What the Heck Is This Thing?

[villival]

I have been paying extra close attention to the small "whispers" my Deus has been making. This thing made the tiniest squeak and I'm astonished I found it.

I heated a pin and tried to stick it in this item, and couldn't, so I know it's not plastic.

It has a tiny green stone-like thing in it which is the color of an emerald, a few tiny lines of a gold colored metal, what looks like traces of iron and a few silver colored balls in it. It also has some lead colored lines in it. I just don't know what to make of this thing.

I have tried repeatedly to take better photos because the detail is so fine. Anyone know what this is?

 

[DCMatt]

It's hard to make sense of your photos. but based on your description of the object it may be a fragment of cloisonne jewelry. Cloisonne has been made for centuries and is still made today. It was popular in jewelry around the turn of the 20th C.

Cloisonné, in the decorative arts, an enameling technique or any product of that technique, which consists of soldering to a metal surface delicate metal strips bent to the outline of a design and filling the resulting cellular spaces, called cloisons (French: “partitions” or “compartments”), with vitreous enamel paste. The object then is fired, ground smooth, and polished. Sometimes metal wire is used in place of the usual gold, brass, silver, or copper strips.

 

[villival]

Hey, thanks! I have a beautiful Nikon but don't know how to isolate the photos from it to post. That would clearly show how weird this piece is.

Your explanation makes as much sense as anything. The only other thing I can think of is that it looks like a piece of quartz with inclusions, but I doubt it would have, gold, silver, copper, lead and emeralds in it.

Thanks again.

 

[invent4hir]

In some pictures it looks like quartz with impurities. The second picture there appears to be a core of one type of material surrounded by a different material. Does appear to be naturally formed or is it the result of a fire?

 

[villival]

Invent, that is what is difficult to tell. At first I thought it was a piece of melted glass with stuff in it, but what's in it all look like metal, precious metal and the green stone is just gorgeous, deep green.

What I'm trying to say is upon much inspection over days, and I don't know much about such things, is it does look like quartz with inclusions in it. But is that possible? To have so many precious metals and a stone? I have been thinking that if it were quartz, it would be extraordinary. I really need to try to figure out the camera thing and take a photo or two with it perched high on something, with light shining through.

It just doesn't look like it has been through any fire, frankly. All the metals and stone are perfectly colored and bright and clear as day. It's a puzzle.

 

[GoldieLocks]

I can't see a green stone. Are you completely sure this isn't a tooth of some animal or person?

 

[invent4hir]

This is a real head scratcher You might have better luck posting in the rock forum...or at least they might be able to tell you what it isn't. Be sure to include better pictures. Also any context would help them help you (i.e. was it found near a former glass mill; what did you find nearby, etc.)

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

I am going to guess quartz with some pyrite in the matrix.

Quartz forms in voids, so it can have other minerals in with it.

 

[Bruce R]

Melted glass with junk in it

 

[villival]

I need to learn how to take better photos. The object really does look like quartz and the stuff in it is not melted and not junk. Of that I am sure.

It was found on my 4 acre farm. The variety of finds here are amazing, as the area had a railroad running through it, a major road and civil war activity. So, pieces could be from anywhere and anyone who traveled through this area.

I guess I deserve the melted glass with junk in it, due to the terrible photos.