Identification Help

cherrysun · Jun 1, 2018

Hi everyone, brand new member to the site, and recently got into rock collecting. I've been having a difficult time identifying a few rocks i've found, wondering if anyone could help me out.

Found this one on a beach in NY. seems to have little bits of muscovite on it also.

This one seems to be some sort of metal rock. It is not very heavy, seems to be non-magnetic, and has redish/orangish rust on it.

Here is the backside of the rock.

image taken from the side.

I would really appreciate any help identifying these.

Thanks!

DDancer · Jun 2, 2018

Welcome to the forum cherrysun. As to help identifying rocks and minerals I suggest trips to the library, book stores *and used book stores*, as well as some reads on the .net. Collect the books for reference and pay attention to the testing for various minerals.
As to what you have there the first bit is very interesting, a large mass of quartz, smoky and clear, Yes some muscovite mica but of keen interest there appears to be labradorite~ the blue iridescent material. Quite a few individual crystals. Possibly a few I'm leaving out. I'd like to have found that where it came from

But you found it on the beach so take a look around the inland and see if you can trace it is my suggestion. Has not been in the water long.
The second stone looks sedimentary, possibly quite old, and looks like it contains pyrites *another reason why I say old*. A streak test would help.

Good stuff and happy hunting. Buckets of stuff waiting for ya.

cherrysun · Jun 2, 2018

DDancer, thanks for the help! I do not think however there is any labradorite in the quartz, the blue iridescent material is simply the reflection of flash from my phone.

Rific · Jun 2, 2018

I think the second one is a sandstone ironstone concretion

DDancer · Jun 3, 2018

If thats so cherrysun its a neat effect

Difficult to say when the stone is not in the hand.

Mine Shaft · Jun 3, 2018

Welcome cherrysun like the second stone very cool design.

Jarl · Jun 4, 2018

The second specimen...I have several finds that have nearly identical granular appearance and color. They are also generally flat on one side and have the rounded bulges or protrusions on the other. The ones I find I believe are burrows that were filled in with sand and silt...later solidifying as a cast of the burrow. The other common characteristic of the ones I find are, that what I would call the 'exit/entrance' to the burrow, are similar in shape and size...which leads me to think that the process of formation is consistent and habitual. In cross section it would look like a half circle. But, I haven't found anything in research that would suggest that I am correct...yet. I have not found them randomly either...only in piles of dirt from a cemetery. One of the specimens has an 1/8th layer of what i think is hematite.

Rific · Jun 8, 2018

Jarl said:
The second specimen...I have several finds that have nearly identical granular appearance and color. They are also generally flat on one side and have the rounded bulges or protrusions on the other. The ones I find I believe are burrows that were filled in with sand and silt...later solidifying as a cast of the burrow. The other common characteristic of the ones I find are, that what I would call the 'exit/entrance' to the burrow, are similar in shape and size...which leads me to think that the process of formation is consistent and habitual. In cross section it would look like a half circle. But, I haven't found anything in research that would suggest that I am correct...yet. I have not found them randomly either...only in piles of dirt from a cemetery. One of the specimens has an 1/8th layer of what i think is hematite.

Yes I agree I think it is fossiliferous sandstone with iron oxides probably not too far above a shale layer