metal stones found in a wood.

[rockpassion]

I just bought these metal rocks from a guy who found them in the woods in a depression in the ground with metal detector. Any opinions are welcom

 

[Red-Coat]

Strength of attraction to a magnet?
Streak test result?
Hardness?
Exposed interior/cut surface?

 

[rockpassion]

Strength of attraction to a magnet?
Streak test result?
Hardness?
Exposed interior/cut surface?

My apologies but posted it to get a first opinion. i will recieve the rocks tuesday. then a will do the test you mentioned.

 

[Red-Coat]

Well... a 'first opinion' would be 'bog iron'... but pictures alone won't provide the answer.

Bog iron - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[rockpassion]

Well... a 'first opinion' would be 'bog iron'... but pictures alone won't provide the answer.

Bog iron - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

i will keep you posted with an upadte and photo's and test.

 

[Blackfoot58]

I thought they roughly resembled geodes, but they don’t usually attract a magnet in my experiences.

 

[rockpassion]

he went back and found an additional 17 kilo of pieces and had to dig 1,5 meters deep.

 

[galenrog]

The amount of Bog Iron I have found, that is very similar in appearance, likely approached a ton. The stuff is far more common that most “experts” will admit.

Are your rocks Bog Iron? Other than the images, I have no clue.

 

[rockpassion]

The amount of Bog Iron I have found, that is very similar in appearance, likely approached a ton. The stuff is far more common that most “experts” will admit.

Are your rocks Bog Iron? Other than the images, I have no clue.

first i want to establish if they are natural or manmade (slag) i will receive them hopefully tommorow. this photo shows them dug up from 1,5 meter deep in a pine forrest floor.

 

[Blackfoot58]

Am I reading this correctly? They were almost 5 feet underground?

 

[rockpassion]

Am I reading this correctly? They were almost 5 feet underground?

if 1,5 meter is 5 feet then the answer is yes.

 

[WoodsDigger]

Bog iron. I find it in woods in northern ny.

 

[rockpassion]

Bog iron. I find it in woods in northern ny.

do you have photo's of yours

 

[WoodsDigger]

do you have photo's of yours

This only pic I could find fast.

 

[rockpassion]

Well the stones have arrived and they are very unusual. They are weakly atracted to a magnet and leave an orange streak and contain black sharp edged crystals. is this what bog iron looks like? It turnes out that is was a farmer who found them on his land and dug them up with a excavator. So not found in the woods or maybe his land lies in the woods?

 

[Red-Coat]

Yes. That’s a typical appearance for bog iron. It consists of a mixture of iron oxyhydroxides, with the principal component usually being limonite/goethite but magnetite, hematite and schwertmannite are common secondary minerals. Limonite/goethite streaks a yellowish brown or brownish yellow and hematite streaks reddish brown to dark red. Neither are attracted to a magnet.

The black crystals will likely be secondary magnetite, which is the only common iron oxide compound attracted to a magnet.

 

[rockpassion]

Yes. That’s a typical appearance for bog iron. It consists of a mixture of iron oxyhydroxides, with the principal component usually being limonite/goethite but magnetite, hematite and schwertmannite are common secondary minerals. Limonite/goethite streaks a yellowish brown or brownish yellow and hematite streaks reddish brown to dark red. Neither are attracted to a magnet.

The black crystals will likely be secondary magnetite, which is the only common iron oxide compound attracted to a magnet.

do the magnetite crystals atract a metal needle? Or how can i test if the crystals are magnetite?

 

[Red-Coat]

do the magnetite crystals atract a metal needle? Or how can i test if the crystals are magnetite?

Magnetite streaks dark grey to black. It will always be attracted by a magnet (ie ferro-magnetic) but only specific formation mechanisms result in it being able to attract ferrous materials (ie magnetised). In bog iron, it's unlikely to be magnetised.

 

[rockpassion]

Magnetite streaks dark grey to black. It will always be attracted by a magnet (ie ferro-magnetic) but only specific formation mechanisms result in it being able to attract ferrous materials (ie magnetised). In bog iron, it's unlikely to be magnetised.

I have taken a better look at the stones and the large black crystals turn out to be brown translucent crystals

 

[Red-Coat]

I have taken a better look at the stones and the large black crystals turn out to be brown translucent crystals

Bog iron does not have fixed composition. It's a mixture of iron minerals, principally oxyhydroxides and oxides. If it has formed at a depth where anaerobic conditions have prevailed, the most likely secondary mineral to exhibit translucent brown crystals would be siderite (ferrous carbonate.)