Please help ID this beautiful rock

[coachkev]

I found this rock many years ago in a riverbed in the Pacific Northwest. I always just thought it was stunning and have always kept it on display. Recently, I discovered that it attracts a magnet held on a string. I've started to become very curious as to what this is. Any ideas? Thanks, I'm new to trying to learn about rocks/minerals even though I've collected things for decades that I thought were attractive. Excited to start learning now.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Upgraded Night Vision Monocular Digital Infrared Monocular Telescope for 100% Darkness with 8X Zoom - Grab it through Amazon!

[old digger]

Looks like it could be quartz ribboned with magnetite.

 

[coachkev]

Thanks.
I should also add that it is a rather dense feeling rock and surface is smooth. It also has some very small spots that you can see a silver/gray color. Not shiny or sparkly, but rather a flat silver.

 

[MrLee]

Coach, magnetite is dense, heavy, compared to most rocks. Same with it's twin hematite. The reason it is smooth is that it was worn down in the river over many years. As for the inclusions, hard to tell, but probably quartz.

It's a nice start to rockhounding. Get back in that river and pull some gold or gemstones out!

 

[Eu_citzen]

Lee is right, magnetite is most likely if magnetic. It's brother hematite isn't.

 

[coachkev]

Thanks everybody. Seems the consensus is the black part is magnetite. Still wondering about the silver color inclusions and the lighter colored streaks on the rock?

 

[huntsman53]

I think that the others are correct about the Magnetite being the black outer layer and being magnetic. After blowing the pics up, it appears that underneath the Magnetite, the rock consists of a Mica Schist and Quartzite conoglomerate.


Frank