Welcome to Atheist Discussion, a new community created by former members of The Thinking Atheist forum.

Thread Rating:
  • 1 Vote(s) - 5 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Rocks and crystals
#1

Rocks and crystals
There are truly some beautiful rocks out there... not just the classic diamonds, rubys and saphires.

Once in a while I get an astonishing specimen on my facebook feed and I'd like to share that with everyone.

Today, we have a "Group of perfectly formed and very lustrous cubic crystals, of a dark purple color on the surface and amber on the inside."

[Image: 54424869_1031194897064822_33970623393363...e=5D184844]

Fluorite - mim 1439 - USA
Denton Mine, Rosiclare level, Harris Creek, Hardin County, Illinois
CaF2

Previous collection: Ross C. Lillie (USA)

Largest crystal: 5.7 cm
Dimensions: 12.0 x 15.5 x 6.0 cm



[Image: 54361811_1030749893775989_50322414335709...e=5D1F6287]

Rhodochrosite, Quartz and Tetrahedrite - Main Stope Drift, Sweet Home Mine, Alma, Park County, Colorado.



[Image: 54433706_1030340493816929_21801958369132...e=5D486076]

Stunning Quartz with Rutile.



[Image: 54728337_1029982583852720_15423589625679...e=5D49C5D9]

Amazing Vanadinite, Midelt, Draa Tafilalet region Morocco.
Reply
#2

Rocks and crystals
These are Australian Black Opals, SiO2·nH2O (technically a hydrated amorphous form of silica).
Opals are classed as a mineraloids, because of their amorphous character—as they contain on
average 6% to 10% water by weight.  Opal is Australia's national gemstone, and is mined at
Lightning Ridge in Queensland. This town is the only place on earth that produces these precious
Black Opals.


[Image: australian-opals.JPG]

These stones could each be valued at between (say) $5,000 and $30,000. Large
specimens could be around 1-inch long, with smaller ones less than ¼-inch long.
I'm a creationist;   I believe that man created God.
The following 7 users Like SYZ's post:
  • pocaracas, Fireball, adey67, Dancefortwo, Escape Artist, Dom, Paleophyte
Reply
#3

Rocks and crystals
(03-21-2019, 10:56 AM)SYZ Wrote: These are Australian Black Opals, SiO2·nH2O (technically a hydrated amorphous form of silica).
Opals are classed as a mineraloids, because of their amorphous character—as they contain on
average 6% to 10% water by weight.  Opal is Australia's national gemstone, and is mined at
Lightning Ridge in Queensland. This town is the only place on earth that produces these precious
Black Opals.


[Image: australian-opals.JPG]

These stones could each be valued at between (say) $5,000 and $30,000. Large
specimens could be around 1-inch long, with smaller ones less than ¼-inch long.

My favourite gemstone. If I were a multi millionaire I would collect them, IMHO diamonds don't have shit on opals, absolutely no contest.
The whole point of having cake is to eat it Cake_Feast
The following 2 users Like adey67's post:
  • SYZ, Gawdzilla Sama
Reply
#4

Rocks and crystals
I'm a sucker for Fluorite and that cubic shape

[Image: Fluorite_10187_backit_IMG_0868_720x@2x.jpg?v=1544310278]

[Image: Fluorite-NP26S9m.jpg]
The following 3 users Like pocaracas's post:
  • KittyAnn, SYZ, Escape Artist
Reply
#5

Rocks and crystals
cool thread, I love crystals, precious stones etc ... but you know it well Big Grin


[Image: flourite.jpg]
Fluorite ...i like this...., also called fluorspar, is a mineral composed of calcium fluoride.
Elmyra- i'm gonna hug you and love you and squeeze you into itty bitty pieces...until you die!!!
The following 2 users Like KittyAnn's post:
  • pocaracas, SYZ
Reply
#6

Rocks and crystals
Mookaite Jasper is a crystal with marbled earth tones which gets its name from the Mooka Creek near the Kennedy Ranges in Western Australia where it can be found. The word “Mookaite” comes from the Aboriginal word for the creek where it is found, which means “running waters.” First mined in the 1960s, Mookaite Jasper has since been discovered to house the remnants of radiolaria, tiny creatures that have opaline silica in their skeletons.
[Image: Mookaite-2.jpg]
Elmyra- i'm gonna hug you and love you and squeeze you into itty bitty pieces...until you die!!!
The following 2 users Like KittyAnn's post:
  • pocaracas, Escape Artist
Reply
#7

Rocks and crystals
Get a load of THIS!   This is a crystal cave in Mexico called The Caves of Crystals....duh.  This is NOT PHOTOSHOPPED.  


[Image: cave-of-crystals-lit-up.jpg]

These are the largest crystals ever found.  They're estimated to be  500,000 years old

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cave_of_the_Crystals

[Image: v3gkclfexvsy.jpg]
                                                         T4618
The following 7 users Like Dancefortwo's post:
  • KittyAnn, pocaracas, Fireball, SYZ, Escape Artist, Smercury44, Paleophyte
Reply
#8

Rocks and crystals
Drusy – Bright Green Oval Cabochon....Drusy, druse, druzy, drusies - different spellings, but they all mean tiny quartz crystals that form within or on the surface of other stones...
When ground water carrying dissolved silica is forced into a porous area of the rock, rapid cooling often occurs, causing the formation of tiny crystals on the surfaces or in cavities of the rock. The clear crystals often form on top of previously deposited minerals. This is called a drusy. Some minerals found in this form are chrysocolla, malachite, hematite, psilomelane, uvarovite, pyrite, carnelian and cobalto-calcite.

Drusy Gem Quartz
[Image: il_570xN.670965658_36mk.jpg]

Dyed Quartz Druzy
[Image: FX17a-500x500.jpg]

and some others awesome crystals..
Rare NATURAL Clear Beautiful Blue Dumortierite Crystal
[Image: Rare-NATURAL-Clear-Beautiful-Blue-Dumort...nt-_57.jpg]

Morganite with Cleavelandite on Microcline - Dara-i-Pech Pegmatite Field, Afghanistan
[Image: 7bc6dc81507e2fd3ba571221f4005ec3--the-pink-glow.jpg]

Creedite is a calcium aluminium sulfate fluoro hydroxide mineral
[Image: Creedite-cr55b.jpg]

..and of course green beryllium crystal...-Emerald is a gemstone and a variety of the mineral beryl (Be3Al2(SiO3)6) colored green by trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium
[Image: emerald-04.jpg]
Elmyra- i'm gonna hug you and love you and squeeze you into itty bitty pieces...until you die!!!
The following 6 users Like KittyAnn's post:
  • pocaracas, Dancefortwo, Escape Artist, Fireball, Smercury44, Paleophyte
Reply
#9

Rocks and crystals
I love rock shows.  There's a rock show every year over at the gym at the community college just down the street.  I've gone almost every year. I've bought various kinds of rocks and hand made jewelry at super cheap prices.  I bought a beautiful amethyst necklace for 30 bucks in the last few hours of the last day of the rock show when the vendors are more willing to haggle.  It's their last chance to make some money.
                                                         T4618
The following 2 users Like Dancefortwo's post:
  • pocaracas, KittyAnn
Reply
#10

Rocks and crystals
Amazing Aquamarine. Shigar Valley, Pakistan.

[Image: 54519323_1031963480321297_27551816244327...e=5D0BCFC9]
The following 3 users Like pocaracas's post:
  • Escape Artist, KittyAnn, SYZ
Reply
#11

Rocks and crystals
My mom is always asking me, "What do you people talk about on that website you're always visiting?" She thinks the only topics are religion and anti-church discussions. I'm going to Email her the URL for this thread. Deadpan Coffee Drinker
“I expect to pass this way but once; any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.” (Etienne De Grellet)
The following 6 users Like Gwaithmir's post:
  • SYZ, Fireball, KittyAnn, pocaracas, Dom, Smercury44
Reply
#12

Rocks and crystals
[Image: 71ISqljcSfL.jpg]
Mountain-high though the difficulties appear, terrible and gloomy though all things seem, they are but Mâyâ.
Fear not — it is banished. Crush it, and it vanishes. Stamp upon it, and it dies.


Vivekananda
The following 2 users Like Dānu's post:
  • KittyAnn, brewerb
Reply
#13

Rocks and crystals
Years ago I got to work with some of the rocks brought back by the Apollo astronuats from the moon and I took photos of the thin sections.

Apollo 16 anorthosite:
[Image: Anorthosite1.jpg]

Apollo 12 basalt:
[Image: Basalt1.jpg]

Apollo 17 gabbro:
[Image: Gabbro2.jpg]

Apollo 15 micro breccias from the lunar regolith:
[Image: micro-breccia1.jpg]

Apollo 17 orange soil:
[Image: Orange-soil1.jpg]
The following 6 users Like The Kerbinator's post:
  • KittyAnn, pocaracas, Dom, Smercury44, Paleophyte, Dancefortwo
Reply
#14

Rocks and crystals
[Image: rock.jpg]

[Image: 726bd840cbfe093afa10311c34e75cb0.jpg]
Being told you're delusional does not necessarily mean you're mental. 
The following 1 user Likes brewerb's post:
  • Dancefortwo
Reply
#15

Rocks and crystals
I don't see any stones there, Brewer...


[Image: 54730787_1033108576873454_11171501135678...e=5D49339F]
Amazing Twin Kunzite Floater Crystal.
The following 3 users Like pocaracas's post:
  • Dom, brewerb, Dancefortwo
Reply
#16

Rocks and crystals
(03-24-2019, 03:17 PM)The Kerbinator Wrote: Years ago I got to work with some of the rocks brought back by the Apollo astronuats from the moon and I took photos of the thin sections.

Apollo 16 anorthosite:
[Image: Anorthosite1.jpg]

Apollo 12 basalt:
[Image: Basalt1.jpg]

Apollo 17 gabbro:
[Image: Gabbro2.jpg]

Apollo 15 micro breccias from the lunar regolith:
[Image: micro-breccia1.jpg]

Apollo 17 orange soil:
[Image: Orange-soil1.jpg]

Just wow!
[Image: color%5D%5Bcolor=#333333%5D%5Bsize=small%5D%5Bfont=T...ans-Serif%5D]
Reply
#17

Rocks and crystals
How about a wee bit of jade?

[Image: _91941995_4acfc5b5-5c2c-4965-933f-19200e09d1aa.jpg]
[Image: M-Spr20-Weapons-FEATURED-1-1200x350-c-default.jpg]
The following 2 users Like Gawdzilla Sama's post:
  • pocaracas, Dancefortwo
Reply
#18

Rocks and crystals
Aquamarine from Hunza Valley in Pakistan.

[Image: 54518848_1034299773421001_58182792597261...e=5D487622]
The following 2 users Like pocaracas's post:
  • Gawdzilla Sama, KittyAnn
Reply
#19

Rocks and crystals
(03-25-2019, 07:33 PM)pocaracas Wrote: I don't see any stones there, Brewer...

OK, here ya go.

[Image: 805923980626795668.jpg]
Being told you're delusional does not necessarily mean you're mental. 
The following 1 user Likes brewerb's post:
  • pocaracas
Reply
#20

Rocks and crystals
(03-26-2019, 01:46 PM)brewerb Wrote:
(03-25-2019, 07:33 PM)pocaracas Wrote: I don't see any stones there, Brewer...

OK, here ya go.

[Image: 805923980626795668.jpg]

Interesting....
What are those?
Reply
#21

Rocks and crystals
Multi-colors Tourmaline crystals from Paprok mine , Afghanistan.

[Image: 54798904_1034312233419755_32347962028557...e=5D489693]
The following 2 users Like pocaracas's post:
  • KittyAnn, Paleophyte
Reply
#22

Rocks and crystals
(03-26-2019, 01:49 PM)pocaracas Wrote:
(03-26-2019, 01:46 PM)brewerb Wrote:
(03-25-2019, 07:33 PM)pocaracas Wrote: I don't see any stones there, Brewer...

OK, here ya go.

[Image: 805923980626795668.jpg]

Interesting....
What are those?

Kidney stones.
Being told you're delusional does not necessarily mean you're mental. 
The following 1 user Likes brewerb's post:
  • KittyAnn
Reply
#23

Rocks and crystals
(03-26-2019, 01:55 PM)brewerb Wrote: Kidney stones.

Dodgy
The following 2 users Like pocaracas's post:
  • brewerb, Fireball
Reply
#24

Rocks and crystals
 Gorgeous Watermelon Tourmaline Slice....its ireally cool

[Image: 597f4d9e66f28.jpg]
Elmyra- i'm gonna hug you and love you and squeeze you into itty bitty pieces...until you die!!!
The following 1 user Likes KittyAnn's post:
  • pocaracas
Reply
#25

Rocks and crystals
...and this Fluorite... amazing

[Image: mineral-08.jpg]
Elmyra- i'm gonna hug you and love you and squeeze you into itty bitty pieces...until you die!!!
The following 2 users Like KittyAnn's post:
  • pocaracas, Paleophyte
Reply




Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)