FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[dragrace7]

Hi All

I am new to all this but have always admired nature, including all the minerals. I would very much appreciate someone's help to possibly identify the attached mineral. The closest I got is a possibility of this being a silicon carbide but not completely sure. I found a few pieces in some very old boxes under a roof of a house I moved into several months ago.
I wonder if this is an actual natural mineral or artificial one (most found online were). The previous owner worked his all life in the mines if that helps (he would have been around 90 years old now).

Appreciate any help!
Thank you all,
Silvia

[Josele]

Hi Silvia, welcome to FMF.

Really looks like anthropogenic silicon carbide.

[Dany Mabillard]

Hello,

could you tell us where the house is situated ?


Dany.

[SteveB]

manufactured silicon carbide is my vote in this form its virtually guaranteed to be man made.

[dragrace7]

Hi Danny

The house is situated in the White Carpathian region of Moravia, Czech Republic. Everything I read about this is that it is more likely artificial. I was interested as the previous owner worked in a mine.

Not sure if this helps any?
Thank you!
Silvia

[Jordi Fabre]

Anthropogenic

[dragrace7]

Thank you Josele for the welcome and your message, I think you are indeed correct here.

[dragrace7]

Agree Steve, thank you. Read more about it, shame as I thought due to the age of the place and previous owner's job I might have been lucky 😅

Nevertheless, it's a lovely colour and will definitely find a place for it.

Thank you!

[Riccardo Modanesi]

Hi to everybody!
Such material is usually sold as "carborundum" or "carborandite", which is silicon carbide whose thermical conductivity is very similar to the diamond. Cut gemstones of this material are on the market, their colour starts from colourless to yellow, green and even black, its name is moissanite (due to Henry Moissan, who discovered the material in a meteorite crater in North America). This material is synthetic, two firms in the USA made and sold the gemstones for the first time at the end of the 1990's, nowadays several firms produce it. The thermal tip (used by jewelers) can't distinguish it from a diamond! For a distinction between these stones we need to use the electrical tip. Nothing dangerous, don't worry!
For any further information about synthetic moissanite, please let me know.
Greetings from Italy by Riccardo.

[dragrace7]

Hello Riccardo

Appreciate your reply and the detailed explanation! I am very new to this, so any extra knowledge is welcomed very much. I thought this would be indeed synthetic but tiny part of me was hoping for a different outcome as it seems to have been out away for a very long time but whoever stashed it in the loft.
It is very sharp, and I tried to scratch a few different materials, very easy to do so. So, though it's not a mineral as such, I will keep it anyway as the colours are beautiful.

Thanks again!
Silvia