bluejay
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2016
Posts: 5
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Post by bluejay on Apr 5, 2016 19:49:57 GMT -5
Hello everyone. First time on here/posting and am happy to have found a community of fellow rock lovers to share ideas with and learn from. Below is a rock that has been begging for an ID ever since I found it a couple years back on our way up to the mojave desert in California. I've never seen another rock like it before and am curious both what it could be, as well as what process was involved in creating the interesting patterns on the surface. Any ideas/guesses are welcome. Thanks for checking it out!
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Post by manofglass on Apr 5, 2016 21:07:11 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum bluejay from Michigan
Walt
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Post by jakesrocks on Apr 5, 2016 21:34:46 GMT -5
Welcome aboard bluejay from a South Dakota guy.
Thinking your rock is of sedimentary origin. I believe I can see a couple of fossil shellfish remains in it.
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Tommy
Administrator
Member since January 2013
Posts: 12,881
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Post by Tommy on Apr 5, 2016 22:38:30 GMT -5
Welcome from California!
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Post by Pat on Apr 5, 2016 22:46:24 GMT -5
That's a good looking rock! Welcome from California. Again. : )
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Post by drocknut on Apr 6, 2016 1:01:22 GMT -5
Interesting rock ya got there. I won't even hazard a guess at the id but it is interesting looking. Welcome to the forum.
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Post by tims on Apr 6, 2016 3:01:31 GMT -5
Welcome! Neat specimen. Fingers crossed for an ID.
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Post by vegasjames on Apr 6, 2016 3:27:22 GMT -5
Welcome from Nevada. In the first pic it looks like some form of quartz on the bottom, but the second pic looks more like a weathered limestone. Does it react to an acid like vinegar?
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Apr 6, 2016 9:52:18 GMT -5
Hello new member!
I'll double down on vegasjames' and say could be dolomite
Or
Granite
Does a knife scratch it?
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,709
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Post by Fossilman on Apr 6, 2016 15:53:51 GMT -5
Howdy and welcome to the forum..............Can you cut it..........?
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es355lucille
starting to spend too much on rocks
Member since February 2016
Posts: 194
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Post by es355lucille on Apr 6, 2016 22:22:20 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum, from Alberta Canada.
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bluejay
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2016
Posts: 5
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Post by bluejay on Apr 6, 2016 22:43:09 GMT -5
Wow, thank you all for the kind welcome! Unfortunately I don't have any pool acid on hand at the moment, but I did do a scratch test with a knife, and it did indeed leave a mark. The stone feels almost has a waxy feel in some areas, is that a typical feature of limestone? Really it's the colors that caught my eye. There are purples, greens, oranges, yellows, blues and reds all in one, and on the back a few white spots make it almost look like an image of a galaxy or nebula. At the moment I only have tumbling capabilities, but am hoping to purchase a saw in the not too distant future (I have a lot of rough i've collected over the years) and will probably look inside this guy... Any advice on a good one to start off with? I've been reading that tile saws would work. Since I don't yet have much experience with powertools, i'd like to start off with the most basic/safe route. Thanks again for the welcome!!
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Post by Pat on Apr 6, 2016 22:59:10 GMT -5
I have no experience with power tools, except those used for this hobby. I have three tile saws . Work good enough for me. Got all three tile saws used and at decent prices.
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bluejay
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2016
Posts: 5
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Post by bluejay on Apr 6, 2016 23:06:27 GMT -5
Thanks for the reassurance Pat! I'll start keeping an eye out for used tile saws. Any brands you know to be more reliable than others?
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Post by Peruano on Apr 6, 2016 23:13:00 GMT -5
The question is: did the knife leave a streak of metal or did it produce a scratch in the rock. A streak of metal says its hard, a scratch says its soft. If a knife does not scratch it, does a metal file (from the tool box). Files are harder than most standard steel tools. You may not have pool acid, but you might try a bit of vinegar to see if it cleans or bubbles. Can you find anywhere on the rock where a chip or blemish from mechanical abuse has occurred? Can you see a crystal structure or is it smooth in the most minute way? I have no idea what it is but these aspects are important to identifying the rock. Tom
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,709
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Post by Fossilman on Apr 7, 2016 9:31:33 GMT -5
Thanks for the reassurance Pat! I'll start keeping an eye out for used tile saws. Any brands you know to be more reliable than others? Head over to Lowes or Home Depo.....Tile saws are inexpensive....Just use a different blade than what comes with the saws..They waste a lot of material..
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Post by Pat on Apr 7, 2016 10:19:03 GMT -5
I don't know anything about brands. Hope others do.
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bluejay
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2016
Posts: 5
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Post by bluejay on Apr 7, 2016 14:14:20 GMT -5
Hi Peruano! It appears that the knife physically scratched the stone itself, and not the other way around. I'll see what happens with some white vinegar once I get home later tonight. If indeed I do see bubbles is that an indication it is limestone or sandstone? (please excuse my ignorance, I'm still learning the basics of rock types and their characteristics). I can't see any chips on the rock surface but will look more closely once I get home. I don't recall any visible crystalline structures, and instead it seems quite smooth (even waxy in some parts). I upped the vibrance in photoshop to accentuate the different colors on the stone and will post them below. I have a 20% off coupon from harbor freight so i'm considering getting either a 7inch wet tile saw (is that too small for this kind of thing?) , or a basic metal detector for meteorite hunting! I'll update here once I do the vinegar test. Thanks again for all the views and responses! I have a feeling I will be learning a lot from this forum!
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Post by tims on Apr 9, 2016 0:29:10 GMT -5
Alien Egg! The sheen and texture make me think chalcedony, maybe a weird jasper nodule. In the second picture in the top-left quadrant in the orange part I keep wanting to see banding, but that's probably my predilection for teepee agate kicking in If you do cut it would love to see the result.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Member since January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2016 0:31:25 GMT -5
Alien Egg! The sheen and texture make me think chalcedony, maybe a weird jasper nodule. In the second picture in the top-left quadrant in the orange part I keep wanting to see banding, but that's probably my predilection for teepee agate kicking in If you do cut it would love to see the result. Too soft. Knife scratches. Please see previous posts. Definitely not granite, same reasons. I say cut it.
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