Strange Rock????

[sixshooter]

Maybe someone can help me identify this rock I found. I was detecting in the Southern Ca high desert near Randsburg. It gave me a super hard signal. I thought maybe a "hotrock", but it is NOT magnetic! I ground a portion of it off and it is silver/black metallic looking (shiny spot in the picture). Could it be Silver?? Nickle?? Platinum?? Meteorite?? Please help.
Thanks

 

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[Nullers]

Would have to say not a Meteorite, much too angular. Aside from that I have no idea.

N

 

[goldinmypan]

exposed surfaces of silver are black. here's a link

http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/elements/silver/silver.htm

 

[tvanwho]

I found a rock similar to that in Arizona while gold hunting near payson 4 years ago.Looks like magnetite to me. If it has any reddish spots in the rock , It is definite magnetite/hematite, an iron ore. A rock shop might still give you some bucks for it so don't throw it out. It doesn't look right for a meteorite.
-tom

 

[djui5]

I found a rock similar to that in Arizona while gold hunting near payson 4 years ago.Looks like magnetite to me.
-tom

Magnetite is magnetic, and he said it isn't magnetic.

 

[AuExplorer]

SPHALERIT (Zn, Fe)S, Zinc Iron Sulfide and when the iron is not present, makes some really cool crystals.
In a nut shell, High grade zinc ore.... I would look for the Limonite deposit that spit it out, Normally the strata will go oxidized limonite(micron gold)/sphalerit cap and decent gold at the bottom of the cap at the sheer zone.

This is going by the pic, Silver is a possible contender as well as some Pyrites.

 

[cptbil]

It sure looks "volcanic" in orgin!
AND!
HAY!
It could be a Type of Meteorite
You know, the kind blown out of a volcano,
A!
Volcanic Bomb?
Any volcanos in the general area (w/in 10-20 miles?)

 

[Dknight34]

Sphalerite(?) has a red/ reddish yellow streak and also, when struck, has a sulfur odor. If it is soft, it could be molybdenum or it could be psilominane(?)

 

[Brian93436]

Couldn't you simply measure the specific gravity of the "rock" and find out what it is?

 

[Aufinder01]

Try manganese. A water fused lump of minerals in nodes found in deserts and often confused with meteorites.

Aufinder01

 

[thompy]

if you cannot figure it out, send it to me i could take it to work and have one of the guys shoot it with a analizer, we got it for checking weld compositions, a had a piece that had me stumped, that he tested and it was 98% zinc, which had a grey and white exterior, and shined up nice, as your piece does

 

[DanB]

I think it looks like Biotite that is a common phyllosilicate mineral within the mica group.......

it is an indicator rock when looking for gold....


db

 

[jimmygoat]

Did you ever find out what your rock was? Try a scratch test. If it scratches red its probably hematite. Jimmygoat

 

[Dedimus]

It has a "Galena" appearance to it. Strange although

 

[extractor]

SPHALERIT (Zn, Fe)S, Zinc Iron Sulfide and when the iron is not present, makes some really cool crystals.
In a nut shell, High grade zinc ore.... I would look for the Limonite deposit that spit it out, Normally the strata will go oxidized limonite(micron gold)/sphalerit cap and decent gold at the bottom of the cap at the sheer zone.

This is going by the pic, Silver is a possible contender as well as some Pyrites.

Agree!

 

[homefires]

My two cents! Basalt!

 

[Astrobouncer]

I think it looks like Biotite that is a common phyllosilicate mineral within the mica group.......

it is an indicator rock when looking for gold....


db

Anyone else have more info on this statement? I know where there is a good bit of Biotite and quartz not far from my house, but I sure haven't found any gold there, yet anyway.

As to the rock, pictured; I am sorry I don't know enough about it to offer any feedback.

 

[Eu_citzen]

I think it looks like Biotite that is a common phyllosilicate mineral within the mica group.......

it is an indicator rock when looking for gold....


db

Anyone else have more info on this statement? I know where there is a good bit of Biotite and quartz not far from my house, but I sure haven't found any gold there, yet anyway.

As to the rock, pictured; I am sorry I don't know enough about it to offer any feedback.

Nah, Biotite has nothing to do with gold..
Except it's very common and as such could be found with gold...
Most/all Granite consist partly of Biotite..
But Biotite doesn't have a metallic surface, hence this is not Biotite!

Hematite is a possibility.. Makes a reddish streak against a unglazed piece of porcelain.

 

[6.5winmag]

like aufinder said it does favor manganese,manganese sometimes coats gold nuggets
in s.calif from blythe to the chocolate mtns and near the colorado river.try a super magnet on it.

 

[TerryC]

Sixshooter,
I have friends at the Kennedy Space Center that can give you the definitive proof of type. They do that stuff for a living. When I worked there, I took a friend's "meteaorite" in only to find it was a very pure piece of chrome slag! Life went on that day with no further "fools witw there rocks