Found outside Kitui, Kenya

[Lola]

Pretty sure these are just quartz, but I’d love to learn anything more that y’all could share with me! Maybe it’s because I live in an area with a lot of quartzite, but these look different than other quartz I (think I) have seen.

The first rock (first 2 pics) has some areas that are quite clear, with one spot that looks like it has a little rainbow trapped inside (not the pink spot). I posted about it on another site and the only response I got was “you might want to hide that,” but the person didn’t respond when I asked what they meant.

As for the second rock (second 2 photos), someone once suggested it might be smoky quartz, but when I google ‘rough/raw smoky quartz’ the results don’t really look the same. Also, the rock is actually a little more purple-Ish than it comes across in the pic.

I wish I could post more pics right now, but these are living at my parents home for the time being! Thanks in advance!

https://imgur.com/GsXXrO6

https://imgur.com/W05wh91

https://imgur.com/K3j5TMg

https://imgur.com/eCxqUuW

 

[Johnho]

They both look like quartz and are not quartzite. Really nice pieces. I say quartz because you can see some conchoidal fractures on the surfaces. The rainbow you see is most likely one of those fractures reflecting the light off the fracture, very common. Guy who said to hide it was probably joking it could be diamonds.

 

[Odanscoils]

Kenya is a strange place.
You work over there ?

 

[SeabeeRon]

Nice chunks of quartzes.
Tell us a bit about how they were found. Welcome to Findmall.

 

[Lola]

They both look like quartz and are not quartzite. Really nice pieces. I say quartz because you can see some conchoidal fractures on the surfaces. The rainbow you see is most likely one of those fractures reflecting the light off the fracture, very common. Guy who said to hide it was probably joking it could be diamonds.

Thanks! Yeah, I didn’t word that the best… even I can definitely tell the difference between quartz and quartzite! It’s a pretty rock, but clearly not diamonds… hope that’s obvious to the other guy, lol

 

[Lola]

Kenya is a strange place.
You work over there ?

Studied abroad

 

[Lola]

Nice chunks of quartzes.
Tell us a bit about how they were found. Welcome to Findmall.

Thanks! I actually just found them while walking through Nyumbani Village. I studied abroad in Nairobi a while back and stayed at the Nyumbani orphanage while there. For part of the time I got to stay at the village, one of their projects in Kitui. I have a habit of collecting rocks as little tokens of good days or memorable places. Literally just swept a few up as I was walking and was surprised that they ended up being so nice when I was finally able to clean them up!

 

[Geologyhound]

Amethyst (purplish quartz) is photoreactive. If you leave it in sunlight long enough, it will at least cause the color to fade. Worst case is it could turn clear. So if you like the color, don’t leave it sitting on a windowsill for a couple years.