Mysterious accretions

[unclemac]

I have wondered about these for years. I found them all at one time and all in one place on a west coast beach. I have never seen any others where I hunt so they are not common where I found them. They are spherical, come in different sizes and seem to be sand accretions but when you cut into them there is nothing in the center. One curious thing about them is that they seem to have a metallic component, almost like a metal shell (the dark spots in the picture) that glow and slightly "spark" when I grind them on the wheel.

 

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[DANGLANGLEY]

Wow, I don't have a clue. Those are very interesting. At first I thought they were clay marbles but after reading your post I don't think they are. You might get some answers if you post this in the "what is it" forum. Good luck to you. I'll watch this one to see if anyone can identify them. Thanks for posting them.

DANGLANGLEY

 

[eathabs]

Reminds me of the balls found along railroad tracks. Iron ore is rolled into a betonite clay to form the sphere. They are transported that way and used in iron making.

habs