Heavy Metal Green Ball

proteus922 · Mar 24, 2009

I found this with my metal detector. The color is a mottled dark jade green. Surface is very smooth. Ball is perfectly round. Is it a ball bearing, musket ball, marble

? If it is made of marble, I didn't think my metal detector would find it, would it?

Drache · Mar 24, 2009

my vote is on a ball bearing....

Montana Jim · Mar 24, 2009

Can't you tell if is steel, lead or marble?

ivan salis · Mar 24, 2009

seems to me like a jade colored chinese enamaled stress ballknown properly as * boading balls --- (which comes in a pair ) --enamled or stone looking type outer coating over metal -- you roll the pair in your hand as a stress reliver --some have noise makers in them --others (the more traditional ones) do not.

Tony in SC · Mar 25, 2009

I woud say it's a brass check ball from some type of pump. I think there was one posted a while back. Tony

Woodland Detectors · Mar 25, 2009

Um, I doubt if its not metallic would any metal detecting device ever acknowledge its presence but, it sure looks like a great candidate for a ball bearing.

Bigcypresshunter · Mar 25, 2009

Run it under your MD again. Maybe it was next to something metal?

BuckleBoy · Mar 25, 2009

LOL big Cy--that's the best idea so far.

It looks like marble--so if your detector doesn't beep, then that's my vote.

Too smooth to be steel.

Might be brass though.

ivan salis · Mar 25, 2009

brass / copper is what many of the enamled boading balls are made of by the way -- the hollow ones -- the solid ones are often iron / steel (stainless)

Bigcypresshunter · Mar 26, 2009

Ivan may be right about the boading balls. Check with magnet for iron.
http://travelasiasurvey.com/boading.php

ivan salis · Mar 26, 2009

--thanks big cy ----see the lovely jade color of the ball above --see the "star design"-- look closely at them --see the brass / copper in the star outline ? very popular item and color in the orient :wink:

-- any martial artist would spot what they are very quckly . they are use tto develop hand strength and for stress releif .-- I think your is a "plain" jade colored type ball. of this type--- they can come in differant sizes ,colors , ofren with patterns in or on them and their metal make up varies too.-- I as a world traveller spent a fair bit of time overseas in asia.

proteus922 · Mar 29, 2009

Thanks for all the input. The ball is NOT magnetic, and there are no markings on them like the stars in the pic. It weighs 29 grams and has a volume of about 4 cc. Therefore, the density is about 7.28 gm/cc and this coincides with the density of TIN....but I doubt if it is tin. I don't think it's lead because it is very hard....impossible to dent. Anyway, it's interesting to see what you all think. Thanks again for the replies.

Bigcypresshunter · Mar 29, 2009

proteus922 said:
Thanks for all the input. The ball is NOT magnetic, and there are no markings on them like the stars in the pic.

They come in all different colors and they are not all ferrous.

l.cutler · Mar 29, 2009

Aren't boading balls much larger? That one appears to be not much larger in diameter than the US cent in the photo. There is an area near me where brass balls of various sizes can be found, an old gun powder mill. The balls were used to grind the powder, iron could cause a spark which would not be good. I suppose the possibilities are endless!