Please help us identify this.

[Brokensmilez]

Hello we live in Lincolnton North Carolina, in large fields where there is natural springs, creeks, ponds on our property. We have found an EXTREMELY HARD rock with a brownish rusty looking crusty layer that's about 1 inch thick on the outside, We CANNOT EASILY CUT, BUST, OR SPLIT IN ANYWAY and when they are hit against each other its a very unique sound!! ON the inside of it it's a bluish, greenish, some crystal type of stone but really hard and is almost like a geode but they are HUGE there are several of them about the size of a 17in tire .... some well most of them are boulder shaped

 

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[vpnavy]

I moved ya from TODAY'S FINDS! over to ROCKS/GEMS for more exposure.

 

[blauer]

Looks like an iron bearing rock of some type. Perhaps limonite or siderite.
Are they exceptionally heavy for their size?
I suggest a streak and hardness test then reporting the results here.

 

[smokeythecat]

I have seen the same type of material east of there near the town of New London. Over there is was an ore of gold. That said, the only way for sure to know is to have a professional do an assay test on it. I am sure you can find someone (probably out west) who will do that. I think Attard's Minerals in San Diego still does those tests.

 

[fuss]

Does it attract a magnet? closer, sharper images would be much more helpful if possible. Could be an Amphibolite rock with a weathered exterior.

 

[Brokensmilez]

Yes very very heavy ... and HARD TO SAY THE LEAST, HERR ARE THE results from streak test. The streak was not a streak it was a scratch

 

[blauer]

Yes very very heavy ... and HARD TO SAY THE LEAST, HERR ARE THE results from streak test. The streak was not a streak it was a scratch

I thought as much. Ironstone.

 

[fuss]

I thought as much. Ironstone.

If it were an ironstone then there would be a streak of either red, yellow, black etc.

 

[blauer]

If it were an ironstone then there would be a streak of either red, yellow, black etc.

Reddish/yellowish sounds right.

 

[fuss]

Reddish/yellowish sounds right.

Right, the the OP said there was no streak left, so, its unlikely to be an ironstone was my point. I really think some close up photos are needed to see the dark and white minerals if possible.

 

[Clay Diggins]

Streak tests only work to identify minerals. This isn't a mineral it's a rock. OK really it's just some pictures of a rock but neither pictures or rocks are tested by checking for streak.

Like most rocks it's probably unique to it's locality and already pretty well known and studied. Find a good geology map of your area, more than likely the answer will be found in the map or the report it's based on.

Looking at the geology around Lincolnton I see you are smack dab in the middle of a pegmatite dike. If I were you I would look near your find for crystal vugs with specimen quality minerals. Your area produces some of the finest and most varied gems and rare minerals found anywhere in the world. Leave the big lump of pretty Cherryville Granite for your rock garden and start looking for odd spots of fine clay deposits. Dig gently and you may find real treasures.