FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Patti3435]

Hello. You all helped me earlier this month with an agate stone I got in a box lot at auction. I am hoping that maybe some of these items can be identified for me? Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge.

[Les Presmyk]

The first photo is either a calcite or a colemanite but most likely calcite. The second has an agate on the left and a thunderegg slice on the right. The third photo is elbaite. The 4th photo also looks like calcite. In the group shot, the only other one I am going to try to identify is the rhodonite in the left front. This is the pink and black specimen.

[Patti3435]

Wow, that was quick. Thanks so much!

[Jordi Fabre]

I think that the function of this Forum isn't promote people buy cheap stuff in auctions without labels, nor identification, nothing... with the safety that experts here will identify later the merchandise.

FMF's members, what is your oppinion? we should help everybody, as Les gently did, or better tell people that is the seller of the merchandise who should do this function?

Jordi

[Antonio Alcaide]

I strongly agree with Jordi. One thing is to ask for help here in orden to identify old stuff, a gift o whatever you find and other very different thing is to use the kindness of the experts and collectors of this site to do the bad dealers' job.

I admit buying minerals in internet from all over the world, but, if I may give some advice to Patt... and whoever in his position, the cheaper purchase is hardly ever the better one. Find the best dealers in the net, trust only in them and your collection and your pocket will benefit.

Best regards

[Debbie Woolf]

[Carles Millan]

[Patti3435]

Hello. Thank you for your opinions. I would like to address what you have all said. To be completely honest, I buy at auctions and then sell online at auction sites such as eBay. Rocks and minerals are not something I usually purchase, but when I see a box full of beautiful, glittering items and then win the whole box for $10.00, I am very happy. Firstly, I just love looking at specimens because they are nature at its best, and secondly, I know I can make a profit, or rather a living, as this is what I do fulltime. When someone on this board takes the time to identify something, it increases my profit AND makes the collector who is seeking this kind of specimen happy. I see it as a win/win situation with me making some money while also gaining knowledge from your years of experience. Some might disagree with me, but I thank you for honesty and again, thank those who enjoy sharing their knowledge. And by the way, since finding this board earlier this month, I now have this site bookmarked on my computer. I love to visit on a daily basis just to see things and learn about this fascinating subject that I never would have been exposed to if hadn't bought that $10.00 "Box of rocks" as they called it in the auction catalog!

[simonoff]

As you know, probably better than I, many minerals look alike, even when you hold them in your hand. So, I would just want to point out that identifying minerals from an amateur photograph without locality, physical information (hardness, luster, etc.), and/or a 3-dimensional view of all sides of any crystals that may be present will often be guesswork . While we may see something where the identity can be proclaimed with some confidence, I think those will be the exceptions and not the rule.

Bob

[Luiz Menezes]

Hello Patti:

The piece of the photo geod 066 is elbaite (like pointed-out by Les Presmyk) but I would like to add that it looks that the blue phase is cuprian-elbaite ("Paraíba tourmaline") and the pink part is regular elbaite ("rubelite"), and it came from Alto dos Quintos mine, Parelhas, Rio Grande do Norte state, Brazil.

Luiz Menezes

[GneissWare]

[gemlover]

Specifically to the question of identification. I don't mind someone asking if we can identify this specimen and supplying a picture. However, I don't think this should be related to a commercial activity. Also, there must be an understood caveat that identification without actually testing of the sample is just a good guess. Yes the picture may look just like something that has been seen in the past, and the name given may be correct, but without actually testing the sample for physical, chemical and optical properties, actually identification should be considered to be a good guess.

John

[Patti3435]

Luiz, thank you for the further information on my piece. I do enjoy learning about these specimens and enjoy doing further research once I know what someone believes it to be.

Bob & John, I do understand what you are saying and let me at least tell that I will be prefacing my auction ads with this wording:

"I was recently at the estate auction of a couple from a Manhattan brownstone who traveled the world. I bought a couple of interesting lots, including a lot of crystal and rock specimens (see last photo). I turned to a rock and mineral forum for identification from experts through photographs. While they have generously shared their knowledge with me they have also advised that identification through photos only, and without actual testing of the specimen is an educated guess only. I will also state that I have a "No questions asked" return policy and if for any reason you are unhappy with your purchase, I will gladly refund your entire purchase price including shipping both ways."

I hope that eases any doubts someone might have about answering my questions for fear that I am an unscrupulous seller. My name on ebay is "GreenGoldFish" and if you have a second to look, you will see I have a stellar reputation for honesty.

Thanks again everyone for all your help and thoughts on this subject.

[John S. White]

I find myself more than a bit uncomfortable with this situation. Patti has clearly indicated that she is buying this stuff with the intention of selling it, so we are just helping her to make it more marketable. I don't think we should be doing this. If she bought this lot because she wanted to keep it, then that would be different. I totally agree with gemlover, we should not be supporting a commercial activity. I strongly disagree with my good friend Luiz , the bicolor of the tourmaline does not suggest cuprian tourmaline, or Paraiba.

[Patti3435]

I'm sorry John but I fail to see where you (or anyone on this board) helping me causes any harm to anyone. My specialty is glass. I frequent a glass message board on the Internet where I identify glass objects when I can for whomever asks. It makes no difference to me whether it is their grandmother's depression glass that they inherited and intend to keep, or a Tiffany lamp that they want to make sure is Tiffany before selling it to a dealer. I do not understand your argument for not wanting to help me because I may profit from the information your members may share with me. I would see the point if I were selling illegal objects, or purposely trying to deceive people, but not wanting to help me identify objects that I do not specialize in or have knowledge of is illogical. No reputations are on the line, I do not quote anyone so I can see no reason for not wanting to help. If it makes you feel I am more worthy in any way, I am the single mother of 3 with 2 in college whose husband passed away of cancer in 2003. This is how I support my family and I go through painstaking lengths to make sure that the items I sell have an accurate and truthful description with them. Please tell me your side of the argument because I am dumbfounded.