Tag: minerals

July 29, 2014 at 11:36 am

This is a Cut and Polished Chinga Meteorite

This is a Cut and Polished Chinga Meteorite

Seen here is a 773 gram polished Chinga meteorite. The quarter-cut specimen was found in Turvinskaya, Russia and has been cut and polished on two sides. The rest of the meteorite retains its natural light brown crust, creating a dramatic contrast. This particular specimen, which was offered by Arizona Skies Meteorites has been sold,…

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April 8, 2014 at 12:27 pm

This is the Most Interesting Mineral You Will See Today

This is the Most Interesting Mineral You Will See Today

Photograph via THE ARKENSTONE/IROCKS.COM Rob Lavinsky of The Arkenstone (www.irocks.com) brought this fascinating mineral to market, selling it to a buyer for $5,000. The specimen, which Lavinsky describes as Chalcedony on Chrysocolla stalactites (pocket), measures 9 x 7 x 6 cm. It was originally obtained by Frank Valenzuela back in the 1960s from the…

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October 15, 2013 at 6:39 pm

Picture of the Day: Sunset Fire Opal

Picture of the Day: Sunset Fire Opal

SUNSET FIRE OPAL Photograph by Jeff Schultz | gemstoneJEFF on Flickr In this beautiful close up by gemstone hobbyist Jeff Schultz, we see a stunning Mexican fire opal. When illuminated just right, it looks like a sunset above the clouds. According to Wikipedia, fire opals are transparent to translucent opals with warm…

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September 12, 2013 at 12:55 pm

Finding the Ocean Inside an Opal

Finding the Ocean Inside an Opal

Opal is a hydrated amorphous form of silica. Its water content may range from 3% to 21% by weight, but is usually between 6% to 10%. Because of its amorphous character it is classed as a mineraloid, unlike the other crystalline forms of silica which are classed as minerals. It is deposited at a…

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