Golden egg?

[Maine USA Beachcomber]

Hi.
Found this yesterday while picking up litter on a beach. It was among a large quantity of beach rocks washed up on the sand. I've been cleaning this beach daily for 5 years and never saw a golden metallic rock before. It's not magnetic - tried it on a heavy duty magnet.
It's quite heavy.
Any guess about what it could be?

 

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[gunsil]

Iron pyrite is not magnetic, usually shows a crystalline structure on the surface but when beach tumbled looks like what you found---fools gold.

 

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[dts52]

It's a good thing there are some smart people posting here so we can all learn new stuff. I thought it had something to do with a brass monkey...

LOL - Hasn't been cold enough this winter for it to be from a brass monkey!

 

[Maine USA Beachcomber]

It could be chalcopyrite with the brass/yellow color? Try a streak test it should leave a greenish black mark. HH
BK

Unfortunately for me- not being able to scratch it w a knife likely means its not chalcopyrite but arsenopyrite. Ugh. What do you think?

 

[Breezie]

I think it is a BRASS EGG since you said it smelled badly as well as made your hand smell the same way. Do you have an old brass door key? If so, rub it, then smell of your hand/fingers. Is the smell basically the same?

I think it is pitted from being rolled around on the ocean floor.

https://www.google.com/search?q=bra...i=-FPeVqjyOMbJmwGUhJjoDA#tbm=isch&q=brass+egg

Neat find
Breezie

 

[tamrock]

Could be a amalgamated ferromanganese crust nodule from an ocean floor deposit that has been washed up and eroded on the shoreline. They're full of valuable minerals and mining engineers over the years have contemplated and explored various possible ways to mine these deposits that cover the ocean floors in some locations. I recall this info from maybe a Mechanics Illustrated magazine, from the early 1980's? Before the world wide web, I read a lot of magazines.

 

[Maine USA Beachcomber]

Could be a amalgamated ferromanganese crust nodule from an ocean floor deposit that has been washed up and eroded on the shoreline. They're full of valuable minerals and mining engineers over the years have contemplated and explored various possible ways to mine these deposits that cover the ocean floors in some locations. I recall this info from maybe a Mechanics Illustrated magazine, from the early 1980's? Before the world wide web, I read a lot of magazines.

Oh wow very cool. Another avenue of investigation thank you!

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

The thought just now came to me that there's an easy way to tell whether it is a mineral or made of a refined metal. If it's metal, it will conduct electricity. Borrow an electrical tester / volt-meter, and test for conductivity. Of course, some minerals may be conductive, but not so much as a refined metal is.

 

[ARC]

Test with an acid test kit... if you have one / access...

drop some acid on it... nitric acid will make a greenish color if brass.

 

[Silver Searcher]

It doesn't look one bit golden to me? a tumbled piece of metal shaped by the sea.

SS

 

[Bumpstick]

I will guess Platinum.
Any way it is a keeper.

 

[Maine USA Beachcomber]

Quick update on the "egg" which I found shimmering in the sand after an ocean storm that is still puzzling me.
It's been sitting on my windowsill for most of the past year and it's definitely tarnished a black color. I can still see the metallic luster but the sunlight side got pretty dark. Also this morning I tried a magnet again & it's "paramagnetic" meaning it attracts a magnet enough to attract it a tiny tiny bit but then lets go. It gave an initial green/black streak and then no streak. It also has a metallic odor when finger-rubbed. I'm wondering if it's a worn down brick of some type of metal. Any further ideas on an id? Thank you

 

[kingskid1611]

Looks like one big gallstone now...

 

[Maine USA Beachcomber]

I think I'll do some gallstone de-tarnishing today

 

[Breezie]

I still think it's a decorative brass egg that has been pitted and misshaped from rolling around in the ocean/sand.
https://www.google.com/search?q=bras...ch&q=brass+egg


Breezie

 

[Maine USA Beachcomber]

Could be Breezie. Boiling some water for a detarnish test right now....

 

[Maine USA Beachcomber]

Round one in boiling water & baking soda/foil.... It looks like there's definitely a reaction & some restoration. I'm trying to soak only the bottom half.

 

[Breezie]

I'd be curious to see how it would react to being cleaned with Brasso.



Breezie

 

[Maine USA Beachcomber]

There is definitely a tarnish reaction.

 

[Maine USA Beachcomber]

I think based on today's results w the tarnish & iridescent color after it was removed I'm comfortable that this is solved. The egg is a worn chunk of arsenopyrite. Thanks to everyone for their help. Not sure how to mark this SOLVED but I think we did it. Arsenopyrite Facts

 

[A2coins]

Find the Goose that laid that thing!!!!