[Rockhounds] Need Quick Help

[John Scully]

hi, Virgil

thanks for the response.

i think i found the answer.  i continued to try Google and entered cobalt
blue vietmamese mineral and got back cobalt blue spinel with enough
pictures and explanation to figure out that that is what they are selling
here.  makes sense given all the other spinels here.  it is too pricey for
me to buy, so none will becoming back


john scully
@


On Oct 24, 2017 12:03 AM, "Lueth, Virgil" <virgil.lueth at nmt.edu> wrote:

> Hi John,
>
> It's a new one on me, most cobalt secondaries are purple to orange.
> However, there is a cobaltoan willemite (xingshaoite) reported with a blue
> to violet color from China. Descriptions indicate it is typically
> crystalline. No images are extant on Mindat or the web.
>
> Additional sleuthing suggests it may be a fake. I saw a report on blue
> glass (cobalt glass) on matrix from Indonesia.
>
> Best I can do...have a pleasant remainder of your trip.
>
> Virgil
>
>
>
> On Mon, Oct 23, 2017 at 2:11 AM, John Scully <jscully216 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Hello, All
>>
>> I am in Yen The, Vietnam for two more days.  The shops are selling a new
>> mineral they call coban or co ban.  It is small bright blue crystals
>> crusted on an indeterminate matrix.  Under a loupe the crystals are
>> formless.  It is very pricey.  I cannot find anything out about it on
>> Google except that it means "cobalt" in Vietnamese.  Help!  If it really is
>> something desirable beyond its nice appearance, I would buy a few pieces.
>>
>> Thanks
>> John Scully
>> ☺
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Virgil W. Lueth, Ph.D.
> Sr. Mineralogist/Economic Geologist
> Director - Mineral Museum & X-Ray Diffraction Lab
> New Mexico Bureau of Geology - New Mexico Tech
> 801 Leroy Place
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> office
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> Virgil.Lueth at nmt.edu
>