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[SATXCabs]

A good friend gave me a box with all kinds of scraps and off-cuts, and most of them are pretty easily identifiable. However, I'm having trouble figuring out what two of them are.. The purple/black cab(shown wet-unfinished) grinds black, and feels fairly soft - maybe 4-5 mohs. The green/white/black one looks like it might be variscite or tourmaline. It's definitely harder than the purple cab - comparable to a labradorite when grinding.

Thank you in advance! I spend a lot of time learning about minerals that I cut, and would love to know what I've got here!

[Orrum]

I have no clue but they r vera purty!  Someone will weigh in soon.

[ileney]

Could it be purpurite? Seems a little soft for sugilite so I am guessing here, but I have never cut either of those, so really am just guessing.

The green sure looks like tourmaline in matrix, probably on quartz, to me.

[rocks2dust]

Agree that purpurite seems a good fit. Here are some materials that can look similar: stichtite (Mohs 2), purpurite (Mohs 4), sugilite (Mohs 6)

The green in white could also be emerald in quartz or apatite in quartz (I've seen both of these in white quartz from Brazil).

[SATXCabs]

Thanks for the replies!
 I looked up pictures of stichtite, purpurite, and sugilite, and they all look like good possibilities. Based on the hardness my best guess is purpurite.


Same story with the green cab! Looks like tourmaline, apatite, and emerald are all very good candidates, but I'm leaning towards tourmaline or emerald because of the color and hardness. The apatite that I've worked with has all been  soft, and grinds very quickly compared to tourmaline and emerald.


Thanks so much for the information!

[edgarscale]

sugilite, maybe

[bilquest]

My guess is charoite for the purple, and I've cut some amazonite that had quartz inclusions that look like your green piece.

[irockhound]

I don't think Charoite but agree with the Sugilite.  Lack of the needles and fibrous nature of Charoite but with the gray that is in most non gemmy Sugilite.  Looks like classic Sugilite.

[gemfeller]

I've cut quite a bit of sugilite and it does have that look.  But if it's as soft as stated, it can't be. Sugilite's 6-6.5 Mohs.  It's also a ringer for purpurite, and that's where I'd put my money if this were a bet -- subject to verification of hardness, etc.

[irockhound]

Good catch Rick, I completely forgot about Purpurite, I was basing off of looks alone and thinking about even that, all of the Sugilite I have none of it is quite that banded.

[finegemdesigns]

I think you need to retest MOHs hardness. That purple cab looks like sugilite to me.

[Cabbin Fever]

My guess is charoite for the purple, and I've cut some amazonite that had quartz inclusions that look like your green piece.

In agreement here on the amazonite, very similar to many pieces I have worked with.
That purple stone is off the hook whatever it is! What a show stopper that color is!

[qtz2010]

 The first one is definitely sugilite. the second could be tourmaline.

[southerly]

1st looks like low grade sugilite, the second one possibly beryl in quartz or copper mineralisation in quartz.

[Amethyst Rose]

I would say the first one is sugilite and the second one to be emerald in quartz. 

Bob Johannes
The Amethyst Rose