Quiz.

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OK
Most gemstones are compounds of metals - Al, Si, Be etc.

Name one which is an iron compound.

(Not just a rock which happens to have some iron in it)
 
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MynameisBod said:
Opel
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No, opAl is an amorphous (non crystalline) form of silicon oxide, hydrated to various degrees.
When the micro structures form in a regular way, they diffract light colours like petrol in a puddle, or butterfly wings.
Smaller structures --> shorter wavelength hence blues,
larger structures --> longer hence reds, which are rarer opals.
 
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Sapphire and ruby - and amethyst, are impure Aluminium Oxide. Same as the rubbing-down paper.
 
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:unsure: Conversation thread now as well as an argument one? Doing well.(y)

What are you doing today?
 
OddsBodkin said:
Gold toast?
Posh or what?;)

Fools gold, i say.
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Screenshot_20220922-193128_Chrome.jpg


Not that posh.... it might be up north but not round these posh parts.
 
Ihavenojob said:
peridot
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I could give it thee. I didn't remember peridot, it's (Mg, Fe)2SiO4
So it qualifies according to my sloppy question.
But I won't, because I didn't see it and there's a better answer.

The one I had in mind is MARCASITE, which is FeS2

I should have said the ONLY metal is iron, then you'd all be wrong except one.

opps said:
There seems to be quite few
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That site includes Minerals and lots with no iron or only a bit.. We can argue the difference... not all minerals are gemstones for sure.
Iron can be in just about anything as an impurity.

But the winner - probably by accident, is:
OddsBodkin said:
Fools gold, i say.
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Fools gold = Iron pyrite is Fe 2s, which comes in two possible crystal structures, one orthorhomic, the other cubic, if you remember your ball and stick models.

The less common orthorhombic one is used as a gem, white iron pyrite, called marcasite. It does sparkle when cut and polished.
1663875261593.png

But does suffer from oxidation...

A more bizarre wrong answer would have been Cut Steel, which used to be used 18th-19th C ish.
They used to take piano wire, grind it to have facets, and case-harden the heck out of it. The lustre changed according to what they put in the case hardening along with the carbon. Then, hard as hell, it would take a very high polish.

1663875399929.png

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Not too many good examples remain, as they tend to rust away.
If you look at the back of whatever it's on, you can see.

So there you go @OddsBodkin , it's yours.
 
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