Beginner...... Pictures of a vein of some sort.....

[jza01701]

Is this what I am looking for prospecting or just some similar minerals.... LOL.

What is this formation?

The black rock pictured is slightly metallic and reflects light on one side...

My metal detector will not arrive until next week....

 

[Goldwasher]

I thought pictures would not arrive until July 19th.

Patina of a rock can give a clue to the make up....or not
You can see in your chip how far the Rock has oxidized at the surface.
"SHINEY" ( metal in APPEARANCE)..is an indicator that the rock is " shiney" not much else.

I see some sun varnish and some organic reaction.

They are just photos so I could be wrong but, I don't see anything to indicate even moderate mineralization that could mean gold.

 

[jza01701]

These are pics of rock near home. I am 3000 miles from where I will be on the 19th. Just wondering what this formation coud be made of near my house. I have three weeks just walking around in the yard.... Figured I would ask while I a waiting to travel.... bored I guess.

 

[Goldwasher]

ok and where are these pictures taken? State?

 

[kcm]

For future reference, it helps GREATLY making ID's when we can know "some" amount of information on a given pic. Otherwise, you're in for a crap shoot. Adding to that, many folks will not even TRY to provide ID's to someone who won't give any information to go on. It's difficult enough trying to ID rocks/minerals using 2D photos. In many cases, even multiple pics of the same rock is impossible to positively identify.

 

[winners58]

could be basalt but looks more like shale or what I call mud stone (sedimentary) limestone and other staining along cracks and seams
not a vein, all the minerals are present in the rock and just seeping out.
there can be intrusions such as chert or layers that have banded together such as bituminous
veins usually form from volcanic (igneous) or hydrothermal action (metamorphic)
you have to look for areas where the bedrock changes from one type of bedrock to another,
there are lots of geologic maps look for ones of the area you are going.
.
an example for your area in Massachusetts;
I'd say to look in upper mid state between the granite's and schist's for any good veins with mineralization

 

[jza01701]

I live in Massachusetts.

 

[jza01701]

Where my home is looks to be the band of orange "other" metamorphic rocks.

 

[Burrows]

love this pic