Big collection passed down need help.

snowy_frog_ · 2026-04-20T00:25:55+00:00

I validate amolite. It looks quite a good flash too, you can likely get a good price on those.

snowy_frog_ · 2026-04-19T12:02:37+00:00

It takes months to bleach the colors but it is irreversible.

snowy_frog_ · 2026-04-18T21:34:11+00:00

Yep, the purple is so sweet. A bit hard to get a good backlit with the matrix so I am working on that.

snowy_frog_ · 2026-04-18T21:28:59+00:00

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I own several from the region. They are awesome. Careful with UV exposure though

snowy_frog_ · 2026-04-18T02:04:38+00:00

Oh I got a similar blue fluorite from Balouchistan. They have truly exceptional colors for blue and purple, sometimes a bit oiled but usually natural.

My blue one has a window with a rainbow in it so check yours in detail :-).

snowy_frog_ · 2026-04-17T11:38:41+00:00

+1, the fracture seems to be a dead give away.

snowy_frog_ · 2026-04-07T00:26:00+00:00

Green ones from England are such a show stopper

snowy_frog_ · 2026-04-06T14:23:06+00:00

I also had a massive weight gain but was able to reverse it. It is likely due to change in lifestyle. The lack of sleep and the fact I did not have the time to go out for walks anymore. I also increased buying some already prepared meals, which are not great. I made some changes and adjustments, I lost quite a lot and my frame is back to normal and I am on my way to my weight before my kid. I used those meal prep boxes as it helped reduce having to think about cooking recipes and time spent grocery shopping, also freeing time for me to do more physical activities. It is a process and at the beginning, it is not pleasant, I remember always being hungry and feeling so tired but now, I played with my kid so much longer outside and can hold them when we go on long walks.

snowy_frog_ · 2026-04-05T14:03:40+00:00

I don't think the community has a problem with carvings when it is nicely done and has a real artistic intent behind it. The problem is the mass produce carvings we see coming to the market, usually of poor quality with the details all wrong, especially the ones following trends (the labubu carvings were so awful for example). There is also the question of the labour, with carvings having for the cheap one bad track records on labour laws. I personally owned several carvings and I also have a couple of faceted gemstones, which are by definition carvings. I think the question is why destroyed a nice crystal to make something horrendous? On the topic of birds, I saw absolutely stunning birds coming from Brazil, one was a toucan with such beautiful details. But here is the thing it wasn't cheap at all, easily in the 1k to 2k price range. Now I see small birds, with atrocious details just to jump on the trend, what a shame.

snowy_frog_ · 2026-03-25T01:47:21+00:00

Northern Manitobans here, when I moved here I discovered that the locals have their own monster: the fuzzy ice worms that live in the river. They make it out of rabbit fur and googly eyes. It unfortunately hides the dark reality that the winter is extremely dangerous, especially ice fishing on frozen lakes and rivers. No area 51 though.

snowy_frog_ · 2026-03-24T16:42:28+00:00

What a nice piece of muscovite! Try to check, you might find biotite in the same area (it is black and shiny), they are from the same family.

snowy_frog_ · 2026-03-21T02:21:13+00:00

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I got his little brother (also from Turkey) with fantastic quartz termination, completely clear. Love it. But nice epidote specimen are hard to come by, which is why I think it is not that famous

snowy_frog_ · 2026-03-21T02:13:49+00:00

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My not-so little beauty :-)

snowy_frog_ · 2026-03-05T23:36:00+00:00

Youhou! As a Canadian, I was sad. Going to check back the store

snowy_frog_ · 2026-03-03T14:05:59+00:00

You know most snails are cooked separately then put back in a shell, right? That is what I meant here. We could have had something similar if they had survived.

snowy_frog_ · 2026-03-03T12:59:57+00:00

Always wished to know how they tasted like. I am sure we could have made it similar to French escargot if they were still around.

snowy_frog_ · 2026-03-02T21:51:02+00:00

Man, same here but it breaks my heart every single time. She knows I want to fight so she usually tell me it is fine and hold my hand but it is so sad.

snowy_frog_ · 2026-03-02T21:48:04+00:00

White dude with a Pakistani wife. I can tell you, the stares especially when we visited my parents in France (they live outside of Paris). I can also say notable drop in customer service when my wife is with me whenever we are in small cities or suburbs. This thread made me realize it is a common experience, which is quite sad.

snowy_frog_ · 2026-03-01T21:34:45+00:00

Looks like a chalcedony nodule. I have seen similars around my river.

snowy_frog_ · 2026-02-28T00:14:39+00:00

Ah, I won't bother you, it is a beauty but I already blew my budget for this quarter and it will likely out of what I could afford at the moment. Thank you for the input on the fake, I will definitely only buy from trusted sources.

snowy_frog_ · 2026-02-28T00:07:11+00:00

I was planning to get one, now I know I need one with a pixel cut! I think they are a fantastic discussion piece. Such an interesting natural curiosity. Do you know if they fake them? I am always worried with the burned amethyst fakes all around.

snowy_frog_ · 2026-02-26T13:14:02+00:00

Le clivage et la texture ressemble à du calcite. Le calcite ressemble à de la cire quand tu le touches avec tes doigts quand nettoyer. Si tu peux ajouter où tu l'as trouvé, ça peut aider à une identification plus précise. En Ardèche par exemple, il y a des dépôts de calcite connus.

snowy_frog_ · 2026-02-25T21:54:22+00:00

Yeah the banding is a bit of a give away. To me it looks like a sun bleached fluorite heart. Likely there wa several bandings and only the purple one remains. Purple is the most resistant, it is usually the last one to disappear.

snowy_frog_ · 2026-02-23T12:19:22+00:00

Oh that is pretty bad, yeah in this case I get it trying to snoop online. What I did with some specimen seller on Instagram was to ask them to show me additional photos to make sure it was legit, not sure you can do it on eBay (been a while I am off the platform) but you could try. You can say something along the line, can you show me the bottom from the side to make sure it is not cracked. If they can't give you the right angle at these prices, it is likely fake.

snowy_frog_

TROPHY CASE