Silver Rock?

[Nana40]

What is it?
My daughter bought a house a couple of years ago. I saw two rocks in the flower garden the day she was moving in. Bright silver. I assumed they must have been painted rocks. I can remember years ago that some of the older folks would spray paint rocks to add a little something to their flower gardens, so I assumed this must be the case with these two rocks...... Not the case. Today I was at Shannon's noticed the rocks again and asked her about them. She didn't know either. We talked a bit about it and being curious I said maybe we should see if they were silver painted or silver all the way through. So she picked one up and tossed it onto the cement drive. It chipped a bit and it's silver all the way through. What is it?

Thanks!
Nana

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Upgraded Night Vision Monocular Digital Infrared Monocular Telescope for 100% Darkness with 8X Zoom - Grab it through Amazon!

[bakergeol]

Hi Nana

OK- Let us review what we have learned so far. It has a metallic luster. Your detector confirms that it is of metal composition. It appears to be silver colored. It leaves a silver/grey streak. As TT has suggested we need to go over the hardness issue. The hardness of certain items is fingernail 2.5 copper 3.5 (Use a copper Penney not a zinc one) 5.5 steel nail/glass porcelain streak plate 6.5
Now you suggested that it's hardness was greater than 6.5 when it cut the porcelain tank top. However I suggest you do the hardness tests above to confirm this. Usually minerals that have a very high hardness (above 7) do not leave a streak.

How heavy is it also? What state did you find this in?

The above tests are valid only if you are looking at a pure mineral. Looking at your new photos I see something else. I see holes in the middle of the specimen. This suggests the possibility of this item having been in a furnace and heated. It may not be nature's mineral . When you say gray/silver metallic luster and a grayish black streak and is detectable with a metal detector- galena(lead ore) comes to mind.(I have lots of galena specimens which I have detected). This is what several above has suggested. It would have to be very heavy. However, galena commonly occurs in cubes and is soft 2.5 which will not scratch a penny. However, all hardness bets are off if this has been in a furnace.

At one time some TN members have posted simple jewelry acid tests for metals. Galena is a lead sulfide(commonly associated with silver) if this is melted lead ore it should test positive for lead and/or silver.


George

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A History of Mining on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska - Grab it through Amazon!

[EggyOG]

We use manufactured additives in the iron foundry that look similar to what you have. I never even thought about "unnatural rock" until it was mentioned. I guess I didn't think slag-out, antimony, or any of the various metal additives would escape the confines of foundries. It could very easily be one of the various additives used to make different hardnesses of iron, steel, or aluminum.

 

[stoney56]

http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/sulfides/molybden/molybden.htm

 

[Nana40]

Poor, poor Kansas! Ya'll still frozen in? Thanks for the thought anyhow.

Stoney, that is similar, but it doesn't leave any color on my hands.

George....Alabama, and it weighs a little less than a pound. It's not heavy like lead, but not too light either. Just feels like a normal rock would weigh. The little holes that you speak of makes a line all the way around the rock, kinda like a dividing point? It does scratch a copper penny, and without much effort.

Thanks everybody. Nana

 

[Eu_citzen]

Arsenopalladinite info:
Colour: Yellowish, creamy white ...
Lustre: Metallic
Hardness: 4

 

[Wetgreenie]

If it is hematite it should have a red streak. Streak it on the porcelain on your toilet.
Usually minerals with a hardness of 7 or greater have no streak.

I've had streaks on the porcelain before but I'm thinkling it was not hematite,
Maybe something more like Taco-Bell-anite.

Better late than never :P

 

[stefen]

Those are more commonly referred to as 'skid marks'.

 

[weldermark]

you should be able to do a specific gravity test to determine if it's silver.


Mark

 

[bakergeol]

Well so far we have reached a blind alley here without chemical tests. As previously noted the character of this hunk of metal suggests it was in a furnace and not just a natural mineral. Metal tests would need to be undertaken to determine it's composition. But of course the time to do this and costs involved- Well is it worth it?

George

 

[ClonedSIM]

If it is hematite it should have a red streak. Streak it on the porcelain on your toilet.
Usually minerals with a hardness of 7 or greater have no streak.

I've had streaks on the porcelain before but I'm thinkling it was not hematite,
Maybe something more like Taco-Bell-anite.

Better late than never :P

HA!!!

 

[roma6]

Manganese?

 

[Sandmaniac]

Theres my filling!!!!!

 

[Jeffro]

Looks like we have a winner!

 

[Wetgreenie]

Looks the same as silicon to me.....

 

[roma6]

Could be. Looks like it.

 

[Wetgreenie]

Nana, this thread seems to be going round and round now.
Any chance you were able to show it to anyone at a rock shop or something?

 

[Nana40]

I'll go with Moon rock!

Naaa Greenie...no rock shops around here!

Thanks for the help though...

Nana

 

[Skrimpy]

A lot of pure metals are that same color. Osmium, silver, lead, etc etc etc. Others like copper and gold are just a little bit different...If I remember my high school chemistry properly...

 

[Wetgreenie]

But that is the wierd thing......It's not metal......It's "A Rock"

 

[Skrimpy]

gotta be some kind of ore if it's a rock...and like others have suggested it is probably some kind of byproduct from some sort of process...