GeologyRocks

Sounds interesting but my initial reaction is that it is some kind of man-made paperweight curiosity.

 Let's see the pictures.

I know for sure it isn't a man-made paperweight. After discussing with my mother it turns out that it was a gift from a friend of a friend who owned a rock collection and unfortunately passed away. Thoughtfully the rock was left to me as I used to be very interested in this kind of thing when I was younger. (I still am but less time to devote to it and embarrassingly less knowledge.)

The rock used to have a piece of paper attached to it with it's age and details, however I can't find it.

Please see attached pictures. Apologies that the water is so hard to make out as the surface of the rock is very reflective and the camera is a bit crap.

http://img299.imageshack.us/i/img0723d.jpg/

http://img802.imageshack.us/i/img0724m.jpg/

http://img814.imageshack.us/i/img0725.jpg/

http://img291.imageshack.us/i/img0726e.jpg/

http://img571.imageshack.us/i/img0727e.jpg/

http://img64.imageshack.us/i/img0728r.jpg/

http://img818.imageshack.us/i/img0729l.jpg/

http://img695.imageshack.us/i/img0730j.jpg/

http://img97.imageshack.us/i/img0732o.jpg/ 

I've looked through the photos and I'm still sticking to my original view of 'curious paperweight'.

It seems that the central area, within which I presume the liquid is contained, is spherical and that this is partly surrounded by orange-brown 'sandstone' rock.

My view is that the central area is a crystal ball or similar which has had water injected in through a small hole that was subsequently sealed. This could then have been fitted into a lump of real rock which had been partially hollowed out to accommodate it. The final touch was to enclose approx 80% of the 'crystal ball' with some man-made artistic substance styled to resemble the real rock.

As you say yourself the photos are quite blurry so my interpretation above could be wrong. However, the important fact is this: I can't think of any circumstances whereby sufficient liquid water to 'slosh around' could be trapped inside a void in a rock. The pressures and temperatures which materials encounter as they  transform into rock precludes this.

Geology is a pretty tactile science and without being able to see and touch things in person it can be difficult to provide fully confident answers. Based on what you are actually seeing, feeling and hearing with the rock then if you still think what I've written above is absolute cobblers (it's a family forum so I won't use stronger language!) then I'd advise you to take the rock to the geology department of a local university or college or get in touch with a local geology group. They'd be able to tell you what it is with far more certainty than I ever could via the internet!

Enhydro or Water Agate, I believe is the name of the rock you are asking about. I also have one, and lost one to a fire. 

Enhydro or Water Agate, I believe is the name of the rock you are asking about. I also have one, and lost one to a fire.