Please help me identify this unique looking rock.

[RocksLover]

Hello Admins and all members. I need your help in identifying this rock I recently found. I live in southern NJ, its about 30 lbs, and its been cleaned. When doing a google image search the two possibilities were Antlerite and Cuprite. But those characteristics dont match the pics of my rock. Thank you all in advance for your assistance in trying to help me figure this out. I have been collecting rocks and fossils since a young child but have never seen a rock quite like this one before. I dont know what it is.

 

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[Back-of-the-boat]

Check out this link https://www.state.nj.us/dep/njgs/enviroed/freedwn/njrocksbook.pdf

 

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[RocksLover]

Hi Back-of-the-boat that link doesnt exist and says 404 Error. Do you have a better link to share?

 

[RocksLover]

Hi Back-of-the-boat I finally got it to work. For my county it says "GreenSand". That link is a very helpful resource of geological info. Thank You! Still not sure what this rock is though. Onward and upward.

 

[RocksLover]

I think Im getting closer to identifying this rock. Green Pintadoite crystals in Sandstone is looking very close to what my rock is. Taking outdoor pics now to post here today.

 

[RocksLover]

 

[RocksLover]

All pics are outside with partial sun taken today. Hope they help.

 

[RocksLover]

Had to fix this ones angle.

 

[RocksLover]

Their are light yellow/clear crystals below and around the light green crystals in this pic. I dont believe this is glass or slag glass due to the formations of crystals spread all over this rock specimen. Their staggered and look like bands of crystals traveling throughout 3 sides of this rock. Im very curious about whats on the inside of this rock but will not damage it to find out. Still not sure what it is. If these pics are somehow not close up enough or not enough light I can try again on another day when its a bit more sunny.

 

[Upnorth42]

Hello Upnorth42. I agree it is very interesting. I dont know but I will do a search for NJ. No I have not done any hardness testing yet. How does one go about doing a hardness test?

Hardness testing is a standard test that measures the hardness of a rock. It can eliminate some of the types of rock you suspect it might be be. Going from memory talc is a 1 on the scale and diamond is a 10. There are some things you may have around the house that can be used to scratch the rock with. It's easier to google "rock or mineral hardness test" than for me to explain it. I would be going from memory and probably give you some bad information.

If the rock is very soft maybe look at some photos of fluorite in matrix. That is just a guess on my part I'm not very good at identifying rocks that are not from around where I live.

 

[RocksLover]

Thank you Upnorth42 I will look into it. Do the pics seem good enough in terms of daylight and upclose?

 

[Steve1236]

Calcite crystals in Matrix maybe if it's not very hard, I've seen calcite that color from chimney rock quarry before online, just a guess though.

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

Once you figure it all out, you may be able to dissolve the matrix away from the crystals and be left with just the crystals but you run the risk of them not staying connected together or something amazing without the matrix in the way.

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

Thank you Upnorth42 I will look into it. Do the pics seem good enough in terms of daylight and upclose?

Pictures are much better we can see detail now and the crystals forms.

 

[RocksLover]

Hi Steve1236. Thanks for your help and info. Ill look into it.

 

[RocksLover]

Back-of-the-boat Hey now thats a brilliant idea! Not sure if Im going to do it but I do like the way your thinking. And it definitely does not look like glass or slag glass to me. You can clearly see that it is banded crystals that grew throughout the rocks crevices over time and spread out on 3 sides. And in one of the pics I posted it has light yellow crystals also.

 

[RocksLover]

Back-of-the-boat Thanks for your kind words! Much appreciated!

 

[DDancer]

Interesting stuff there. The second set of pictures are much better, and no thats not slag. I to would like to know about how hard the material is. Could be calcite, as steve noted, but I'm kinda stumped as to why the crystals are so rounded looking especially on the greener stuff. Some indication of hardness could be helpful.

 

[RocksLover]

Hi DDancer. How does one go about conducting a hardness test? In one of those pics you can actually see light yellow crystals amongst the light green ones. Thank you for your response its much appreciated.

 

[Upnorth42]

Thank you Upnorth42 I will look into it. Do the pics seem good enough in terms of daylight and upclose?

Pictures are good. For my own curiosity can you post a picture of a quarter next to what looks like the clearer crystals? Won't help with the identification I'm just curious.

 

[NJearthman]

This looks more like a byproduct (slag) of the glass industry that prevailed in south Jersey, particularly Gloucester and Cumberland Counties for over 200 years. This is not a natural rock type found in your area. Everything south of Route 1 (basically south and east of Mercer and Middlesex counties) are Coastal Plain deposits composed of unconsolidated Sand,Silt Clay and Gravel. If I’m wrong (which would be the first time ever ) this rock would have to be transported from out of the area by someone just dumping it from anywhere or ice rafted from the north during the Pleistocene.