Still need help with metal rock.

[Rob66]

Help.......I know some of you have seen it already.

What the hell is it. Found a few yards from railroad.

A jeweler said it could be ZINC.
My gemologist couldn't put his finger on it.

Heavy like gold.
not iron.
looks like a bunch of metallic
grains pressed together.
Not silver. No reaction to acid.

Where can I send it to be tested??

Thanks,
Rob

 

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[Eu_citzen]

Even if you wack it with a ten ton hammer, it will not split open, my metal detector picks it up loudly, will post some pic's soon. Just have to look for them.

You might need one of these:
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[Montana Jim]

Every rock can be broken... or crushed... eventually.

 

[JiminSD]

Every rock can be broken... or crushed... eventually.

If you want learn more about this mineral/rock the next step is to dtermin the density/specific gravity but you will need a graduate cylinder, and a scale. You could get a local highschool science lab calss to do this.

By the was where was this mineral/rock found what was moved along the train, was there industry near by i.e steel mill, mines etc..

if it has density in the 5 range it could still betting on iron oxide

I am betting it is iron oxide with silica slag. If your sharpening a knife it has to have somthing in the matrix with the hardness greater than 5.5 (knife) silica (quartz) has a hardness of 7

The slag was probably got into the base rock

I am pretty sure it is not a matural mineral based on the streak color, not magnetic, and luster (rules out the common iron ores). The small crystal are conistent with what form from the impurities when burning coal but I have know idea how they formed the large piece.

 

[Rob66]

Every rock can be broken... or crushed... eventually.

If you want learn more about this mineral/rock the next step is to dtermin the density/specific gravity but you will need a graduate cylinder, and a scale. You could get a local highschool science lab calss to do this.

By the was where was this mineral/rock found what was moved along the train, was there industry near by i.e steel mill, mines etc..

if it has density in the 5 range it could still betting on iron oxide

I am betting it is iron oxide with silica slag. If your sharpening a knife it has to have somthing in the matrix with the hardness greater than 5.5 (knife) silica (quartz) has a hardness of 7

The slag was probably got into the base rock

I am pretty sure it is not a matural mineral based on the streak color, not magnetic, and luster (rules out the common iron ores). The small crystal are conistent with what form from the impurities when burning coal but I have know idea how they formed the large piece.

great info-It did chip and a piece fell off super silvery inside will take some pictures soon.
Rob.

 

[mthanded]

I found a similar rock at a coal strip, its heavy , and I did get it to split with a sledge hammer after 15 hits, its magnetic it also has a gold and silver metallic specks in it , but no red here is picture of half of it

 

[Rob66]

Did not take much to chip it and a piece broke off but it is heavy and metallic.Silvery and a little purple and blue tint.

 

[JiminSD]

I found a similar rock at a coal strip, its heavy , and I did get it to split with a sledge hammer after 15 hits, its magnetic it also has a gold and silver metallic specks in it , but no red here is picture of half of it

Does it deflect a compass needle? or is it attracted by a magnet?

 

[JiminSD]

Did not take much to chip it and a piece broke off but it is heavy and metallic.Silvery and a little purple and blue tint.

Do you think you can do the specific gravity test?

 

[Rob66]

I found a similar rock at a coal strip, its heavy , and I did get it to split with a sledge hammer after 15 hits, its magnetic it also has a gold and silver metallic specks in it , but no red here is picture of half of it

Welcome to the net!!!!! When I first saw it i thought it may have been a metorite
iron? Rob

 

[flyinguy]

maybe some type of pyrite? (fools gold)

 

[JiminSD]

Did not take much to chip it and a piece broke off but it is heavy and metallic.Silvery and a little purple and blue tint. 

my guess is that it is chalcopyrite or peacock ore from the luster, non-magnetic, and black streak, but I believe it  was said to be hardner than nail (chalcopyrite hardness is less than a nail)


so that brings us to pyrite with metalic luster, non-magnetic, black streak, and hardness greater than 5, but I haven't seen pyrite in a massive crystaline form except in fossils as a replacement mineral

the streak being black rules out most iron oxide (hematite, limonite, etc..) and since it is not attracted to a magnet or deflect a compass it is neithe weekly or strongly magnetic (so not magnetite)

there are not any common minerals with a metalic luster that fit the properties that were presented for your mineral/rock.

could you check and see if it will scratch a knife blade (really scratch it were you can't rub the mark away)

 

[Rob66]

Did not take much to chip it and a piece broke off but it is heavy and metallic.Silvery and a little purple and blue tint.

Do you think you can do the specific gravity test?

specific gravity test-what's that again

 

[Rob66]

Did not take much to chip it and a piece broke off but it is heavy and metallic.Silvery and a little purple and blue tint.

my guess is that it is chalcopyrite or peacock ore from the luster, non-magnetic, and black streak, but I believe it was said to be hardner than nail (chalcopyrite hardness is less than a nail)


so that brings us to pyrite with metalic luster, non-magnetic, black streak, and hardness greater than 5, but I haven't seen pyrite in a massive crystaline form except in fossils as a replacement mineral

the streak being black rules out most iron oxide (hematite, limonite, etc..) and since it is not attracted to a magnet or deflect a compass it is neithe weekly or strongly magnetic (so not magnetite)

there are not any common minerals with a metalic luster that fit the properties that were presented for your mineral/rock.

could you check and see if it will scratch a knife blade (really scratch it were you can't rub the mark away)

JiminSD -It left some small permanent scratches on my winchester hunting knife with some pressure.

 

[JiminSD]

Did not take much to chip it and a piece broke off but it is heavy and metallic.Silvery and a little purple and blue tint.

my guess is that it is chalcopyrite or peacock ore from the luster, non-magnetic, and black streak, but I believe it was said to be hardner than nail (chalcopyrite hardness is less than a nail)


so that brings us to pyrite with metalic luster, non-magnetic, black streak, and hardness greater than 5, but I haven't seen pyrite in a massive crystaline form except in fossils as a replacement mineral

the streak being black rules out most iron oxide (hematite, limonite, etc..) and since it is not attracted to a magnet or deflect a compass it is neithe weekly or strongly magnetic (so not magnetite)

there are not any common minerals with a metalic luster that fit the properties that were presented for your mineral/rock.

could you check and see if it will scratch a knife blade (really scratch it were you can't rub the mark away)

JiminSD -It left some small permanent scratches on my winchester hunting knife with some pressure.

definately harder 5.5......well I know what it is not ...just don't know what it is....determining specific gravity might help...I think you have some metalic ore or slag ....

 

[JiminSD]

Did not take much to chip it and a piece broke off but it is heavy and metallic.Silvery and a little purple and blue tint.

Do you think you can do the specific gravity test?

specific gravity test-what's that again

you will have to google for instruction but it is the ratio of density of a material to density of water (sg = the density of the mineral divided by the density of water) you need a scale a graduated cylinder and distilled water to calculate the sg....all high school science lab classes should teach this..

 

[Rob66]

Did not take much to chip it and a piece broke off but it is heavy and metallic.Silvery and a little purple and blue tint.

Do you think you can do the specific gravity test?

specific gravity test-what's that again

you will have to google for instruction but it is the ratio of density of a material to density of water (sg = the density of the mineral divided by the density of water) you need a scale a graduated cylinder and distilled water to calculate the sg....all high school science lab classes should teach this..

I will take it to some of the high school here and see if they are intrested!!! Thanks.