Hi, Im new: What is this, and is it worth anything to anybody? Thanks.

KristyDFox

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Mar 14, 2013
4
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Greenville, PA (western PA)
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Hi, I'm new: What is this, and is it worth anything to anybody? Thanks.

Location: Foothills of Allegheny Mountains in a very, very rural hiking/hunting land owned by my family for many generations. This land is along a river and adjacent to State Game Lands in Venango County, PA. There is absolutely no manufacturing in this area, nor is there much of anything inhabited. The nearest house is about 6 miles away, and the nearest industry/factory is about 35 miles away. Unless there were Native Americans settled in this ravine/riverbed, nothing modern has been situated there in recent decades/centuries.

When it was found: I found this on a hike with my husband last year. We were about a 45-min hike from our vehicle when I found it in the riverbed, but I talked him into filling our backpacks and bringing it home. It resembled the beautiful obsidian volcanic rocks I'd paid good money for at a shop in Florida years before.

Perspective: I put a quilter's mat on the table, so the squares are 1" each. There is natural light behind me. I washed the rocks before photographing them so you can see the shine. I don't own a tumbler or anything like that, so they're just like how I found them on the hike.

The biggest point of emphasis I have is that this is from a very remote location. There is no smelting or manufacturing there, and never has been. No old railroad tracks, no old factories, no manmade roads, etc. It's beautiful out there. You can see so many stars at night. Anyway....

Thank you for taking a good look at these and letting me know what you think it is and/or how to determine if it's worth anything.

1837_621919047824790_127337884_n.jpg 13166_621919337824761_1673565079_n.jpg 64130_621919154491446_1610657442_n.jpg 166722_621919351158093_1623532351_n.jpg 207224_621919484491413_993411852_n.jpg 263402_621919291158099_163880072_n.jpg 285423_621919454491416_2012712661_n.jpg 285677_621919184491443_1161953919_n.jpg 295644_621919304491431_2065733028_n.jpg 312396_621919321158096_82844133_n.jpg 387792_621919417824753_1314634559_n.jpg 420332_621919444491417_1660690922_n.jpg 421557_621919037824791_617474442_n.jpg 482612_621919251158103_1030098379_n.jpg 484973_621919397824755_1714590528_n.jpg 522484_621919101158118_1761098927_n.jpg 541490_621919277824767_850022655_n.jpg 549346_621919387824756_894899207_n.jpg 555419_621919031158125_956577193_n.jpg 563372_621919064491455_284980231_n.jpg 577334_621919087824786_1502623449_n.jpg 598985_621919117824783_560355928_n.jpg 602149_621919144491447_2090639012_n.jpg 734613_621919471158081_842308057_n.jpg
 

coinshooter

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Mar 20, 2003
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Hi Kristy,
I've seen alot of rock and have a few questions.
Does the weight seem normal for each piece of this?
Does it seem at all like plastic or is it more like glass?
Does it clink slightly when tapped with anything metal?
Was this from an outcrop, or just found loose?
It looks like a few things.
There is paint that could be from a manufacuring process that looks similar, but you say there is nothing there.
My guess is volcanic glass (ie: obsidian)
Or possibly Chert (a harder material) similar to obsidian.
The flow lines in it would indicate some sort of initial molten state.
As far as value, yes, it could have some value. Not a ton, but it could make you a couple of hundred bucks if
you sold it on feepay or you got ahold of a local rock shop and sold it by the pound.
Stuff like this on ebay could be used for arrowheads and people would pay big bucks for the nice swirly pieces if it is chert or obsidian.

Send me a piece and I can tell you. I'd pay for shipping.

Send me a PM if interested.
Coinshooter
 

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Brian T. Booth

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Feb 28, 2013
299
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Glasgow KY
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Howdy KristyDFox,

I think what you have is a collection of slag. This is not obsidian, chalcedony nor any type of quartz.

Respectively Submitted,

Brian T. Booth
 

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coinshooter

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One other thing I thought about. If it's light and somewhat brittle, it could possibly be non-precious opalized wood.
Still, it has the pretty factor going for it.
I always tell people who want to start seling rock.
It needs to be either pretty or have nice pattern or color.
This has alot of these.

Looks like the kind of place you might want to take a look in the forest.
You might find an old homestead prime for a treasure hunt.
 

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Rawhide

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Nov 17, 2010
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Brian is right. You can also find these types of rocks in gravel roads.
 

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Turkısh Man

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indir (6).jpg 121206_1279589437.jpg images (21)_640x480.jpg images (24)_640x480.jpg indir (5)_640x480.jpg

Rainbow obsıdıans rough,used many ornaments.
 

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Brian T. Booth

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Feb 28, 2013
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Turkısh Man;3241302 said:
<img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=759590"/><img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=759580"/><img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=759581"/><img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=759582"/><img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=759583"/>

Rainbow obsıdıans rough,used many ornaments.

Turkish Man

Those are true rainbow obsidian. Great specimens.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting,

Brian T. Booth
 

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rock

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Aug 25, 2012
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The bubbles showing is a true sign of slag. Slag comes in all colors but yours is really excellent with all the swirls. I dont know if it can be knapped or not but if it can modern arrow head makes will pay for the bigger pieces. Most sell pieces of natural flint for $5 a pound.
 

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nomad1

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Feb 17, 2013
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Southaven, Mississippi
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You said this was found in a river bed? Go back to this location and try working your way upstream you may find an old glass blowing plant or foundry. try searching the surrounding forest. These samples are glass from some kind of human activity.
 

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Rattlehead

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Dec 16, 2010
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Byron Center, MI
Definitely slag glass. I find similar colored pieces here in MI. There is a ton of slag along the Lake Michigan lakeshore and buried along some rivers. They can fracture pretty easy, but depending on the quality can be made into some nice pendants and spheres. They come in a lot of colors. I like the material a lot...those seem like nice pieces. If you'd want to sell some of the larger ones, I might be interested. Here are some of my pics here:

blue slag glass | Spheremaker.com

Michigan Blue Slag Glass Pendants | Spheremaker.com
 

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urbantreasure

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Jun 7, 2013
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not sure if slag or natural but they are pretty. Though I do not think that rare if so many were found in one location.
 

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kennekd1

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Apr 4, 2014
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I'm originally from south central PA and this looks alot like glass slag I have seen from pig iron furnaces. If it has bubbles in it or little round holes like bubble holes then I'm 100% sure its glass slag. Pig iron furnaces were usually near water and you said this was near a riverbed and all in a pile, sounds like a slag pile to me. That being said I can't be sure without actually holding the material and looking at it in person, you may still want to have someone take a look at it. It looks almost exactly like slag I saw at Greenwood Furnace years ago.
 

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