Clueless ...

[PennyG]

Found on shore of Lake Michigan.
Any ideas? I'm thinking pyrite, which I find plenty of on the beach, but never in such a large quantity. I've scrubbed the surface for two days now. I've used a rotary tool which helps sand the surface around the brass looking stones but will glide right off the stones themselves.

 

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[PennyG]

And what should I use to clean it? Bar Keepers Friend ? Thank you.

 

[ice9]

Looks like pyrite nodules in black shale to me. You could polish the pyrite to a brilliant shine with diamond rock polishing equipment. Cheaper equivalents are stone polishing accessories for a rotary tool, or even successively finer black waterproof sandpaper, using a polishing compound like aluminum oxide, on cloth, last. Doing this by hand will be time consuming, but it will work. Keep an eye out for Petoskey Stones, puddingstone, unkaite, and other amazing beach gems, you'd be surprised what's out there, brought south by the glaciers.

 

[PennyG]

Thank you for your response. I thought pyrite as well.
I have tons of awesome finds from the beach. I attempt to go at least once a week.

 

[Mrdigz]

That is very cool!! I would also polish that asapthen post your results!!!

 

[PennyG]

I will for sure. I'm a newbie and still reading about all the different ways to polish and polishing compounds

 

[DDancer]

Considering where you found it Penny it is pretty likely its a bit of pyrite thats been worn by glaciers. Very neat form and your buffing it up is really making it shine

 

[PennyG]

Considering where you found it Penny it is pretty likely its a bit of pyrite thats been worn by glaciers. Very neat form and your buffing it up is really making it shine

Thank you. Attempted a scratch test and unlike all the other pyrite I have , nothing showed up. Could the wear of it do that?

 

[DDancer]

Its possible that the point you chose to scratch is a bit to smooth to grab a sample on your porcelain. A small file in a discrete spot and spread the filed material on a white surface will suffice to.

 

[jair]

View attachment 1286891View attachment 1286892View attachment 1286894
Found on shore of Lake Michigan.
Any ideas? I'm thinking pyrite, which I find plenty of on the beach, but never in such a large quantity. I've scrubbed the surface for two days now. I've used a rotary tool which helps sand the surface around the brass looking stones but will glide right off the stones themselves.

There's copper mines around that area , possible the vein goes through the area under the water by where you found the rock , looks really nice .

 

[PennyG]

Still working on the dark clay that surrounds the rock. I'll drill away at it but seems I get no where.
Performed another streak test with colorless results again. A bit of an unusual burning smell when I run the grinding stone over the , what I'm assuming is some sort of metal. But I've read that's normal.

 

[DDancer]

Curious and curious. Not pyrite and not copper or typical metal alloys. Is it non-magnetic?

 

[PennyG]

Curious and curious. Not pyrite and not copper or typical metal alloys. Is it non-magnetic?

No it is not magnetic. It's heavy but have not weighed it . Might purchase a small kitchen scale today.