stichite for the purple? Last one *might* be tourmaline.
The first one is a stumper. Low quality peridot? Serpentine? A good quality photo of a single one would be more helpful than a mass of them. Do they have crystal faces? I really wonder about the color balance of the ones that look more like garnet than anything.
Peridot Garnet Stichtite Tourmaline Or not Peridot is the best guess based on color, crystal form and a few other clues (the white/translucent 'crust' that some Pakistani crystals show). The garnet I'd go with based on the conchoidal fracture, size and red aspect to the purple color. Stichtite based on color and the fact that he has a big pile and doesn't know what it is (other options are all much rarer and more valuable in this color, so usually people who have a pile of rough know what it is--also stichtite is quite common to start with). Tourmaline based on shape and color zoning.
Purpurite checks most of the same boxes so it would probably work too, though most of the material I've seen has been more iridescent looking (though I understand that some samples are less crusty for whatever reason).
I could see low-grade ruby as a possibility for the third picture, but purprite and stichtite both grade into that color range, and I don't think the blocky shape is necessarily reflecting crystal form.
Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2008 4:40 pm Posts: 2667 Location: South Dakota
~Top one is classic Pakistan peridot crystals(specimen-grade). I have had batches just like yours. ~The second looks like Namanga garnet...or they could be that similar reddish colored garnet from the Pak/Afghan dealers in Namak Mandi. ~Not sure on that third pic. I don't know massive cab-grade type stones very well. It reminded me of sugilite, but I don't think that is it. ~The bottom one is hard to guess....I would say a chunk of axinite.
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