Can anyone please identify these Crystals for me?

[SnailedIt]

Found this near the Snake River in Eastern Oregon, just wondering what kind of crystals they are, or are they a gemstone? What is the difference between gemstone and crystal formations. Thank you for your time!

 

 

[Coco]

Is this specimen washed ? It could be many things. An idea of its weight would help : is it heavy for its size ?

 

The white part seems to be silica (quartz, agate...), we see on the left of the first photo an agated area.

 

In my opinion, the crystals are not calcite because there is no fissile plane characteristic of this mineral.

 

@pourquoi pas ?

 

Coco

[Mark Kmiecik]

I don't see any crystals.

[ynot]

Iron oxide on calcite on  agate is the most likely layout.

[Ludwigia]

My thoughts on this align with those of ynot's. One can see clearly in the 2nd photo where 2 crystals are chipped that the inside is clear and that there is a thin oxidized layer on top of them. The crystal structure also points to calcite.

[ynot]

On 5/24/2024 at 2:03 PM, SnailedIt said:

What is the difference between gemstone and crystal formations.

A crystal is a specific alignment of atoms or molecules forming a geometric structure.

A "gemstone" is a crystal or mineral that is used for the manufacture of jewelry.

[Coco]

The white break makes me think more of quartz than calcite. I don’t see the fissile planes of this mineral.

 

A little vinegar on this part will make the difference: if it sparkles it is calcite, if nothing happens it is quartz.

 

Coco

[SnailedIt]

22 hours ago, ynot said:

A crystal is a specific alignment of atoms or molecules forming a geometric structure.

A "gemstone" is a crystal or mineral that is used for the manufacture of jewelry.

Okay, then what is the difference between a mineral and a crystal? I guess I sort of thought that a crystal was a mineral. I do not know much about the things I find, I just know that they are cool and special. 

[SnailedIt]

On 5/25/2024 at 1:01 PM, Mark Kmiecik said:

I don't see any crystals.

Oh

[Ludwigia]

2 hours ago, SnailedIt said:

Okay, then what is the difference between a mineral and a crystal? I guess I sort of thought that a crystal was a mineral. I do not know much about the things I find, I just know that they are cool and special. 

 

I think that you'll find this helpful.

[Ludwigia]

2 hours ago, SnailedIt said:

Oh

I disagree with Mark. I see crystals as I already described above.

[ynot]

4 hours ago, SnailedIt said:

the difference between a mineral and a crystal?

A mineral is one or more elements..

A crystal is a mineral, but a mineral is not necessarily a crystal.

A rock is made of minerals.

Limestone is mostly calcite but is not a calcite crystal..

Agate is quartz but is not a quartz crystal

Edited May 27 by ynot

[Coco]

A crystal is a mineral in its crystallized form. Diamond is the crystallized form of carbon. 

 

A mineral has a determined chemical formula, unlike a rock that is a geological piece that can contain one or more minerals. Granite is a rock composed of three minerals: mica, pheldspath and quartz.

 

Coco

 

Edited May 27 by Coco

[hemipristis]

On 5/26/2024 at 7:06 AM, ynot said:

Iron oxide on calcite on  agate is the most likely layout.

quartz or calcite crystals.  Hard foe me to tell which in this piece

Edited May 28 by hemipristis

[hemipristis]

On 5/27/2024 at 7:28 PM, SnailedIt said:

Okay, then what is the difference between a mineral and a crystal? I guess I sort of thought that a crystal was a mineral. I do not know much about the things I find, I just know that they are cool and special. 

A mineral is a solid substance of reasonably fixed or consistent chemical formulae, which forms in an orderly geometric crystal structure. While sometimes a mineral may be created biogenically (is that a word?), it must be able to be created abiotically (unlike animator vegetable, lol). The crystal structure of a mineral may be so fine that it can only be ascertained by microscope,or it may be visible to the naked eye, but by definition, it is always present.

 

There are various  terms used to describe the resultant crystal that a mineral forms.  If conditions allow for it to grow unimpeded into its "perfect" form, that's "euhedral". (the prefix "eu=" meaning true". Euhedral crystals have all (or nearly so) of their geometric crystal faces present.  Think of a pyrite cube or an elongate quartz crystal with its pointed termination.  "Subhedral" is when a mineral achieves less-than perfect form, with only some crystal faces present, and the geometric shape variably discernible. "Anhedral" is a mineral without its crystal faces or inherent geometric shape discernible/.

 

An important thing to note: whether a mineral is euhedral, subhedral or anhedral, whether or not you can see the crystal faces or shape or not, the mineral is still crystalline at its most basic atomic level.

 

To make a long story short (too late?) the pedestrian definition of the word "crystal" usually pertains to perfect or near-perfect crystals that can be seen or recognized in hand specimen/

Edited May 28 by hemipristis

[ynot]

2 hours ago, hemipristis said:

quartz or calcite crystals.

Blue are terminations inconsistent with quartz that match with calcite.

Red are cleavage planes not conchoidal fractures, matches calcite not quartz.

At least that is what I see here.

Edited May 28 by ynot

[hemipristis]

8 hours ago, ynot said:

Blue are terminations inconsistent with quartz that match with calcite.

Red are cleavage planes not conchoidal fractures, matches calcite not quartz.

At least that is what I see here.

Didn't look that close

 

 

[Ludwigia]

Hello @SnailedIt Are the previous responses helpful to you?