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 Post subject: Mysterious gem
PostPosted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 5:58 am 
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Egor have recently cut me from a large rock.
My weight is 19.63 ct, I'm colorless and sparkly!
Who am I? :wink:

Hint 1: you won't find me set in jewelry!

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 Post subject: Re: Mysterious gem
PostPosted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 11:40 am 
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Ok, hint 2: My characteristic Raman peaks are.... :D :D :D
No, no, just kidding, it would a "game over" hint! [-X

Let's say... the last letter in my name is "e" :D

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 Post subject: Re: Mysterious gem
PostPosted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 11:57 am 
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I like games, so I'll take a guess... phenakite?


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 Post subject: Re: Mysterious gem
PostPosted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 12:15 pm 
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Good shot! Phenakite can have very similar appearance due to similar RI (hint 3)
But I'm much softer!... (hint 4) :D

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 Post subject: Re: Mysterious gem
PostPosted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 12:17 pm 
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Halite? But that's a mineral, not a rock. I can't think of any transparent rocks.

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 Post subject: Re: Mysterious gem
PostPosted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 12:28 pm 
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ROM wrote:
Halite? But that's a mineral, not a rock. I can't think of any transparent rocks.


Oh, sorry, of course I'm a mineral... :oops: I've said "rock" because it was a large stone!...
But I'm not halite (see hint 3).

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 Post subject: Re: Mysterious gem
PostPosted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 12:51 pm 
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barite ?

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 Post subject: Re: Mysterious gem
PostPosted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 1:17 pm 
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marcm wrote:
barite ?


Now, that's impossible with you guys, I had so many good hints prepared and you've already got it! :( :) :)

Ok Marc, the big prize is for you!

Image

That baryte comes from Spain, BTW!

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Last edited by Egor Gavrilenko on Sun Sep 23, 2012 1:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: Mysterious gem
PostPosted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 1:25 pm 
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Thank you Egor ! :smt116

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 Post subject: Re: Mysterious gem
PostPosted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 2:55 pm 
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The stone is so cool, I took the liberty of adding a Barite page to the Gemology Project.
Please feel free to add some more information to it.....
http://www.gemologyproject.com/wiki/ind ... tle=Barite


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 Post subject: Re: Mysterious gem
PostPosted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 4:58 pm 
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Oh, thank you Barbra! :smt042
It's a honor for me and for the stone!

Now, regarding the description as "rarely used in jewelry because of it's relative softness...", I would be more categorical. Hardness 3-3-5 is VERY low for faceted stone + perfect cleavage...
It's very tricky for faceting and unthinkable for jewelry, I'd say... Only collection gem.

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 Post subject: Re: Mysterious gem
PostPosted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 5:03 pm 
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Also, curious fact about its name that comes from its VERY high specific gravity...
It was one of my unused hints... :evil:

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 Post subject: Re: Mysterious gem
PostPosted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 6:26 pm 
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Page updated:
http://www.gemologyproject.com/wiki/ind ... tle=Barite


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 Post subject: Re: Mysterious gem
PostPosted: Mon Sep 24, 2012 12:08 pm 
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Nice one. How did you polish it? =D>

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 Post subject: Re: Mysterious gem
PostPosted: Mon Sep 24, 2012 4:08 pm 
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Sorry Marco, I can't tell!.. :oops:
It's the same super secret method that I use for sphalerites... :roll:

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