What am I holding ???

[Shattuc]

This is what I thought I knew. I thought it was gold.

It weighs in at almost 8 oz. It's a reddish color. the image doesn't show the red very well. I don't have a camera that can take a good enough picture of it. it is 3.5 inches long, 2 inches at it's widest point, and up to an inch thick. you can see the hole in it. The hole was made with a very small pointy object, it was not drilled. on the end opposite the hole is a flat, at about a 30 degree angle, heading up from the centerline up one of the sides. you can see the saw marks where it was cut.

The problem I'm having with it. is the hole was very deliberately placed in it. We are guestimating that it was found around 1943-45, by my great grandfather. He never would have defaced this rock, either by putting a hole in it or cutting a chunk off.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

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

[FlatCat]

Re: What am I holding...

Drill a bigger hole in it, hang it on a big fake gold chain around your neck, and call it 'bling'

That's all I got

FC

 

[Shattuc]

We took it in to two rock and gem shops in the Boise area today. The first place said, I've seen a lot of stuff over the years, but I have Never seen anything like this. Maybe it's a meteorite, take it to Stewart's. So at Stewart's, We talked to their resident meteor guy, and he says it's not a meteorite, but he doesn't have a clue what it is. Looks like it's time to go to the Boise U Geology dept. It's EXTREMELY heavy for it's size, it makes a clinking sound when you lightly knock the pieces together. (someone dropped it many years ago and the little tip with the hole in it broke off from the rest of it.) It's got a crystalline structure in it, some of it almost looks like mica, but it isn't. I'm at a complete loss here. I thought... well maybe I was being too hopeful that this mystery rock was gold, It sure looks like it doesn't it? The second rock shop said it doesn't look like gold, but it sure looks like metal, but what it is is anyones guess. Speaking of Guessing....
Yes folks, that is your cue. and I'll try to track down a better camera in the mean time.

 

[VERMONTPACKRAT]

Unobtainium... Very nice piece you have there. That stuff is practicaly unobtainable.

VPR

 

[FlatCat]

Unobtainium... Very nice piece you have there. That stuff is practicaly unobtainable.

VPR

I know I don't have ANY of that stuff. I wish I did. It has been virtually unobtainable in Florida for decades, at least.

FC

 

[Shattuc]

and it is certainly metal. Using my detector I had to see that much, according to the settings, It says it's either gold, or a pop can.

Unobtainium, that is rich

 

[EggyOG]

Mt guess would be bornite, or one of the other coppers. Copper, especially bornite, is listed as being found in at least 75 different mines in Idaho.

 

[VERMONTPACKRAT]

There is an old copper mine near me. There are big pieces of Bornite everywhere. The stuff is very brittle. This may explain why yours is broken.

VPR

 

[Shattuc]

Well, This particular chunk of whats it, came from near Prescott Arizona. I'm pretty sure that the farthest north my great grandfather ever lived, was Colorado. It's just that my dad waited 11 years before showing it to me, and then told me I could have it. He's pretty sure it came from prescott, but he won't say how he's sure. Some mysteries are truly unsolvable. Got my hands on a camera, hoping for some good light tomorrow to get some better pictures up here.

Edit :
I looked up bornite, I'm 100% sure it's not that. I'll get some better pics up here tomorrow.

 

[texan connection]

Unobtainium... Very nice piece you have there. That stuff is practicaly unobtainable.

VPR

It might be unidentifieium, but I hope not.

 

[Rob66]

looks like raw copper to me.

 

[ZenAgain]

Piece of a crashed UFO......

 

[lostcauses]

How you doing? Borrow a camera. Email me some pics through Kim.
Kims kids still driving me nuts! LOL
You still in Idaho?
Hope you are having fun.

How is the crystal formation look.

Roy.

 

[Shattuc]

well, none of the auto focus digital cameras I can get ahold of are able to focus on this rock. the parts where it's really interesting is where the two pieces broke apart. and that's the one part that none of these digital cameras are willing to focus on.
here are some more images of it.

 

[allen_idaho]

The green streaks suggest copper

 

[Shattuc]

Ok, I'm sorry I cannot seem to get a good picture of this rock, but there are no green streaks. I know what copper and such looks like, I spent a few days in an old copper mine in Southern New Mexico, called copper flats, I've seen all kinds of copper and copper type stuff. This looks nothing like copper, or any of the copper related minerals. it looks like flowing gold/pinkish gold on one side, and the reverse is black and kinda small bubbly. where the crystals are, looks like mica, but is very solid, can't get any of it to break loose. the pink gold side feels waxy, but without residue. the reverse is rough where the black is, and waxy like the front in some places. where the chunk was cut off of it, it feels waxy too. The really screwy part to me, is when you lightly knock the two pieces together it clinks like it's metal, but when you look at it, it's like it's... it doesn't look anything like metal to be quite honest. in some places, yeah it looks like metal, like where the crystal structure is, that looks metal, but the rest of it... I just can't explain it. I can't justify that this little rock weighs 8oz, It's too heavy to be petrified anything. I'm pretty sure anyways. I just have run out of ways to describe it. and I can't seem to get a decent picture of it. the auto focus on both of the digital cameras I have access to, says it's in perfect focus when it's too blurry to recognize anything. I guess the only answer I can get is an Arizona Sex Stone.

 

[SomeGuy]

Auto focus often requires a straight line to lock onto. Some use vertical lines, some use horizontal lines. Try using a piece of notebook paper for a background, in diffused sunlight or open shade. You could also lay a straight edge across the top of the item, and remove it after the focus locks. Don't get too close, rather stand back a bit and crop out the excess.