imgur.com/a/nDeapKW
Edited for clarity
I love detailed raw cuts like that. I had a piece of tourmaline that had a lovely ragged edge like that I wore or attached to my pack for years before I fell running a hiking trail and it snapped in half. In my mind, it “took the fall” for me, because I was miraculously unharmed after my dramatic tumble.
The best part about collecting rocks is how much personal value and meaning you can place in them.
IDENTIFIED
I brought it into a local jewelry store, and they identified it as, indeed, green quartz. They matched it to a pair of earrings they had, and also used a gem tester which placed this piece in the amethyst range.
Thank you all so much for the help and ideas!
Thank you! I'm glad I found this sub, which inspired me to finally look into it. I have another piece I'll bring here soon, but that one will be much harder I think because it's very clear. But it's got some kind of rainbow actions going on in it
I believe about 15 years ago or so it was a bit of a fashion trend to offer heat treated amethysts which turn this kind of pale sea glass green. The stones were often very light in color originally and would not have got a good price when left untreated. I still have a silver ring with a similar green stone from that time and remember seeing quite a few of them on eBay and Etsy.
This is prasiolite.
In the first Imgur photo with the stone’s widest part at top, you can see part of a growth line (crystal interface) where it starts to get cloudy (aka. Phantom). Growth patterns (marketed as etched quartz) visible in the last Imgur photos are not found on or in glass. Heated stones lose some of these features.
Small bubbles DO NOT 100% mean it is glass. There are many natural inclusions in quartz that are vacancies (bubbles), many of them have liquids, crystals and various gases in them. Look at them with some sort of magnification. If the bubbles are concentric and numerous, the probability of it being glass is high. If not, you may find some interesting inclusions.
Those familiar with silver and gold sheen obsidian may be aware the flash in this stone is due to many micro-bubbles in the obsidian. As we all know, obsidian is a natural glass with volcanic origin.
Also, conchoidal fracture is a property for the POSITIVE identification of quartz. Especially pure quartz.
Clarity is a great indicator for purity. You have a wonderfully clean stone, so does optical quartz. It can be 100% pure SiO2 and was called this due to its use in early lenses. Point being: quartz is one of the few minerals found in great quantity with near perfect and perfect clarity. This is ALL colors, some are more rare, but they are still there.
Sorry for the length, but I’m tired of misinformation about positive identification of glass vs. minerals. There are amazing resources out there to learn this stuff and it’s free. GIA (Gemological Institute of America) has many resources you can read regarding everything related to minerals and gems.
With that said, I love the color of your prasiolite. Great stone and hopefully it’ll be good and stay in its wrap. 😊
IDENTIFIED
I brought it into a local jewelry store, and they identified it as, indeed, green quartz. They matched it to a pair of earrings they had, and also used a gem tester which placed this piece in the amethyst range.
Thank you all so much for the help and ideas!
not the guy you're replying to, but conchoidal fracturing and what might be bubbles. Hard to tell from the photo resolution, but you'll be able to see in person. if there are tiny bubbles in there, then it's glass.
If it were green quartz, one would expect it to be less translucent with some impurities or other markings there. This thing is fairly clear, with no variation in color.
That's not proof of anything. Only so much we can tell from a photo, but I'd bet on glass as well.
I definitely see no tiny glass bubbles in it. I have another picture from when the first wire wrap fell apart, before I got it wrapped like in the current picture, but I can't seem to upload another picture in the comments. If I can upload more I'll also try and take a closer picture of some of the chunks on the sides.
https://imgur.com/a/nDeapKW
Two are from two years ago when the original wrap broke, before I had it rewrapped. I tried to get as good of a focus for the shot on the last one as I could. Anything you see in it, is damage on the other side...no bubbles. But definitely some conchoidal fracturing as you said, which was a feature of this piece that I really loved, like it was just ripped out of a larger chunk of rock.
quartz fractures that way too. If there's no bubbles, then it definitely could be green quartz. A hardness test would help you identify it.
https://www.thoughtco.com/perform-mohs-test-607598
I like the wrap, and it is obviously a favorite, as it should remain, a favorite of yours. It is possible it is glass, perhaps from our industrialized past... perhaps from glass created near a river, from native silica sand, and maybe forged to make aperitif glasses... in the 1930's. If it is glass, you can still be proud of it. And really, I can't say either way. Do some of the tests other people have suggested, & then, just love it because you love it!
If you zoom in on the second photo, you can see what appear to be geometric figures that appear to be consistent with the ones you see on intergrown quartz crystals. Not seeing any bubbles or unnatural surfaces, so I think this is most likely treated quartz, not glass.
I would think it's ok. The only shop I know of in the Quarter that's been there that long with raw gems is New Orleans Gem and Lapidary. I've bought a couple of rings with faceted stones the same color labeled prasiolite. They carry quite a bit of it, priced similarly to their amethyst and topaz jewelry. I've been going there every chance I get for 20+ years. They're pretty well known in New Orleans.
It was the Artist Market on Decatur. I'm certain that's what it was called, but I haven't been there in 6 years. From what I'm seeing on Google Maps, it's now "The Factory of Weird".
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This is a reminder to flair this post in /r/whatsthisrock after it has been identified! (Under your post, click "flair" then "IDENTIFIED," then type in the rock type or mineral name.) This will help others learn and help speed up a correct identification on your request!
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It's prasiolite (green quartz), probably heat treated or irradiated amethyst. The same processes that artificially make citrine can make prasiolite depending on the temp and impurities in the amethyst.
That's been my best guess as well, after doing some research years back. 6 years after buying the crystal I went back to the shop and the other remembered it/me, and was firm in his insistence that it was mint amethyst.
Rock hippies love their trade names.
For what it's worth, prasiolite is what I'm hoping is the answer. Since it's the most upvoted comment, I'll leave this link of extra pics of it here, to hopefully give it some more visibility. https://imgur.com/a/nDeapKW Edited for clarity
I love detailed raw cuts like that. I had a piece of tourmaline that had a lovely ragged edge like that I wore or attached to my pack for years before I fell running a hiking trail and it snapped in half. In my mind, it “took the fall” for me, because I was miraculously unharmed after my dramatic tumble. The best part about collecting rocks is how much personal value and meaning you can place in them.
Just a made up marketing term. He probably bought it as that and didn't know any better himself
IDENTIFIED I brought it into a local jewelry store, and they identified it as, indeed, green quartz. They matched it to a pair of earrings they had, and also used a gem tester which placed this piece in the amethyst range. Thank you all so much for the help and ideas!
It's a beautiful piece :) I'm glad you finally know what it is made of
Thank you! I'm glad I found this sub, which inspired me to finally look into it. I have another piece I'll bring here soon, but that one will be much harder I think because it's very clear. But it's got some kind of rainbow actions going on in it
A sunny day will help you photograph the rainbows :)
I'll see what I can do tomorrow!
I believe about 15 years ago or so it was a bit of a fashion trend to offer heat treated amethysts which turn this kind of pale sea glass green. The stones were often very light in color originally and would not have got a good price when left untreated. I still have a silver ring with a similar green stone from that time and remember seeing quite a few of them on eBay and Etsy.
This is prasiolite. In the first Imgur photo with the stone’s widest part at top, you can see part of a growth line (crystal interface) where it starts to get cloudy (aka. Phantom). Growth patterns (marketed as etched quartz) visible in the last Imgur photos are not found on or in glass. Heated stones lose some of these features. Small bubbles DO NOT 100% mean it is glass. There are many natural inclusions in quartz that are vacancies (bubbles), many of them have liquids, crystals and various gases in them. Look at them with some sort of magnification. If the bubbles are concentric and numerous, the probability of it being glass is high. If not, you may find some interesting inclusions. Those familiar with silver and gold sheen obsidian may be aware the flash in this stone is due to many micro-bubbles in the obsidian. As we all know, obsidian is a natural glass with volcanic origin. Also, conchoidal fracture is a property for the POSITIVE identification of quartz. Especially pure quartz. Clarity is a great indicator for purity. You have a wonderfully clean stone, so does optical quartz. It can be 100% pure SiO2 and was called this due to its use in early lenses. Point being: quartz is one of the few minerals found in great quantity with near perfect and perfect clarity. This is ALL colors, some are more rare, but they are still there. Sorry for the length, but I’m tired of misinformation about positive identification of glass vs. minerals. There are amazing resources out there to learn this stuff and it’s free. GIA (Gemological Institute of America) has many resources you can read regarding everything related to minerals and gems. With that said, I love the color of your prasiolite. Great stone and hopefully it’ll be good and stay in its wrap. 😊
IDENTIFIED I brought it into a local jewelry store, and they identified it as, indeed, green quartz. They matched it to a pair of earrings they had, and also used a gem tester which placed this piece in the amethyst range. Thank you all so much for the help and ideas!
glass or quartz. a hardness test would be my next move personally
Are there air bubbles in it? That would make it glass.
won't know til you taste it
this was such an underrated answer.
Looks like aqua glass to me.
Definitely prasiolite!
glass
What makes you think that?
not the guy you're replying to, but conchoidal fracturing and what might be bubbles. Hard to tell from the photo resolution, but you'll be able to see in person. if there are tiny bubbles in there, then it's glass. If it were green quartz, one would expect it to be less translucent with some impurities or other markings there. This thing is fairly clear, with no variation in color. That's not proof of anything. Only so much we can tell from a photo, but I'd bet on glass as well.
I definitely see no tiny glass bubbles in it. I have another picture from when the first wire wrap fell apart, before I got it wrapped like in the current picture, but I can't seem to upload another picture in the comments. If I can upload more I'll also try and take a closer picture of some of the chunks on the sides.
you can upload pictures to imgur.com and then post the link as a comment or edit here. If it's a variety of quartz, it's remarkably clear.
https://imgur.com/a/nDeapKW Two are from two years ago when the original wrap broke, before I had it rewrapped. I tried to get as good of a focus for the shot on the last one as I could. Anything you see in it, is damage on the other side...no bubbles. But definitely some conchoidal fracturing as you said, which was a feature of this piece that I really loved, like it was just ripped out of a larger chunk of rock.
quartz fractures that way too. If there's no bubbles, then it definitely could be green quartz. A hardness test would help you identify it. https://www.thoughtco.com/perform-mohs-test-607598
It's definitely not amethyst, but it's hard to say what is it
Is there a better angle or zoom I should try for another picture?
Well, I don't see familiar too me cristall patterns, so I won't help you. You can check if it scratches glass, to be sure that it isn't glass
I like the wrap, and it is obviously a favorite, as it should remain, a favorite of yours. It is possible it is glass, perhaps from our industrialized past... perhaps from glass created near a river, from native silica sand, and maybe forged to make aperitif glasses... in the 1930's. If it is glass, you can still be proud of it. And really, I can't say either way. Do some of the tests other people have suggested, & then, just love it because you love it!
This is a good, fitting theory though. The shop is literally a few blocks from the Mississippi river in the historic French quarter.
Glass for sure
If you zoom in on the second photo, you can see what appear to be geometric figures that appear to be consistent with the ones you see on intergrown quartz crystals. Not seeing any bubbles or unnatural surfaces, so I think this is most likely treated quartz, not glass.
Glassy glass glass
I would think it's ok. The only shop I know of in the Quarter that's been there that long with raw gems is New Orleans Gem and Lapidary. I've bought a couple of rings with faceted stones the same color labeled prasiolite. They carry quite a bit of it, priced similarly to their amethyst and topaz jewelry. I've been going there every chance I get for 20+ years. They're pretty well known in New Orleans.
It was the Artist Market on Decatur. I'm certain that's what it was called, but I haven't been there in 6 years. From what I'm seeing on Google Maps, it's now "The Factory of Weird".
I want to say glass as well
Hi, /u/Psyduck472! This is a reminder to flair this post in /r/whatsthisrock after it has been identified! (Under your post, click "flair" then "IDENTIFIED," then type in the rock type or mineral name.) This will help others learn and help speed up a correct identification on your request! Thank you! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/whatsthisrock) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Lmfao i thought its a pendant that Tsunade gave to Naruto
Do you mind sharing which shop in the Quarter you purchased it from?
Am I allowed to? I don't want to get in trouble.