GeologyRocksFeel a bit cheeky but here goes
- Login to post a new forum topic.
Rank:
Contact:
Hello Dan and welcome to
Sat, 01/05/2013 - 20:25Hello Dan and welcome to GR. No need to feel 'cheeky'. We're happy to help....however, this one is strange.
The lightish bits may well be quartz (in fact they would be a sort of greasy grey white). The matrix of black is difficult to make out. Had you just washed it? It looks sort of wet, and therefore detracting from the actual structure. If it was wet when the picture was taken, please take another when its dry. It might help.
I take it you are fairly sure it isn't coal (of a very low rank) - but then of course the quartz is unlikely.
It could be sphalerite (zinc ore).
Since there are 'hundreds of them', it is unlikely they are of any commercial value. Someone would have 'had it away on their toes' long ago!
Anyone else throw some light on it?
John
“Civilisation exists by geological consent, subject to change without notice.” - Will Durant
Rank:
Contact:
Hi John thanks for replying
Sat, 01/05/2013 - 22:34Hi John thanks for replying (first one who has out of 4 websites lol)
I don't know the first thing about rocks so I'm not sure about the tests for coal etc. I did burn the edge of it, it didn't melt but it gave off alot of black smoke and the whole rock got really hot. This is what it looked like after.
I took a couple more pictures for you to look at (its been sat dry for a couple of days now).
Also one without the flash on
Let me know if you need anything else, thanks 
Rank:
Contact:
Thats because you've come
Sun, 01/06/2013 - 14:02Thats because you've come to the best site!!!!!
The photos are much better. Thanks. However, I'm afraid I am still in the dark on this one.
A lot of black smoke? but it didn't actually catch fire? (as coal would)
Washington? N.E? Do you know if there were any furnesses of any sort round there? It might just be furness slag. We've all been caught out on that before.
The only other thing I can suggest is that I'll let you have my home address (on a PM) and you can pop a small piece in an envelope.
John
“Civilisation exists by geological consent, subject to change without notice.” - Will Durant
Rank:
Contact:
Yeah Washington in the North
Sun, 01/06/2013 - 16:15Yeah Washington in the North East, its near Newcastle, Sunderland, Durham etc.
There was no fire just a lot of black smoke which is strange. I'm not sure about there being any furnesses I know that a few decades ago the whole of the North East was a huge industrial area so I'll look into that a little more.
I don't want to go into too much detail about where I found it yet but it was on a childs play park, up the side of the bank where loads of kids have been running up and down it wearing the grass down and all these stones are underneath in the mud.
The park was built into the natural landscape so no ground has been overturned or tarmaced.
Would be great if I could send some to you. I'll go to the park and pick up a fresh sample for you to have.
Rank:
Contact:
I am aware of where
Sun, 01/06/2013 - 21:16I am aware of where Washington is Dan - although I've never been there. It was really saying that being in the NE I sort of expected industry.
I will put my address in a PM next.
John
“Civilisation exists by geological consent, subject to change without notice.” - Will Durant
Rank:
Roles:
Contact:
Hi Dan, and welcome to GR! I
Tue, 01/08/2013 - 22:50Hi Dan, and welcome to GR!
I think that there's a possibility that this could be some kind of low-grade Jet. Essentially coal, but that hasn't been compressed and heated enough to form gem quality material.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet_(lignite)
that's my tuppence worth anyway!
Regards,
Ben.
Rank:
Contact:
To continue this post, and
Sun, 02/17/2013 - 11:01To continue this post, and to put us all out of our misery.
Dan sent me a specimen, and even then I wasn't sure. I thought I saw a 'flash' but no matter which way I turned it I couldn't get it to 'flash' again. But it made me a bit suspicous of jet, coal, fluorite etc.
I took it with me to the Essex Mineral & Fossil show yesterday and asked Mike Brookes. Under his 500 watt spotlights it was obvious - labradorite! Or possibly larvikite (labradorite bearing rock). There are the right geo conditions in that area.
So mystery solved. Thanks to Dan for a nice puzzler.
John
“Civilisation exists by geological consent, subject to change without notice.” - Will Durant
Rank:
Contact:
Feel a bit cheeky but here goes
Submitted by xanidiotonlinex on Fri, 01/04/2013 - 17:19.Hi everyone, my names Dan and I'm from Washington (in the UK).
I feel kind of cheeky asking as I've only just joined but I need help identifying a rock that I've found. I've looked all over the internet but can't find any clues. I'm a treasure hunter and came across this whilst I was out searching with my daughter.
Saying I came across "this" is an under statement. There are literally hundreds embedded in the ground (up the side of a bank) as there we're so many I can't imagine it being anything too precious but I'm still very excited to find out what it is and how it forms etc.
Its black, rough, tough, shimmers in the light (all kinds of colours) and has something stuck to it which looks like dried dirt but its not as I've tried washing it off and its not going anywhere.