Can these be identified?

[Kjmm6570]

Hi all,
I have a few nice rocks found over the last couple of weeks. I have no idea what they are, especially the pebble looking one but the all show great colour. Is anyone able to help?

Thanks
Kev

 

[Pete_The_Prospector]

There quartz crystals there. This may sound weird but do any of them float

 

[Kjmm6570]

Thanks Pete, no none do. They all share a level of yellowness...if that's a word and the lighter ones are very clear

 

[Pete_The_Prospector]

The reason I asked if any of them float is thought the darker ones may have been amber. May be garnets. Where did they come from?

 

[Pr2cv]

Is there any amber in Australia ?
I was under the impression nearly all was from Scandinavia
Pete

 

[headbut]

According to this, there is now !!

http://www.australian-amber.com.au/

 

[Pete_The_Prospector]

I have found amber on stockton beach so I'm guessing it floated in from somewhere

 

[HeadsUp]

Is there any amber in Australia ?
I was under the impression nearly all was from Scandinavia
Pete

i have very old pieces that came from South America and NZ

but there is also stuff that looks like amber coming from China these days

some of the fake stuff looks like this

 

[Twapster]

3 of the pieces looked like amber, my grandma used to pick amber up on the beach in Latvia like it was junk. She chucked them like you throw pebbles across a lake. My Mums collection is getting more expensive every day! Having said that Amber feels a bit plastic. What do these feel like?

 

[Kjmm6570]

I don't think its amber, all of the samples were pulled from the creek at Hanging Rock at Nundle and all were approx 600mm below the surface. The three darker ones are very pitted and the lighter ones are very glassy. I have read online somewhere that spoke about how sapphires are sometimes formed with the exterior surface pitted due to an element that "explodes" due to the very high temps as the sapphires are transported along the lava tubes
Being very new to this, I am unsure what constitutes a "crystal" as opposed to a gem. The glassy ones are very rectangular rather than hexagonal. I have attached some more pics that hopefully make it clearer

Cheers

Kev

 

[headbut]

Hi Kev , they could be clear sapphires , or topaz maybe , need Wal to see, as he will know for sure

Cheers Paul

 

[WalnLiz]

The yellow ones are most likely poor quality citrines....yellow or yellow to brown Quartz. The clear ones that you're holding up are showing the distinct cleavage of Topaz....Topaz always splits at right angles to it's axis. If i was a betting man I'd put most of my money on "Topaz".

100% not amber, and 200% not sapphire.

Cheers Wal.

 

[Kjmm6570]

Thanks guys appreciate the help

Kev

 

[Jacko]

I would say the long piece is definitely a clear quartz, one end is usually pointed and the other ragged from when it was separated from the cluster. Alternatively, crystals are used for healing, different colours for different reasons and there are some good books, eg The Crystal Bible with pictures and uses for heaps.

I found a small amethist quartz geode at Nundle when we went with the group, (like a rock opened up with crystals inside), only the size of a 5c though and mislaid it so will be looking there again next time for others.