How to Identify Polished Rocks

Polished rocks can take on a different appearance than their raw counterparts. For an avid rock collector, knowing how to identify polished rock can be important and can increase your ability to collect unique and precious stones. Many polished rocks look completely different, radiating brighter and more vibrant colors when they are smoothed. Some stones display features when polished that add to their character, such as ripples or a holographic appearance. Here is a simple guide to help you identify a few unique and valuable polished rocks.

Instructions

1. 

   Look at the color. Some polished rocks have bright and easily identifiable colors. Amethyst, for example is bright purple and slightly translucent. Turquoise is a flat blue stone. Jade can be light green, yellow, or orange/red in color. Quartz crystal will be completely clear or light pink.

2. 

   Look for striations in the stone. Many polished stones will have ripples and lines on them, such as Blue Lace Agate or Tigers Eye. Stones like Tigers Eye will have a holographic appearance and can be easily identifiable by their changing appearance. Blue Lace Agate will have ripples cause by the smoothing of the edges during polishing.

3. 

   Look for an inner glow. Certain stones, such as Labradorite or Moon Stone, can have an inner glow to their appearance once they are polished. They glow can change in the light, becoming blue, purple, green, and yellow. Finding a nicely colored stone like this can be a great piece to add to your collection.

4. 

   Look for a shiny appearance. Polished stones like Hematite or Onyx will have a flat and shiny look. Both stones are very heavy. Hematite will look silvery in appearance, while Onyx will look black.

Resources

• Polished Rock Identification