Post subject: identifying tumbled stones from south africa
Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2020 12:47 pm
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hello there! i’m new to this forum, so apologies if this is in the wrong section. this is my collection of unidentified tumbled stones. i collected these in south africa in 2007 when i visited with my family. some of these i recognize (rose quartz, amethyst, tiger’s eye), but i really wanted to be sure so i included all of them. i can potentially add more detailed photos if that’s helpful. thank you for your help, a very baby witch.
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Post subject: Re: identifying tumbled stones from south africa
Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2020 11:32 pm
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Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2020 6:25 am Posts: 2
@glhays - I don't remember exactly because of how long ago it was, but I remember going to a place (a mine?) and there was an area where you could fill up a pouch with as many stones as you could for a flat rate. On the wall there was a chart identifying each stone, but I obviously don't remember the identifications anymore. @Barbra Voltaire, FGG - thank you so much! I'll definitely search up the properties of those to see if there's like a hardness test I can perform at home.
Post subject: Re: identifying tumbled stones from south africa
Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2020 2:45 pm
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Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2016 7:58 pm Posts: 1424 Location: San Marcos, CA
I agree does look like Adventurine at least the three, I would like to know if this was just some purchased tumbled stones in a gift shop somewhere while on vacation or rocks collected and then tumbled. Some look like sections of Botswana agate, but that's hard to say as it could be agates from almost anywhere. The two pieces that catch my eye are the white to colorless chatoyant pieces one just below your (tz) in your label rose quartz and the one in the top center. But generally it just looks like common tumbled agates, quartz, picture jaspers, red jaspers, and just some rocks.
Post subject: Re: identifying tumbled stones from south africa
Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2020 5:47 pm
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Joined: Thu May 12, 2016 2:18 am Posts: 1542
Looks like the majority are some variety of Chalcedony.
They are not in their natural form, all tumbled.
Makes no difference whether they were bought at some sort of gift shop, or found at a fee dig. If at a fee dig, then they were salted so tourists would feel like they found something.
Post subject: Re: identifying tumbled stones from south africa
Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2020 6:05 pm
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Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2016 7:58 pm Posts: 1424 Location: San Marcos, CA
Yes my point was exactly that. Collected verses purchased. Collected assumes all the materials are of the continent of Africa, as I collected them in Africa so they are materials from there. Where I purchased these tumbled at a (mine?), gift store or where ever. These can be from many continents and just sold as. In any case it doesn't really matter they are what they are just common tumbled rocks and gems. Yes of very little value.
Post subject: Re: identifying tumbled stones from south africa
Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2020 8:35 pm
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Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:22 pm Posts: 21602 Location: San Francisco
With all due respect, if I had a bag of tumbled stones from a holiday in Tanzania, Kenya, Russia, their intrinsic value would not be my concern. I would like them to be identified.
Are the stones indigenous to South Africa? Possibly, perhaps probably, and wouldn't that be a grand souvenir from the visit.
Post subject: Re: identifying tumbled stones from south africa
Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2020 10:34 pm
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Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2016 7:58 pm Posts: 1424 Location: San Marcos, CA
I thought the point was to identify not value as gems, so knowing where there actual origin would be important in identifying. Tigereye is also found in Australia. My question of origin has nothing to do with value in a monetary or sentiment sense.
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