Yes, Fred, the beads I have look pretty much like your picture at
http://www.ganoksin.com/ftp/ebay-blue-quartz.jpg
–Noel
Blue quartz is not topaz. Check any gemology site. Quartz, amethyst
or citrine, etc., is SiO2, trace elements are the difference in
color etc. Topaz is Al2 SiO4 (F,OH)2 + Cr, as anyone can see,
totally different, cuts different, different hardness and other
properties. Also see IGS reference library for Chalcedony, it
answers some other questions for quartz materials.
Blue quartz occurs naturally, much is dyed, what is very rare, and
then only in small pieces is faceting grade. This last has a name,
not sure and won’t bother looking it up, but have see reference to
it in a reprint from the library of a book published (originally)
early last century.
I got lots of blue chalcedony, It’s called ‘Ellensburg blue’ some
time calcite invades causing it to have the appearance of banded
agate. It also changes hue intensity according to body temperature
and moisture. when orientated properly it is a beautiful stone.
Ringman
HOLLY ‘BLUE’ is actually purple, the lower grades have some blue
that others have tried to sell as Ellensburg blue but the iron ion
number 3 always shows somewhere.
Ringman
Yes I was being sarcastic, 30 years in the biz, not that uninformed
Ringman
Actually I guess I was just confusing amethyst with topaz in my head
made a mistake don’t have a heart attack lol brain injuries give new
delights every day one of them being scrambled memory. Quartz amethyst
citrine onyx agates chalcedonies got it lol
America’s Only cameo Artist
www.cameoartist.com
Here is a quick snapshot of blue quartz. It was labeled by my
“rockhound” father as “blue quartz from Nevada”. I cut this stone
from that slab, so I know it is not dyed, that is, unless a dye can
survive the whole cutting/polishing process. The opaque color is a
milky gray-blue. At first glance, it appears more like enameled
ceramic than like any other stone. Others have said that it simply
is chalcedony.
For the picture, click here: Error 404 - Not found
Nancy
This rough looks a lot like some stuff that was being peddled as
“aztec lace lapis” or some such at the Quartzsite Pow Wow a couple
of years back. It was low grade lapis, about three steps down the
food chain from denim lapis, and was more white than blue. If this
is what your beads are, Noel, then I suspect that the white would be
calcite rather than quartz.
Lee Einer
Dos Manos Jewelry
http://www.dosmanosjewelry.com
HOLLY 'BLUE' is actually purple, the lower grades have some blue that others have tried to sell as Ellensburg blue but the iron ion number 3 always shows somewhere.
How about the ‘siberian’ deep blue material. Anyone? Dyed?
Yes, Fred, the beads I have look pretty much like your picture at http://www.ganoksin.com/ftp/ebay-blue-quartz.jpg
Lapis that has a greater amount of calcite in the mix is considered
a poorer grade. Some of this has been marketed as “denim lapis”. The
rock in the photo might be lapis with a great deal of calcite. It
appears to be wet so it’s difficult to tell if there are flecks of
pyrite which are usually present in lapis.
Nancy’s image Error 404 - Not found looks like
sodalite to me.
I’m not an expert but neither lapis or sodalite is quartz.
Pam Chott
www.songofthephoenix.com
It was labeled by my "rockhound" father as "blue quartz from Nevada". I cut this stone from that slab
Wow! What a blue it is! Gorgeous! Is there more of this around,
or was it a one-spot find?
HOLLY 'BLUE' is actually purple, the lower grades have some blue that others have tried to sell as Ellensburg blue but the iron ion number 3 always shows somewhere.
Not only that but it’s HOLLEY, not Holly, named for Holley, Oregon.
And in my opinion it should be called just Holley agate or Holley
chalcedony since it is in fact lavender, not blue.
Beth
Hi Nancy,
For the picture, click here: http://www.psi-design.com/bquartz.jpg
This looks very much like dumortierite, which I have used for years
in jewelry. Dumortierite is a silicate but not a quartz. However
it can be found in combination with quartz: " A variety of quartz
called dumortierite quartz is massive quartz colored blue by
included crystals of dumortierite." Source:
http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/silicate/dumortie/dumortie.htm.
(Don’t go by the image on this page which is very poor.) Perhaps
some of what I have been used to call dumortierite is actually
dumortierite quartz.
Beth
Margaret
HOLLY 'BLUE' is actually purple, the lower grades have some blue that others have tried to sell as Ellensburg blue but the iron ion number 3 always shows somewhere.
How about the ‘siberian’ deep blue material. Anyone? Dyed?
It was labeled by my "rockhound" father as "blue quartz from Nevada". http://www.psi-design.com/bquartz.jpg
Nancy,
My husband and I think that the slab you have is most likely blue
Dumortierite. The stuff we’ve collected here in Nevada is a bit
darker and has pyrite flecks in it but the slab you have looks like
it fits the general description. It could also be a blue gray quartz
that is found at Carrara just 7 miles south of Beatty, Nevada. Any
rockhounds wanting a trip to search for this quartz can find a
reference and map in “Rockhounding Nevada” by William Kappele.
For anyone who wants some great, dark Dumortierite with pyrite
flecks - I’ve got about 300 pounds. Just email me.
Best Regards,
Nancy Stinnett
Geosoul Arts
www.geosoul.com
nancy@geosoul.com
Tas, you asked if there is more of this around. My father was a
lapidary for over 40 years, and in the latter years, mostly
interested in faceting. As time went by, he only held on to rocks
that were unusual, he tested everything, and was very particular
about rock identification. In fact I think he was almost more
interested in studying rocks than in cutting. I believe he picked
up the blue quartz either at a rock shop, perhaps in Nevada, or at
one of the Tucson shows. He lived in Arizona and stopped at every
rock shop in any town from Arizona to Colorado to Nevada to
California, so it could have been any place. I inherited all of his
lapidary/faceting equipment and stones. The blue quartz is one of
only two small slabs in one small box of labeled rock slabs. He cut
one cabochon from this quartz, but I didn’t recognize it until I cut
one because the slab looks darker (I put some Cristallube on the
slab in the photo) and shows some slight color banding but the final
cut stone is quite even in a medium blue color. That’s all I know
about it, sorry I don’t know more.
Nancy
Tas, you asked if there is more of this around.
Thanks for the info, Nancy, and for the story. My husband is that
kind of rockhound - a shop within 100 miles is “near enough to stop
by”. And he can tell you the source, stratigraphy, and land
ownership of every chunk he has. We met more than 3 decades ago in
the back lab at the geology department of UNH, where we were both
lab assistants. Thank goodness we don’t both collect so avidly.
I am curious to know what dyed gemstones you have placed in cold water and seen the dye?
A great deal of rose quartz is enhanced this way. I wash and bleach
all of the material I use in order to get to a sound, non- fugitive
material. Sometimes I end up with plain old white quartz!
I am curious to know what dyed gemstones you have placed in cold water and seen the dye?
I have had garnets run. They wound up a good bit paler than they
were when first put under the water!
Beth,
I am definitely curious where you purchased Garnets from that had
the color run in cold water. I would definitely run from that
dealer.
First off Garnets are one of the Gemstones that are hardly ever if
ever treated. Secondly dyes are generally used on opaque Gemstones
unless an unscrupulous dealer adds dye to the oil that is used to
treat Emeralds. This is a NO NO.
As a jeweler and Gemologist with over 30 years experience I have
handled tens of thousands of pieces of jewelry over the years and I
have never had a single piece loose color by placing it in cold
water.
I have seen this discussion go on for several weeks now and I would
love to hear from any one that has experienced this problem and what
kind of Gemstone it was.
Greg DeMark
email: greg@demarkjewelry.com
Website: www.demarkjewelry.com
Link Exchanges Welcomed