i've found a stone in a cave during my trip,help me find out

[akatherolexguy]

hello folks i had found a stone and its roughly around 5kg in weight i found it in a cave during my trip to the middle east

here are afew pictures of the stone
when i put it under the sun i can hardly see inside the front surface not very deep and it's kinda pink or lightish red inside it
i'd appreciate it if you guys tell me what it is , and whether that''s valuable or not , if yes, how much will it be?
thanks in advance

**edited by moderator, no externally hosted pics**
thanks

 

[qubitasaurus]

Re: i've found a stone in a cave during my trip,help me find

You will get more responses if you upload the images directly to the forum (so that they are embedded inside your post).

I am completely clueless about geology, but I am curious as to how the stone ended up such a regular geometric shape, with such smooth faces.

 

[chrono]

Re: i've found a stone in a cave during my trip,help me find

The size, shape, and lines I see in the picture reminds me very strongly of synthetic boule, probably synthetic purple sapphire or synthetic amethyst.

 

[GregS]

Re: i've found a stone in a cave during my trip,help me find

If it is synthetic I wonder what it was doing in a cave?

 

[chrono]

Re: i've found a stone in a cave during my trip,help me find

If it is synthetic I wonder what it was doing in a cave?

Someone cutting pieces of it off and sprinkling it in with some natural rough, then selling it all as a parcel? Who knows.

 

[maccers]

Re: i've found a stone in a cave during my trip,help me find

Reminds me of obsidian (volcanic glass) based on the cleave marks. But I'm not sure if obsidian is ever purple.

 

[PrecisionGem]

Re: i've found a stone in a cave during my trip,help me find

looks like obsidian to me too. Have never seen lab created stone that large, or that shape. Most lab created sapphire and spinel look like a condom, about the same size too.

 

[dk168]

Re: i've found a stone in a cave during my trip,help me find

Looks like the piece of Obsidian in my house too.

DK

 

[chrono]

Re: i've found a stone in a cave during my trip,help me find

I learned something new today: obsidian doesn't just come in black, but some are a dark purple too.

 

[Nsmike]

Re: i've found a stone in a cave during my trip,help me find

Obsidian may come in a purplish color but natural stone doesn't come a rounded square shape with a flat bottom. A boule of lab created gem material easily can.

 

[DAF]

Re: i've found a stone in a cave during my trip,help me find

Reminds me of obsidian (volcanic glass) based on the cleave marks. But I'm not sure if obsidian is ever purple.

+1
Obsidian can show up with the purplish color.

 

[PrecisionGem]

Re: i've found a stone in a cave during my trip,help me find

Obsidian may come in a purplish color but natural stone doesn't come a rounded square shape with a flat bottom. A boule of lab created gem material easily can.

I have seen many lab created boules, but never one that shape or size. Here is a typical spinel boule I have. Sapphire boules are most always split to release the stress in them.
If it was a boule, why would someone put it in a cave? While this lab created boules are not very expensive, one that size would a few hundred dollars.
I really don't think it is a lab created boule.

 

[Nsmike]

Re: i've found a stone in a cave during my trip,help me find

Obsidian may come in a purplish color but natural stone doesn't come a rounded square shape with a flat bottom. A boule of lab created gem material easily can.

I have seen many lab created boules, but never one that shape or size. Here is a typical spinel boule I have. Sapphire boules are most always split to release the stress in them.
If it was a boule, why would someone put it in a cave? While this lab created boules are not very expensive, one that size would a few hundred dollars.
I really don't think it is a lab created boule.

You might want to check out this page http://www.atggems.com/Rough_Alex-Syn.htm it shows a hexagonal pull of synthetic alexandrite. I have also found synthetic topaz where the boule is square.

 

[deskjockey]

Re: i've found a stone in a cave during my trip,help me find

Obsidian may come in a purplish color but natural stone doesn't come a rounded square shape with a flat bottom. A boule of lab created gem material easily can.

I have seen many lab created boules, but never one that shape or size. Here is a typical spinel boule I have. Sapphire boules are most always split to release the stress in them.
If it was a boule, why would someone put it in a cave? While this lab created boules are not very expensive, one that size would a few hundred dollars.
I really don't think it is a lab created boule.

You might want to check out this page http://www.atggems.com/Rough_Alex-Syn.htm it shows a hexagonal pull of synthetic alexandrite. I have also found synthetic topaz where the boule is square.

But that large?

I know nothing about this stuff but seems like if it were anything manmade to simulate a gem it wouldn't be in such a large and unworkable piece.

(that said I'm wondering if it's some kind of waste product glass from manufacture, just from the shape and overall lack of damage/fracture, but I'm as far from an expert as it gets, LOL)

 

[Nsmike]

Re: i've found a stone in a cave during my trip,help me find

Obsidian may come in a purplish color but natural stone doesn't come a rounded square shape with a flat bottom. A boule of lab created gem material easily can.

I have seen many lab created boules, but never one that shape or size. Here is a typical spinel boule I have. Sapphire boules are most always split to release the stress in them.
If it was a boule, why would someone put it in a cave? While this lab created boules are not very expensive, one that size would a few hundred dollars.
I really don't think it is a lab created boule.

You might want to check out this page http://www.atggems.com/Rough_Alex-Syn.htm it shows a hexagonal pull of synthetic alexandrite. I have also found synthetic topaz where the boule is square.

But that large?

I know nothing about this stuff but seems like if it were anything manmade to simulate a gem it wouldn't be in such a large and unworkable piece.

(that said I'm wondering if it's some kind of waste product glass from manufacture, just from the shape and overall lack of damage/fracture, but I'm as far from an expert as it gets, LOL)

Actually lab sapphire boules can be up to 24 inches across. The largest boules are used to make clear panes for instruments. The article I linked to on synthetic alexanderite shows a large boule being held in the hand and is in fact a waste product from producing rods for lasers.

 

[Quantz Studios]

Re: i've found a stone in a cave during my trip,help me find

In my opinion, this looks like glass. Whether obsidian or of industrial origin, I'm willing to bet glass. The side(s) that are being held appear to me to have the appearance and patterning of being worked on a grinding wheel of some sort... Just my opinion.

 

[arkieb1]

Re: i've found a stone in a cave during my trip,help me find

I've seen lab created boules that size at a gemshow here in Australia that were Chinese in origin. That would be my guess too, or it could be a big hunk of obsidian. It's odd it was lying around in a cave.

 

[kenny]

Re: i've found a stone in a cave during my trip,help me find

If it is synthetic I wonder what it was doing in a cave?

Must be one of those synthetic caves.