Identifying Dark Brown Quartz: Smoky Quartz vs. Other Minerals
Question
Dark Brown Quartz-like
Is this some form of smoky quartz. It is much darker than my other smokey quartz but it is definately dark brown. It is transparent and looks like quartz to me. I did a scratch test on a white coffee mug and nothing showed up. My friend suggested it is obsidian but my obsidian samples are much more glossy and look like lava and not transparent. This does not look like lava, more like quartz. I found it hiking. Steven Covey thought is was chert but it definately is not chert. Here is image. I have other images.
AnswerHI JOHN,
IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE QUARTZ AS WELL. REALLY WOULD NEED TO DO SOME OTHER TESTS TO CONFIRM IT. QUARTZ COMES IN ALMOST EVERY COLOR DUE TO DIFFERENT CHEMICAL IMPURITIES IN THE MIX WHEN THE CRYSTALS FORMS. THE STONE DOES SEEMS TO HAVE A CRYSTAL STRUCTURE SO IT COULD NOT BE OBSIDIAN WHICH IS NATURAL GLASS AND NOT CRYSTALINE. QUARTZ IS HARDER THAN GLASS AND WILL SCRATCH IT. THANKS
PETER
