@Moonshake Hi ~ I haven’t seen spheres like this before in turquoise. In my turquoise jewelry, the quartz inclusions are a natural, irregular shape. TBH, I don’t know if that’s quartz in your turquoise or not. Hopefully, others will chime in with some solid info about this.
AI search says this :-
No, quartz does not typically form in spheres within turquoise; instead, turquoise often forms around or within existing quartz matrix, which can consist of prismatic shards, druzy crystals,or other non-spherical formations. While clear quartz can exist as well-formed spheres, this combination is rare when it forms in conjunction with turquoise, which itself tends to crystallize in a triclinic structure rather than as spheres.
Quartz Formation & Habits
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Common Habits:
Quartz forms in various shapes and habits depending on its environment, with prismatic, crystalline, or blocky formations being common.
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Spheres are Rare:
Spherical quartz is a less common habit, especially in combination with turquoise.
Turquoise and Quartz Interaction
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Matrix Formations:
Turquoise, a brittle copper oxide, often forms as veins or masses within other minerals, including quartz.
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Strengthening Properties:
The presence of a quartz matrix can strengthen the structure of the typically fragile turquoise.
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Intrusive/Extrusive:
Quartz can also be found as a component of the host rock, such as porphyritic quartz monzodiorite,where turquoise may form within its voids or cracks.
They look like a crystalline glaze I typically see on Japanese porcelains. There are minerals that form radial crystals but I’m not aware of any associated with turquoise. A good research project for you. Calcium carbonate forms radial crystals but not associated with the formation of turquoise as turquoise is a phosphate.
Example:
I have a piece of turquoise with quartz like matrix that I believe to be from Afghanistan, it has no spheres
Yeah i have lots of turquoise with quartz, but I’ve just never seen radial crystals like this.
So yeah I’ll do some more research but first off this is a lil more info/speculation from ChatGPT:
1. What You’re Seeing (Formation)
The round, glassy inclusions inside the turquoise are quartz crystals (silica spheres or drusy cross-sections). Normally, quartz and turquoise form in association but not often in such discrete, circular crystal sections. These appear to be cross-sections of quartz-filled vugs or spherulitic crystal growths that later became engulfed by turquoise as it precipitated in fractures or voids. Essentially, the turquoise formed around earlier quartz crystallization, leaving these almost “polished window” inclusions when cut.
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The perfectly round outlines suggest botryoidal or radial quartz growths.
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The darker speckling is likely iron oxide or pyrite flecks, another common associate in turquoise veins.
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The bright blue host is very high-silica turquoise (close to chalcosiderite/variscite chemistry in some cases).
For simplicity, spherulitic quartz is associated with rapidly cooling volcanic environments.
Is it possibly something other than turquoise?
Absolutely. One site mentioned it would be imitation. Calcium carbonate can form radial crystals but not in association with turquoise. And they look recessed. Very odd. Almost looks like something splashed onto the stone.
The stone itself definitely isn’t “imitation” like block or something, and matrix elements in turquoise are often softer (or harder) than the turquoise itself and so appear recessed after polishing, that’s something I’ve seen plenty of….they certainly aren’t inlaid. And certainly it could possibly slightly be chalcosiderite or somethin (as ChatGPT suggested) but this just looks like turquoise to me.
[Edited by author]
Here is SWAG to consider. Perhaps the turquoise had a previous encounter with silver nitrate which might have formed the crystals but I don’t know of any reference for it.
𝐶𝑢(𝑠)+2𝐴𝑔+(𝑎𝑞)→𝐶𝑢2+(𝑎𝑞)+2𝐴𝑔(𝑠)
@Moonshake , see if you can find a jeweler, pawn shop, or university that has an XRF. A non-destructive elemental analysis of the area in question might give us some hint as to the composition and origin.
I had never seen this before either, then I found another one on Etsy. Is it allows to post screenshots and a link?
Nice find!! And honestly I would totally have gotten the bolo analyzed…..but I haven’t bought it yet simply because I’m poor! So someone else has it ha
Now we can both look for more of these.