FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Dale Hallmark]

Here is a picture of my piece of lapis. A friend, a captain in the US military picked it up for me while stationed in Afghanistan back in 2012. I would like a larger piece but until that goal come to the fore this will suffice. It has a sprinkle of pyrite in it.
Dale

[Mark Ost]

The lapis is a quite pretty color. One of the nicest things about collecting is often the back story or the history of a region or local that specimens come from. Often the lack of classic faces does not detract from it's personal value, especially for you or the Captain. History is replete with examples of conflicts being fought for mineral resources or a fine tale of how the piece was acquired. Often too, not a small amount of personal risk may be involved in the collection of specimens (my ex wife threatened to kill me multiple times when a package came to the door). There are so many ways to approach this hobby or profession.This makes it quite a rich endeavor.

[Dale Hallmark]

Yeah often the story is more collectible than the sample :-) As often as I can I attempt to get a piece form its most famous locale. I have a small sample of non-precious Opal from Australia. Certainly not worth anything but it is Australian Opal. To me that is interesting. It is another that is open for a bigger sample someday. Often in trades the emails and friendships that develop are the best part. My wife doesn't understand that you can actually be friends with people you never met.
Dale

[Dale Hallmark]

A nice piece of Chrysocolla or so I was told. The distinction between some of the Copper Oxides are not as clear for me as I would like. Need to do a little more study.

About 3 pounds. Chrysocolla has been used as a decorative stone since time began.
Dale

[Dale Hallmark]

Malachite from Africa...one of the Congo's, not sure exactly where.
About 210 g

Pretty green

Dale

[Dale Hallmark]

Here is a small piece of Jet. Actually a form of Lignite. This was purchased in Whitby England and this small piece is all I have.

What is interesting about jet is that it has been used for jewelry and inlay for a long time. The oldest piece of carved jet is believed to be 10 thousand years old. It was very popular in Victorian England as jewelry, carved objects and inlay in jewelry boxes and other stuff.

I am a little reluctant to post such stuff as from looking at the other posts, my samples are pretty poor in comparison.

Dale.

[Dale Hallmark]

Large example of Red Jasper from Arizona USA. Certainly a common mineral but that is what I like. Photo taken in tungston light which imparted more yellow to the image than it has in natural light,

Dale

[Dale Hallmark]

A fairly large white Feldspar. All I know about it is that it came from the North East USA. I don't even know the State. Nice and shiny on the cleavage faces.

Dale

[Dale Hallmark]

Just found out that the Lapis was purchased in Qalat City, Zabul Province Afghanistan. Where it was actually mined is unknown to me.
Dale

[Dale Hallmark]

Catlinite, not really a mineral but a type of argillite (metamorphosed mudstone) (also called pipestone). This rock has a long history in Native American culture. It is used to make sacred ceremonial pipes, calumets and Chanunpa. Native peoples from all around the world have used Argillite pretty much since man began to use tools.

This image was taken with the sample wet to simulate (poorly) the color it would have if finished and polished but I have no intention of carving it. I like it the way it is.

It is quite dense but easy to carve. It comes in a wide range of colors but this one is fairly distinctive for SW Minnesota.

There are plenty other rocks and minerals that often are called pipestone. Soapstone, Steatite and Alabaster were used extensively too.


The two verticle lines in the image are where it has started to dry.
Dale

[Pierre Joubert]

[Jordi Fabre]

The size of https://www.mineral-forum.com/message-board/download.php?id=55378 please?

[Dale Hallmark]

I had the dimensions...wonder how I removed them...

It is 86 x 78 x 32 mm roughly. It is too heavy for my small scale and too light for my large scale but weighs approximately half a kilo.

Dale

[Dale Hallmark]

This came today.

Small Quartz Crystal Cluster from Madagascar. About 103g.

Dale

[Dale Hallmark]

Jade from British Columbia. The closest I can narrow it down is that is from near either Ogden or Kutcho in B.C., Canada. I got it from a store the owners of the mine operate in Juneau. They didn't know which of the two mines it was from.


It is about 120mm by 60mm by 25mm. Pretty good size. I don't have a scale to weigh it but
it is right at a kilo.