EVER SEEN A ROCK LIKE THIS?

[Koric1]

This rock I purchased at a storage sale weighs 2.4 lbs. is non-magnetic. The black on outside of rock maybe tarnish. Used gold and platinum acid test and lost none of the rock , just removed the black outer layer. I have included pictures to give the relative size of the rock.

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

coal?I looked at it better and now I retract my answer of coal, it is strange looking.

 

[BosnMate]

Petrified dung from some ancient herbivorous critter.

 

[Eu_citzen]

Astrophyllite?

 

[Icewing]

I just wouldn't play Scratch 'N Sniff too much, just in case it turns out to be Asbestos.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

I was a rock-hound (mineral & fossil collector) long ago, but I don't recall seeing a rock like yours. TreasureNet has a Rocks-Gems-Minerals forum. I suggest you post your mystery rock photos there, with an identification request.

 

[P.ALLEN]

not fibrous enough to be asbestos or asbestos related host mineral. Finely bladed crystals, it's metallic, just not ferrous. It's a bad mofo rock though, clean that baby all the way up and you got a stew going

 

[namxat]

Hi,

I would not rule out Asbestos fully, but I have seen very similar rocks in an old mine tail.

They were called Rutile (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutile) and according to wiki it is an Titanium ore.

Greets namxta

 

[Ditlihi]

Was going to say some kind of Hornblende Amphibole until I took a closer look at this shot. The imprint circled suggests it's some kind of molten slag instead.....

 

[Eu_citzen]

First of all, I am 99.99% sure it's not asbestos of any sort. There are but a handful of "common" minerals with a bronze-like color and a metallic luster.
Only one that I can think of that typically forms "fibrous" crystals - astrophyllite.

Its not slag, it lacks the atypical gas bubbles. The crystals in this piece formed in a natural cavity in the rock; crystals need room to grow!

Rutile is a potential candidate to. I'm not sure I'd do any destructive tests to such a fine specimen, though, but otherwise I hardness test will separate the two.
Astrophyllite is soft, a knife will scratch it.
Rutile is harder, a knife won't scratch it.

 

[Koric1]

Ty for the guess

 

[Koric1]

Thank you for all the great suggestions. I will definitely look into all of them and go to that rock page that was suggested. The weight of the rock is what really threw me off 2.4 lbs seems really heavy for something that is not magnetic.

 

[diggummup]

2.4 pounds seems very heavy for a rock of that size. Can you do a specific gravity test and let us know the results?

 

[Goldfinger450]

HMM, have seen lots of Rutilated stone, even rutilated Quartz with Gold shot through it, but that rock is a puzzle, will be great to know just what it IS.

 

[rgb1]

looking at pictures it appears to be wire gold of course it is not pure , the black coating on outside would most proably be oxidized silver or could be magnesium these all can be found together just looking at pictures i could be way off if it turns out to be wire gold and silver it could be very valuable to a collector many thousands of dollars do not try to clean up unless you know what you are doing good luck get good advice from someone in the know rgb1

 

[Gully]

It looks like a rock.. Hope you didn't spend to much if you haven't noticed the earths full of em

 

[Gully]

looking at pictures it appears to be wire gold of course it is not pure , the black coating on outside would most proably be oxidized silver or could be magnesium these all can be found together just looking at pictures i could be way off if it turns out to be wire gold and silver it could be very valuable to a collector many thousands of dollars do not try to clean up unless you know what you are doing good luck get good advice from someone in the know rgb1

I'd say fools fold

 

[Kray Gelder]

Nice, interesting specimen. I have been asking myself what situation could form this. I am visualizing a native bedrock stone outcrop of some fibrous mineral, a piece of which is torn off by a passing basalt flow, embedded, and later weathered out to be found by a passing human.

 

[Koric1]

Thank you all so much. I’m from riverside California and have no idea where I can take this rock to determine what it is. If anyone locally could help me with any suggestions where I could bring it to have it identified, it would help a lot.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Two days ago, I helpfully suggested you post your rock in TreasureNet's "Rocks & Gems" forum, where the rockhounds/mineral-collectors/geologists hang out and identify mystery rocks. But you haven't done that. So, as a courtesy to a female new-member, I'll make it easier for you. Here's a direct link to the Rocks & Gems forum:
Rocks/Gems

You could also take your rock to a nearby college/university's Geology Department.