rock or gem ??,,,, THE VERDICT !!

[dscott67]

good morning,new to t-net but not new to treasure hunting...i found this ? in a creek about a mile south of the mississippi petrified forest,not sure what to call it...any ideas or facts would be greatly appreciated... i hope i cropped the pics right !! Thanks..

 

[dscott67]

Re: rock or gem ??

not forgetting to mention that the bone piece is not solid,it does have which may be tendon entries and or vessel entry places all in it and is pourous ,i can't scrape any calcium off of it,it's like a stone !! so i don't know what to think !!

 

[DevilDog812]

Re: rock or gem ??

if the clear rock you posted a few posts up is calcite, you might be able to do a simple test. calcite has "double refraction" like this:

put the flat clear piece over some text or something and see if it does that

 

[dscott67]

Re: rock or gem ??

if the clear rock you posted a few posts up is calcite, you might be able to do a simple test. calcite has "double refraction" like this:

put the flat clear piece over some text or something and see if it does that

clear as readin through a window !!.. my brain is busted with this rock/mineral !!

 

[g-olden years]

Re: rock or gem ??

Regardless of what the mystery rock/mineral is, your first one pictured brings "flight" or "elemental bird" to my mind each time I look at it! If I were you, I'd put it on a simple open-work stand of slender wood, place it in good light or a sunny east window and let the bird take off. Groovy rock!
Andi

 

[Broken knee]

Re: rock or gem ??

not forgetting to mention that the bone piece is not solid,it does have which may be tendon entries and or vessel entry places all in it and is pourous ,i can't scrape any calcium off of it,it's like a stone !! so i don't know what to think !!

Here is a cross section of one. It being old and dry will make it sound rock or glass like.
Broken Knee

 

[dscott67]

Re: rock or gem ??

Regardless of what the mystery rock/mineral is, your first one pictured brings "flight" or "elemental bird" to my mind each time I look at it! If I were you, I'd put it on a simple open-work stand of slender wood, place it in good light or a sunny east window and let the bird take off. Groovy rock!
Andi

i think i'll do just that,i'm tired and crosseyed from the endless research,my mind is swimming !!

 

[dscott67]

Re: rock or gem ??

not forgetting to mention that the bone piece is not solid,it does have which may be tendon entries and or vessel entry places all in it and is pourous ,i can't scrape any calcium off of it,it's like a stone !! so i don't know what to think !!

Here is a cross section of one. It being old and dry will make it sound rock or glass like.
Broken Knee

i believe that broken knee has put the answer on the table for me,and i am going to rest the idea that it is a petrified specimen and say it is a coincidence that the bone made it into the load of gravel. i agree that some things just can't be explained,and i am no-pro by any means,,,my hats off to you for being persistant to gain indisputable facts !! thank you sir !

 

[oldgoat]

Re: rock or gem ??

I disagree with broken knee about the age of the bone, IMO it is alot older than a couple of centuries....that said, it could be a part of the ancestral horse that was extinct afew thousand years before the euro invasion...take it to your local university paleo dept. they may be able to date or at least give you a good guess as to age...goat

 

[robear]

Awesome find!!

Awesome find and very interesting forum, with all the replys. I like the idea of displaying with light shinning through.
Robear

 

[dscott67]

Re: Awesome find!!

Awesome find and very interesting forum, with all the replys. I like the idea of displaying with light shinning through.
Robear

i agree that's a good place for it !! it was a great find for me and i would rather keep it and remember the day !!

 

[dscott67]

Re: rock or gem ??

I disagree with broken knee about the age of the bone, IMO it is alot older than a couple of centuries....that said, it could be a part of the ancestral horse that was extinct afew thousand years before the euro invasion...take it to your local university paleo dept. they may be able to date or at least give you a good guess as to age...goat

i'm not in a position to dispute the age because i really don't know , but i'm not ruling out any possibilities until i have a science dept. look at it ! i think IMO that broken knee has done a swell job at trying to pin point a conclusion !! thanks to everybody !!

 

[dscott67]

Re: rock or gem ??,,,, THE VERDICT !! SEE LAST POST...

SELENITE GYPSUM !! Who would of thought gypsum ? i certainly did'nt !! thanks to everyone for their input ! it's been a heckuva ride !!

 

[trixie charger]

Which one?? and does the Selenite feel warm, and can you scratch it with your fingernails??

 

[dscott67]

Which one?? and does the Selenite feel warm, and can you scratch it with your fingernails??

the large one and the small ones,they do scratch with moderate pressure using the nail,i had no idea it would scratch,did'nt want to ruin it,or it's value in case it was rare,the test was relayed to me by a man @ the gem and mineral kingdom site,although he said it was a rare color for that,i'm about 90% convinced i should say,but that being said it does not feel warm,so i'm still partially in question ! i guess i should do some more research !!

 

[trixie charger]

Hummm its 50%50 on tests the color threw me off too, that's why I didn't bring it up!

 

[twomtns2002]

The post by Trixie Charger that has a bunch of the rocks in the photo are probably arrowheads, at least some of them?

 

[trixie charger]

No none are Arrowheads. Just different crystals shapes and sizes

 

[dscott67]

Hummm its 50%50 on tests the color threw me off too, that's why I didn't bring it up!

i myself have no earthly idea,i think i'll not think about it for a couple of days,and maybe read a book on them !! lol

 

[g-olden years]

Well, since you're already in so deep on this possible selenite, might as well read lots of books & feel lots of rocks to become THE top gem & mineral expert of the 21st century! Someone's got to do it! lol I'm laughing at myself, as I'm part of a multi-generational rock-hound family who've never learned much about what we're looking for until after we find it! Lots of fun anyhow. Pros don't always agree either, as I've found by taking some of my "mystery rock" finds to pros at my lapidary class and at quality gem & mineral shows. Whatever yours is, it's groovy! Andi

 

[dscott67]

Well, since you're already in so deep on this possible selenite, might as well read lots of books & feel lots of rocks to become THE top gem & mineral expert of the 21st century! Someone's got to do it! lol I'm laughing at myself, as I'm part of a multi-generational rock-hound family who've never learned much about what we're looking for until after we find it! Lots of fun anyhow. Pros don't always agree either, as I've found by taking some of my "mystery rock" finds to pros at my lapidary class and at quality gem & mineral shows. Whatever yours is, it's groovy! Andi

thanks andi,i suppose a mystery is always still a mystery to those unknowing,and i don't think i could read enough to make it re-appear as a mystery solved,even though i do like to read alot, i love to read history,and i'm not much on minerals,it gives me something else to do i guess !!