So it turns out the rock was aventurine! It passed the same hardness and streak tests that quartz does (technically it’s a bit softer because aventurine is stone whereas quartz is a mineral), and the fact that there is also quartz in the same structure as the rest of the mineral serves to confirm it.
Fun fact- like amethyst, aventurine is really just fancy quartz, but for different reasons than amethyst. While amethyst gets its color from radiation (which I’ve always thought was super interesting) aventurine gets its blue color from small inclusions of other minerals in a plate-like configuration. Also, as I mentioned, despite being quartz overall, aventurine is counted as a rock instead of a mineral due to the platy inclusions.
It isn’t really too valuable. Just blue. Still cool in my book.
I am a fellow geology enthusiast and mineral/rock collector. I’ve personally collected everything to the right of the large piece of bark at left center.
My son collects rocks. I’ve never cared as much but I have no intention to stop him. heck I collect yo-yos which are just refined rocks on string if you think about it.
Nice! I really like the (what i think is) labradorite (judging by looks alone. It also looks like it could be sodalite given how the two look similar) near the massive stone on the right.
I don’t know how young your son is but he already seems to be better at collecting rocks than my coworkers. Though I appreciate them being thoughtful and such you have no idea how many times i have been brought pieces of concrete and glass because people think they’re minerals or rocks. Which they are, I suppose, but only in the same sense that yoyos are refined minerals.
While there is both labradorite and Sodalite on the shelf, I believe what you are looking at is a large clear quartz covered in iridescent hematite collected at Graves Mtn here in GA.
I have learned over the last 20ish years of Adulthood; Its not what you do, it is how you do it.
“With age comes wisdom.” While I dont think I have gotten smarter with age. I have learned not to do stupid stuff. This is usually learned the hard way. “Shouldnt do that again.”
I cant do what I physically could do 20 years ago. But I can still participate in a different capacity.
Archery was mentioned; I love Archery, but Im not pulling a 80 pound bow any more. 28 pound pull for all day fun.
Paintball; Not running to the 50 yard line off the break anymore. More opportunistic predator now.
Snow Boarding; No longer bombing Mountains, Slope surfing now.
You can still enjoy your passions, just in different capacities.
That second rock looks like a sedimentary stone. If it were a fossil it would typically look more imprinted into the rock around it or be more distinct.
Was thinking more-less the same ,
and working lately on my cognitive biais ,
I found out that in fact , there could be even much more skills or sports /activities that we could master much better and in a larger number than “young adults”.
Just drill any new stuff , and you can become “expert” & have great pleasure at the same time for an infinite number of other sport/activities etc…
Brain is elastic, although we loose neurons with age , connections can rise exponentially.
Also , all aspects of the physical body (food, exercice , breathing , avoiding bad stuff) can rejuvenate your body by 50%.
Example for me the last 2 days , years not playing ball games.Bad legs.
It has been just a week that I shoot on a foam balloon with a nest, attached to a door handle, down my building (so ball won’t’ go on the road)
Today people stopped to see me because I was mastering kicks without letting the ball touch the floor……
at this point we need to have a rock collection thread, here’s my collection! forgot to label them so i don’t forget, but the desert rose and black tourmaline is my favorite
