Please help me identify this rock, any advice will make my entire week, or month!

[Metalf*ingMusic]

Hello, I live in Phoenix, AZ, I recently helped my Dad tare down the rock wall that has been in our front yard since we first moved in, 13 years ago. It was a beautiful wall, but he decided to expand. Not only were there rocks on the exterior, but 100's were cemented on the inside as well. Beautiful turquoise, football-sized pieces of numerous quartz, pyrite, every kind of rock imaginable. Then, I came across a rock that was very different, much heavier than the other rocks, It's voery strange, and any advice would be appreciated. I broke a few chunks off, which, was very difficult, it's definitely solid, nearly unbreakable. I put a magnet to it and, (not a very good magnet) and only a tiny spec of rock stuck to it. The rock wall was built before the 1950's. Thats all I know. Also, I drilled a small hole, giving an inside view of the rock. which can be seen in one of the photos. Please, any advice is much appreciated, I'm stuck between a rock and a hard placeThank you.

 

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[Steve1236]

I can try to help but can you take pictures outside in sunlight and make them clear as you can get them so I can see the stone's structure better. THX Steve.

 

[Metalf*ingMusic]

I understand a picture is not the real thing. I'm new to this forum, but will totally ship out a piece of the rock if it will help. Thanks.

 

[Steve1236]

To me it looks like some kind of an ore, if you have more I'd take those three smaller specimens in the second picture and crush them to fine powder size and then pan it out carefully, watch a YouTube video on how to crush rock for fine gold, use a little dish soap in the water so your gold doesn't float away, I know it sounds weird, gold floating, but small gold can catch a ride on any material that floats and run right out of your pan, the soap keeps the gold from doing that. You could also take a couple specimens and have them analyzed but that will cost you money to have done. Who knows, after what you said you found inside the wall maybe it's a rockhounds vault in plain sight with valuable ore. If it is I'll take those free samples lol J/K

 

[stdenis_jd]

if you look really close (under a magnifying glass if necessary) are those silver-ish crystals octahedral (two pyramids attached at the bottom) or cubic? Looks to me like Steve said, it's an ore likely of iron & iron sulfide. You probably have crystals of pyrite or marcasite or both.

 

[Metalf*ingMusic]

Okay. Cool. Thanks guys. I will do both of of those things. I'll take a look under a 🔎, then pan the crushed rock with a little added soap. I will be back with the results. In the meantime, heres what the wall looked like and some rocks that came from it. I can only imagine how many hours and dedication went into creating this. amazing work of art.

 

[smokeythecat]

Do you think the wall was someone's rock collection? That's what it looks like. It indeed does look like an ore of a metal, with other stuff in it also. Do you or can you get a black light? It almost looks like the massive zinc ore from Franklin, NJ. I don't think it's western uraninite, but from the pics and no history its hard to tell.

 

[IAMZIM]

Okay. Cool. Thanks guys. I will do both of of those things. I'll take a look under a , then pan the crushed rock with a little added soap. I will be back with the results. In the meantime, heres what the wall looked like and some rocks that came from it. I can only imagine how many hours and dedication went into creating this. amazing work of art.

Here in Butte Mt, there are old houses all over town that have walls made from ore rocks from the mines here, as well as from other areas. You could tell some of these miners were rockhounds too!!! Pretty cool wall by the way! Oh yeah, I see pyrite as well as other sulfides, these guys steered you right IMO.

 

[Steve1236]

I see a lot of blue in that wall, look and see if you see anything like this, it's blue gem silica, the most valuable form of chalcedony and found here in Az.

 

[Moesia]

First set of pictures:
Specular hematite, pyrite most likely the main minerals. Magnetite, pyrrhotite subordinate if any.
Second set of pictures (wall):
Mostly various forms of silica (quartz chalcedony...), some ironstone and ore of copper (green stuff) and granitic host rock.
It was taken from some old abandoned copper mine shaft probably.

Unless you provide better pictures or streak test it that is your best guess.

 

[Metalf*ingMusic]

Thanks guys for your help, I have been spending every moment I can crushing, observing under a microscope, panning, reading, looking under backlights, etc... It's 114 degrees outside, yet, it's so much fun studying the nature of these natural wonders, rocks and minerals, it's overwhelming. I honestly have a deep respect for you guys and all of your knowledge, seriously, I'm so thankful I clicked on this website. You guys have answered so many questions, I've always been interested, but, now, finally relieved to have support. I have a few more pictures I'd like to post, I realized how shitty my pictures were that I posted. Thanks, and yes, these rocks were from someones collection, the previous owner had given us his collection of pretty colorful gems and rocks he had in a tackle box, some were displayed and glued on wooden sticks, however, they were stolen from us, now, I think I know why. I thought he (Henry) had built the wall, but a longtime neighbor recently told me it was the guy that lived here before Henry.