Identify A Rock

[Thunderfoot]

[MENTION=10177]Treebore[/MENTION] [MENTION=505]Villano[/MENTION]

We have oxidized copper in limestone and quartz that looks a lot like that around here. Those old limestone deposits hold all sorts of minerals, gold, silver, copper, iron, etc but nothing worth trying to mine (either too little or too impure) but with the exception of the gold, most of it ends up oxidizing and altering the color of the clear quartz encasing it, at least until the quartz is lopped off.

Might that be what you have here? Hope this helps.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I was thinking aqua erly on, based on color, but as pointed out, the crystalline structure is off.

I REALLY don't think it's obsidian- as i understand, it should have flaked with the application of the knife.

The agate idea seems good...I was also thinking some kind of blue-green chalcedony.

 

[TarionzCousin]

Let me assist you by narrowing down the possibilities. It's not a ruby.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Very helpful, as always!

 

[TarionzCousin]

Very helpful, as always!

 

[Villano]

Simply put, its impossible to say with just a picture since it has no definable crystalline structure. A couple of small areas look like they may have such structure, so if you can take a close up pictures of those areas, maybe.

What areas do you need to see? I take a close of picture of them if you think it would help.

Do you have a local college you can take it to?

There is a college nearby and I found the e-mail of the Earth Science professor, so I think I'm going to send him a message.

 

[Treebore]

A lot of that looks like it was just "poured", but there seem to be some areas that look squared off or blocky, those may actually be true "structure", so if you could get close ups they may give me solid clues.

 

[Treebore]

Also do you possibly have a piece of good broken glass? Sharp? If so see if it will scratch it.

Also, if you truly did scratch it, not just draw a thin line, with that knife, I already know it isn't beryl.

Also see if you can find a copper, COPPER, penny, and a true IRON nail, and try scratching with them.

Make sure it scratched the stone, and that your cutting object is not just leaving a residue. So rub it after wards, see if you wipe it off, or feel an actual scratch etched into it.

 

[Treebore]

If you can get your hands on HCL (be very careful with it if you can, serious chemical burns will result!) (aka Hydro Chloric Acid) put a drop or two on flat(ish) areas of the stone and let me know if it bubbles.

 

[Treebore]

Another possible clue you can give me, do you know the conditions of the mine in which it was found? Like was there a good amount of water present? Was the mine described as being in solid rock? That kind of info.