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Richard,
I am well aware of the claims that Cripple Creek Turquoise is hard;
some contend that it is as hard as quartz. Nonetheless, I am unaware
of any definitive proof that it is that hard. It seems to me that
GIA might put the issue to rest. As for silicated turquoise that too
is a conundrum. I have heard that contention applied to variscite
from some mines in Nevada and I also know from first hand experience
that Nevade variscite is highly variable in hardness. In either case
it would seem to me that you could hardly call either mineral pure
if it were variable in molecular structure. True, other elements can
be present, but they typically are present only at the trace level.
It may be that it would be possible for other minerals to be present
within the Turquoise. Chalcedony could quite conceivably be present
as an admixture, but I would think that microscopic examination
would determine whether this were true. Here again, we would be
talking about a rock, not a mineral. It is fascinating, but a bit
too nitpicky............
Ron Mills, Mills Gem Co. Los Osos, Ca.
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