Need help identifying a rock..

reply to post by SKinLaB
You either scratch the unidentified object against another sample of known hardness or vice versa.

An example.

If the unidentified sample scratches quartz, you may have a diamond, or at least something which is harder than quartz.

Mohs Hardness Scale

...and the Streak Test against a piece of ceramic (white). What colour does it leave, if any?

reply to post by aorAki
Then there's the Blowpipe Test for identifying minerals.

Looks like a fossilised bone to me, see if there is a history of fossil finds in the area.

2nd

Originally posted by SKinLaB
What do you mean by scratch test? Sorry but im a nub when it comes to this kind of stuff.

How to perform a mohs test

Originally posted by butcherguy
reply to post by aorAki

 

Then there's the Blowpipe Test for identifying minerals.

Ah yes!
I recently found a load of platinum loops, carbon blocks and blow pipes that my boss had thought were long gone. He was so excited and we are looking at developing a teaching use for them as it helps illustrate the development of techniques. Nowadays, of course, everyone loves XRF! (X Ray fluorescence)

Well, i just tried to scratch it with a penny:nothing. I tried to scratch it with a steel file:nothing. It is pretty hard i guess.

I forgot to mention but, upclose it looks like it has pores and a bunch of little pits. Unfortunately i got to buy another digital camera because my Sister will not let me use hers again seeing how i dropped and broke her last one.

BTW, i added 3 more pics that are closer. Maybe it will help a little?picasaweb.google.com...#

reply to post by SKinLaB


My first thought was 'fossil'.

Not magnetic, didn't rub, hard to scratch... Another possibility is black nephrite. Is there a greenish cast at all? But I know nothing about your area.

In the end... Need better pics. Sorry.

Edit:

LOL followed your link to the pics. Fossil.

I don't know about it being a fossil. I may well be wrong, but I got no suggestion of something fossilised from the pictures. I'm still going along the basalt road, but need better pics or more information regarding the streak etc...

When you look at it through a magnifying glass (handlens?) what do you see?

Originally posted by SKinLaB
Well, i just tried to scratch it with a penny:nothing. I tried to scratch it with a steel file:nothing. It is pretty hard i guess.

I forgot to mention but, upclose it looks like it has pores and a bunch of little pits. Unfortunately i got to buy another digital camera because my Sister will not let me use hers again seeing how i dropped and broke her last one.

BTW, i added 3 more pics that are closer. Maybe it will help a little?picasaweb.google.com...#

Well, at the risk of repeating myself again I'm sticking with Tektite ... SKinLaB did you look at the images of Tektite that I posted on the previous page ?

They are almost identical to the last picture you posted don't you think ?

Woody

Looking at your new pics, I'm fairly certain that is an iron meteorite I could be wrong, but I would get it expertly checked, could be worth something.

Originally posted by woodwytch

Originally posted by SKinLaB
Well, i just tried to scratch it with a penny:nothing. I tried to scratch it with a steel file:nothing. It is pretty hard i guess.

I forgot to mention but, upclose it looks like it has pores and a bunch of little pits. Unfortunately i got to buy another digital camera because my Sister will not let me use hers again seeing how i dropped and broke her last one.

BTW, i added 3 more pics that are closer. Maybe it will help a little?picasaweb.google.com...#

Well, at the risk of repeating myself again I'm sticking with Tektite ... SKinLaB did you look at the images of Tektite that I posted on the previous page ?

They are almost identical to the last picture you posted don't you think ?

Woody

I do think it looks like the pics you posted. Is tektite heavy for its size? Im stumped. I have been searching all around today and i came up empty handed. You posted what mostly resembles it. My think is the shape. It does in a way look almost shaped like a piece of a rib bone or something. I am going to email a museum or something. I wouldnt even be trying so hard to find out what it is if my Daughter didnt keep sweating me about it. She is obsessed with finding out what it is. I will do what i can to make her happy. She is crazy about rocks and certain stones.That is a good sign.

Seriously man, check out iron meteorites heres an example:



and another:



and a final one:

I found this which might be useful:

What is the surface of your rock like? Does it have Fusion Crust? Fusion crust is a thin (1 to 2 mm) coating of glass that covers the outside of a freshly fallen meteorite. It is like the glaze on ceramic ware. Usually, fusion crust is black because of iron in the meteorite. But sometimes it is brown or greenish or even clear. It will usually have small cracks and a texture like leather. Iron meteorites and stone meteorites can have fustion crust, but a few--very few--freshly fallen meteorites have none at all. Meteorites that have been on earth for a while are a different story. The glass coating very often quickly crumbles and falls off.

Take the test, it might be worth it

www.meteoritemarket.com...

Ok so i decided to break a piece off of the rock. I used a pair of dikes to do it. It is hard as hell what ever it is. It chipped off in a razor blade shard. It is amber looking where it broke. I posted 2 more pics to show. I know the quality sucks but not much I can do about that right now.

It is definitely not an iron meteorite. No magnetism what so ever.
picasaweb.google.com...#

Originally posted by SKinLaB

Originally posted by woodwytch

Originally posted by SKinLaB
Well, i just tried to scratch it with a penny:nothing. I tried to scratch it with a steel file:nothing. It is pretty hard i guess.

I forgot to mention but, upclose it looks like it has pores and a bunch of little pits. Unfortunately i got to buy another digital camera because my Sister will not let me use hers again seeing how i dropped and broke her last one.

BTW, i added 3 more pics that are closer. Maybe it will help a little?picasaweb.google.com...#

Well, at the risk of repeating myself again I'm sticking with Tektite ... SKinLaB did you look at the images of Tektite that I posted on the previous page ?

They are almost identical to the last picture you posted don't you think ?

Woody

I do think it looks like the pics you posted. Is tektite heavy for its size? Im stumped. I have been searching all around today and i came up empty handed. You posted what mostly resembles it. My think is the shape. It does in a way look almost shaped like a piece of a rib bone or something. I am going to email a museum or something. I wouldnt even be trying so hard to find out what it is if my Daughter didnt keep sweating me about it. She is obsessed with finding out what it is. I will do what i can to make her happy. She is crazy about rocks and certain stones.That is a good sign.

A good sign indeed ... geology fascinates me ... I know some might consider that a bit nerdy but I totally disagree ... I find the information that we can derive from the rocks and minerals on our planet (or from elswhere ) so exciting ... when I was studying Natural Earth Sciences the geology modules were my favourite by far ... encourage your daughter in this it will provide her with such insight and perspective of her surroundings.

Woody

Well, I looked through a crap load of rock picks and I see nothing that looks like it. I looked through a lot of mineral and glass pics and see nothing it looks like to me unless i missed something. Now, I found something that it does look a lot like. It looks like a meteorite pic I found. The outside is black and the inside is amber-ish. I could be way off on this but so far it is really the only thing I can compare it to. The site says that one indication that it "could" be is that most meteorites are 30% heavier than a rock of its same size. That i will agree too. That would be killer to find out that it was one indeed. I'm not so sure though. Anyhow, here is the pic im talking about.

Ok last time!

I got my grinder and put a diamond blade on it. I ground down on one side of it. (man this thing is hard) I then put my 80 grit sand flap disk on. (these flap disks are for stainless and steel) It wouldnt dig in the rock at all. All it did was kinda polish it. Made the rock hot as hell i can tell you that! I took 3 more crappy pics with my phone.

Well, i sent an email off to a Geologist. According to him it is a worthless piece of (sh_t) basalt. I think someone said that in the thread. . And here i had my hopes up i had something good.Go figure! Turns out, it's as worthless as a basketball bat.

Oh well, thank you all again for your help.

reply to post by SKinLaB


A rock is a hard substance that is calcified minerals. Usually can be found in caves, or on the ground just about any dry area.

Hope that helps in identifying a rock.