NEED HELP IDENTIFYING THIS ROCK POSSIBLY a METEOR

Skeeballs

Tenderfoot
Mar 12, 2020
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Welcome to the forum.

I don't see anything that's specifically characteristic of a meteorite and these kinds of laminated features are not typical of meteorites:

Lamination.jpg

How strongly magnetic is it? It might be slag or it might be a rock rich in iron minerals. Try streaking it firmly on the back (unglazed) side of a ceramic tile if you have one. Blow away the dust and tell us what colour streak is left behind. The inside of the lid on your toilet cistern would do at a pinch as long as it isn't plastic and is dry.
 

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Thanks for your response red-coat I'll let you know will it damage it if I scratch with ceramic??
 

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Thanks for your response red-coat I'll let you know will it damage it if I scratch with ceramic??

It will leave a mark, but you only need to streak a small protruding part of the specimen. If it is a meteorite (unlikely) then that won't affect the value. Small meteorites are commonly 'windowed' to create a small flat area so the interior can be examined. That's the only way they can be properly typed.
 

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1st - I noticed this was your very first post - so, Welcome Aboard Skeeballs! You didn't list your state (or country) in your profile. So, you might consider jumping over to Sub-Forum: Select Your Area.... for information (i.e., clubs, hunts, finds, legends, maps, etc.) directly related to your state (or country). You might also consider adding your state (or country) to your displayed profile (SETTINGS -> EDIT PROFILE) - members may have more success helping you (your location may help, etc.)...

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2nd - Based on member replies - you might consider posting your pictures on ROCKS/GEMS for more exposure...

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Here are a few informative articles talking about meteorites...



Meteorites are pieces of asteroids and other bodies like the moon and Mars that travel through space and fall to the earth...

Do You Think You May Have Found a Meteorite?

Portland State University - Meteorite identification
The mission of our laboratory is to conduct meteorite research to help understand our place in the universe...

About meteorites

Aerolite Meteorites
A meteorite is a piece of iron, stone, or stony-iron composite that has fallen to Earth from outer space...

How to find out if you have a Meteorite?

Meteorite-Identification.Com
The purpose of this site is to help the visitor better understand elementary identification of the most common meteorites...

Suspect Meteorite Tests
 

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Welcome to Tnet from Toronto! :hello:
I'm leaning towards Red-Coats theory of your find being iron ore or coal slag.
Dave

"Testing a possible Meteorite...

Meteorites come in all shapes and sizes, but the small pieces greatly outnumber the larger pieces. They are rarely much larger than a small melon, and with this in mind, you should keep your eyes trained for small rusty looking rocks, perhaps even down to pea sized. If using a meteorite cane, keep any rocks that easily cling to the magnet for inspection later, and remember where you found them — the location of a meteorite find is particularly important later, for mapping the meteorite "strewnfield". Sadly, not all rocks that are drawn to a magnet will be true meteorites, and in some parts of the country, iron-rich basalt (a very common Earth rock) will cause many false alarms.

The magnet test: A true meteorite will show a reasonably strong attraction to a magnet.

The streak test: Take an unused ceramic tile and scratch the rock sample vigorously against the reverse, unglazed side of the tile.
If the sample leaves a dark grey streak like a lead pencil, the rock is probably magnetite (a common meteor-wrong).
If the sample leaves a reddish-brown streak, then the rock is probably hematite (another common meteor-wrong).
A true meteorite will leave only a faint streak from its rusty surface, and little more than that.

The grinding test: This is one of the most definitive first-stage tests for identifying a stony meteorite. Use a file to grind flat one of the corners of the rock. Meteorites are tough, so you may need some elbow grease and lots of patience here!

Don't worry about damaging your possible meteorite or reducing its value at all — cutting and grinding is a very necessary part of early meteorite identification. Wipe off the dust from the ground-off area and look inside the rock. A plain and featureless texture suggests that it's just another Earthly meteor-wrong, but if you can see small, bright flakes of shiny metal mixed within the stone, it probably is a meteorite. Keep it a dry as possible and avoid handling it too much until it can be professionally authenticated."
 

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Good advice above, apart from the bit that says "The magnet test: A true meteorite will show a reasonably strong attraction to a magnet".

This is not true.

A meteorite which has visibly metallic portions will always show a strong attraction to a magnet because the metal can only be principally iron, with some nickel. Some meteorites may contain significant metal which is not readily visible and those will be moderately attracted to a magnet. Not all meteorites are of these types, though. Some contain only low amounts of metal and will show only a weak attraction to a magnet. Some contain no metal at all and will show no attraction.
 

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Chalcopyrite is not a hard mineral (3.5 to 4.0 on the Mohs scale) and will streak readily, leaving a greenish grey/black streak.
 

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