Meteorite, or wrong? Please help if you can, thank you!

[kdutter]

Found in north eastern Florida. It has a density well over 4, it is a metal, that fractures like a rock. It is extremely hard. It has a "fusion crust" I broke off a small corner to see whats inside. It looks like grains of very shiny metal under a microscope. It polishes to a mirror finish with "layers" visible under a microscope. Its the size of a small peach and weighs almost 2 lbs. Any help would be great! Thank you

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Diving for Pleasure and Treasure - Grab it through Amazon!

[TJE]

Hello kdutter, Is it magnetic,and does a piece of the raw material leave a mark on unglazed porcelain? ie. (a scratch on the bottom of a toilet tank lid).
Any more pics? Looks Interesting
TJE

 

[kdutter]

Hello kdutter, Is it magnetic,and does a piece of the raw material leave a mark on unglazed porcelain? ie. (a scratch on the bottom of a toilet tank lid).
Any more pics? Looks Interesting
TJE

Does not leave a scratch line, very faint mark on toilet tank lid (bottom) transparent to slightly silverish line. Very weak magnetism, but its definitely there. interestingly, it was found within a mile of "round marsh" which may be an impact crater according to some. I've never seen anything like it. It took a sledge hammer and an axe blade to crack it. it broke my axe blade :-/ The inside is metal, the outside looks like rock?

 

[kdutter]

Fresh picture

 

[TJE]

Seems odd from it's small size, yet 2 lb. weight, even 'slag' or iron/meteorite should have good magnetism I think ?

 

[kdutter]

really weak magnetism, a magnet will not stick to it. But it will effect a magnet on a table or string. I've decided to dig into it more today with a dremel tool. The more I grind, the more bright metal I get. The metal looks like little spheres, and is very hard, but brittle. It grinds like pure metal. It's strange, it has a nickel color, but really shines like a mirror

 

[wvwildman]

i found one just like that a few months ago prob something a blacksmith threw down along time ago i found mine on an old farm

 

[wvwildman]

when ya heat metal or leave it to long in the fire it will crystallize

 

[kdutter]

Thanks for the insight, might be just that, don't guess I'll ever really know. I would have thought that it would have been more magnetic though? What were the typical metals used by blacksmiths way back when? This was unearthed after land grading near a man made retention pond. Previous to that, woods, never developed. I'm going to do the nickel test on it before I completely ruin it.

 

[wvwildman]

they used iron and nickel and other grades of steel my cuz is the best blacksmith around here in WV he even makes damascus steel he's made alot of knives and swords he makes good money off his knives

 

[kdutter]

New picture, sanded, and treated it with acetone ( all I had at the moment ) I can see a basket weave pattern when its wet and viewd at just the right angle? Any thoughts?

 

[yelnif]

Do you have a college/ university in your area? They usually have a rock hound dept. (geology). Someone there should be able to help ID your find. I'm guessing that it is a fragment of a metal meteorite. HH

 

[Terry Soloman]

Iron shale.

 

[golden ray]

From what you say,and the pictures. Very good indications that what you have is a 'iron/stony' meteorite.
( hard,heavy,magnetic,shiny specks inside,basket weave,thumbprints in picture) all good signs!
Find your closes university, and see if they will put their results in writting!!!

 

[kdutter]

Update. I think it's ferromanganese. Thanks for all the help!

 

[Joescollection2012]

Yours kinda looks like what I found today, heres mine: I get a good magnetic signal with it, but can only pick up small chunks of it with my magnet it is too heavy to be lifted completely.

 

[Charl]

Guys, here is one of the better meteorwrong pages for purposes of comparison. Not likely a meteorite from what I can see and from what you describe. The last photo is definitely not a meteorite.

iron-oxide concretions

 

[darthoblio]

Guys, here is one of the better meteorwrong pages for purposes of comparison. Not likely a meteorite from what I can see and from what you describe. The last photo is definitely not a meteorite.

iron-oxide concretions

kdutter, your piece looks superficially like several chunks that I have and do believe are meteorite fragments. Heavy, lattice or crystalline structure inside, etc. Mine are also heavy but strongly magnetic, and are brittle. They'll shatter if you hit them with a hammer. The last "meteorwrong" image in Charl's link is exactly what mine look like.