White Quartz rock... but what is that on it?

[pancrazee]

Walking up the road to my new property I found this rock that caught my eye. Is this pyrite I'm looking at? I can see mica flecks... the shiny points... but look at that top most layered part in particular. This is what is most interesting to me and most confusing.

The rock is sitting on a roll of painters tape around 6" in diameter... to give you some idea of it's size.



I have a link to the full rez picture for a better examination. If you right click on the image there it will expand to full size. Thanks for the help.

http://www.webtfg.com/quartzrock.jpg

 

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[tamrock]

For sure Mica I believe and could be pyrite also. Is any of it very brittle? Look at it with a jewelers lope and you may see very small cube like pyrite crystals.

 

[pancrazee]

Is any of it very brittle? Look at it with a jewelers lope and you may see very small cube like pyrite crystals.

Will do that this afternoon and report back in the AM. Rock is home and I'm at the office. I have an old projector lens I can use. Does not appear to have crystals but will look closely.

Does pyrite normally come with those layers I mentioned? That top most section looks similar to shale or slate but in miniature.

 

[pancrazee]

Ok. Looked more closely last night using my projector lens. Can can down to about .24" wide area. What is see is a rust brown red... I call it Mars Red material mixed in with the quartz. The layers I saw are clearly mica that apparently is colored by this other component to give it a yellowish tint.

I do not really see crystals to indicate pyrite. The red areas have pits and valleys as opposed to the smooth quartz.

Any ideas what the red is?

 

[BosnMate]

Mica. Put your rock in deep shade, does it still shine. Mica requires light to shine.

 

[pancrazee]

Mica.

You're saying the red pitted material is mica?

 

[tamrock]

Does sound like mica with the stains of iron oxide giving the reddish and tan colors within the white quartz.

 

[pancrazee]

Does sound like mica with the stains of iron oxide giving the reddish and tan colors within the white quartz.

OK. It does have the appearance of rust.

Is the iron then natural to the ground? Is this commonly found in quartz?

Would it have any magnetic properties... be attracted to a magnet I mean?

 

[kuger]

Yes,yes and not likely unless it is magnetite which is generally black in color

 

[tamrock]

OK. It does have the appearance of rust.

Is the iron then natural to the ground? Is this commonly found in quartz?

Would it have any magnetic properties... be attracted to a magnet I mean?

Can't tell for sure by just a picture. Quartz will be found with countless other elements in it. The best element to be found in quartz IMO would be gold and your rock could ever have a few molecules of that in it?. Quartz or Silica is one of the most abundant element found on the surface of the planet. Iron is also found in great abundance and you can just about bet that ever scoop of dirt you'd pick up will include quartz, iron and many other element like mica. To find the exact content of your rock would involve some lab work. I'm sure the rock you have was formed by vein geology. Vein (geology) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[pancrazee]

Quartz will be found with countless other elements in it. The best element to be found in quartz IMO would be gold and your rock could ever have a few molecules of that in it?

Truth be told, I was kind of hoping that was the case. I'm looking to pan a stream on my property this spring. As an eager to get started first timer, everything looks like gold to me : ).

I did scrape off some of the layered portion and I have a microscope at my office. Forgot to bring those flecks with me today but will do so tomorrow.

Not sure what I'm looking for, though.

 

[kuger]

if you crush that quartz to a powder,and pan it you will know if there is gold in it

 

[tamrock]

Truth be told, I was kind of hoping that was the case. I'm looking to pan a stream on my property this spring. As an eager to get started first timer, everything looks like gold to me : ).

I did scrape off some of the layered portion and I have a microscope at my office. Forgot to bring those flecks with me today but will do so tomorrow.

Not sure what I'm looking for, though.

The best asset for any prospector is his curiosity. That rock does have a great value in opening up that part of your mind. Research the mining history of your area. Find out was gold ever found in a quartz deposits or any other kind deposit in your area? Has placer gold been found in the rivers and streams in your area? If these questions are 'yes' then there's good odds gold may be in the stream you speak of. So much information is available to access these days, your bound to have success in just about anything your chose to do these days. Just do your research and you'll know were to go find and hopefully recover the treasure.

 

[pancrazee]

Hey, thanks!

This has been a great source of information for me and I appreciate all the replies very much. Gold has been found in general in my state of Connecticut. There was a recent discovery of a vein by some geology students in a cave and we did have a sort of mini gold rush some years back.

There is an old abandoned silver mine not far from my land. Not sure if that means anything in terms of finding gold, but I guess the possibility is there and worth a look-see.

Even just to get out of the office for some fresh air.

Thanks, again.

 

[BosnMate]

There is an old saying, "Gold is where you find it." And that's true, but if you really want to find gold, look in
places that gold has been found before. I knew a guy, he's gone now, that found gold in flag stone, when he was
digging rocks for his patio. That gold was found in the foothills below Coarse Gold, Calif. 60 plus years ago, in an area which wasn't exactly in the mother load. So gold is found other places besides quartz, but quartz is an excellent place to start. You can do what Kuger said, and crush and pan, or if you are very careful you can dissolve the rock with nitric acid, and just the gold will be left. Don't do that until you educate yourself first, that stuff is nothing to play with if you don't know what you are doing. As a side note, where I live in Oregon there is what's called, "Pocket gold." Oregon geologic history is it was highly volcanic, and gold would be deposited in vents, which also vented sulfuric acid, which over time dissolved the the rock matrix the gold was in, leaving behind a pocked of gold. One such pocket was found at Gold Hill that yielded $250,000 in the 1850's when gold was $16 an ounce, in an area about the size of a grave, 3x6x6. It appears that you live in a mineralized area, which is a good start, learn the basics of panning, get one of those green gold pans with the ridges in it, and pan carefully, really small gold can easily be washed out of the pan, and as you learn what you are doing, then you can really get after it. Keep shaking it to the bottom, and removing just the top. Locally you would end up with some black sand in the crease in the pan, and hopefully a few flecks of "color." And good luck, I identify with your excitement.

 

[goldnugget]

Can you Post a Picture of the Projector Lens.. Something I might find at a Flea Market or Thrift Store..Thanks-goldnugget

 

[Johncoho]

It appears to be Chalcopyrite, but could be gold. If you use the tip of a pocket knife to press on it and see if it crushes or flakes off then it is Chalcopyrite. If it bends of flattens then it is likely gold. I have a similar specimen and it is Chalcopyrite. I have been an avid rock hound in Arizona for a number of years. Good luck.

 

[Boomer-1]

Looks mica-ish.

An old prospector once told me, and I think it's some of the best advice. "Mica shines, gold glows. If you shade it with your hand, and it still shines...keep it."

That helps here in Alabama, as we have a lot of mica schist.