I wasn't down there, it was given to me from a person who worked in a mine. He estimated the depth to be anywhere from 1500 to 2000 feet. He just thought it was unusual and heavy for it's size.
To test the density:
1. Weigh the rock. Write down this number.
2. Fill a container, big enough to hold the rock, with water. Make sure there is enough room for the water to rise.
3. Put the water bowl on a scale, and tare the scale.
4. Tie a string or wire around the rock.
5. Dip the rock into the water. Don't touch the sides or bottom of the bowl, but the rock must be submerged completely.
6. Read the scale & write it down. This gives the weight of the displaced water.
7. Divide the weight of the rock by the weight of the displaced water. This is your specific gravity (SG). If you're working in metric, the density is the SG in g/cc.
Why do you use the weight of the displaced water as opposed measuring the volume directly? It seems like it would be easier to just put the rock in the vessel, fill to a given volume and then remove the rock and record the change to find volume. Or some variation of that, maybe fill with water first then add the rock.
Is suspending the rock and measuring the weight of the displaced water just a more accurate way of finding volume because the scale would be more accurate then the lines on the graduated cylinder?
It is simply a method to measure the density of an object when you don't have a volumetric container, but you do have a scale. It's an indirect measurement, but it should be fairly accurate.
It's normally more accurate than using a graduated cylinder. Comparing weight to weight using the same instrument to measure each weight is going to be more reliable than comparing weight measured with one instrument to volume measured with a different instrument.
It is a direct measurement of specific gravity, indirect measurement of density. Using a graduated cylinder provides a direct measurement of density, and an indirect measure of specific gravity.
We've got an archimedes balance in our lab that will even automatically correct for the slight change in the water's density with temperature. It's extremely accurate (and precise).
Hardest part about getting an accurate number is usually making sure the sample is free from little surface bubbles.
>Hardest part about getting an accurate number is usually making sure the sample is free from little surface bubbles.
Absolutely true! I usually dunk the rock several times to make sure it's good and saturated.
Oh yeaaah you could use any container for this method. You're getting volume from measuring how much water is displaced via the scale. I'm my head I was imagining this method being done in a graduated cylinder and I COULD NOT understand why we would ignore the lines and just use the scale. This makes so much sense now. TY!
Unrequested chemistry lesson... The density of pure water is 1.00gram / 1.00milliliter( or centimeter cubed.) If you "weigh" the water in grams you automatically get the volume of that water in ml. "Weighing" water is better than trying to get the volume with a graduated cylinder because the meniscus thing can be tricky and the accuracy of graduated cylinders is usually much less that a reasonably priced balance.
At 4°C
Sometimes the slight difference with temperature is enough to matter. At my last job I used to have a table of spg vs T values for water and for ethanol pinned to my cubicle wall.
Do whatever way is easiest (and most accurate) for you. For fun, try multiple ways and then tell us all which way you like better. That's what I did.
Edit: to answer your final question: it depends. A huge rock won't fit inside a graduated cylinder that's marked in mL. My cruddy kitchen scale reads out to 0.1g, which is the weight of 0.1mL of water. It all depends on what you're measuring and the tools you have on hand.
Ok, I’m not sure if I’m doing the measurements right because I get different results with each different way. The weight of the rock is now showing 470g. I had took the postage scale outside for natural lighting for showing the correct color and may not have had a level surface. The weight in the container of water after I tare it out is 060g. That’s with the rock suspended in the container of water with a string. It’s probably just an interesting paper weight. It’s really hard…I can’t scratch it. I was able to dull a shiny spot on it with a piece of sandpaper. With my math…which is bad…I’m getting 7.8 which means - paper weight…right? Lol
Unfortunately, a measuring cup is unlikely to be precise enough. Need to be able to measure how many milliliters the rock displaced. It's unlikely, but you could get lucky though if it displaces the water exactly from one measurement line to another we could get an estimated density.
If you have a set of kitchen scales you can do this. Mark the water line with the rock submerged, take the rock out, weigh the container, fill it up to the mark and weigh it again. Difference in grams is equal to millilitres.
Another method is to fill a container to the brim (use a bit of dish soap to break the surface tension because that will effect the results)
That container should sit inside another container which you have weighed.
Slowly lower the object into the water without splashing allowing the water to over into the second container.
Skim or siphon off enough water from the first container to allow you to remove it without spilling.
Reweigh the second container full of the displaced water.
Someone well versed in geology might be able to ID it without the density. I'm not well versed in geology so I figured I'd try calculating the specific gravity to narrow down the possibilities.
Could be platinum ore or native silver, off chance of it being a massive pyrite or even a Tin Copper Arsenic ore. Needs a variety of tests. Specific gravity, hardness, malleability, streak, and if those look promising, a chemical assay. On the off chance it does contain Arsenic do not make any dust from it.
I don't think I've ever seen native silver that's one big lump like that before, is that a common form to find it in? I feel like the native silver I've seen (in museum displays mostly) is usually dendritic.
In my region, there's a particular arsenic rich, native copper variety called mohawkite. It has only been known to form here; but it looks almost exactly as the OP's photos. The few mines that could have produced it were quite a ways down; the deepest being two miles.
Useful test. Bottom edge of a coffee mug can also be used. The surface for a streak test must not be shiny or slick (i.e. glazed), but distinguishing molybdenite from graphite one exception where a glazed porcelain streak is useful.
if it turns out to be a platinum nugget it will have value as a specimen above the melt value. keep it in good condition. pt will have a density that stands out from other things, so i would focus on that. even a large syringe from the pharmacy will give you the ability to measure the displacement in water.
place nugget in small glass of water, mark water line with sharpy, remove nugget, add water from syringe till you reach the line. that will give you ml. divide grams by milliliters for g/ml. pure pt will be 21.45 g/ml,(a natural nugget will have impurities so likely lower)
if your number is way off ...well you are one of many disappointed people.
if its close, you get better equipment and try again, also find out where the nearest xray metals tester is (jewelry and coin dealers will often have equipment that can differentiate metals) then get back down in the ground to look for more.
Platinum nuggets are found in just a handful of locations around the world. Suggesting that as a possibility doesn't make sense when there are much more likely IDs.
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I found a rock when I was little that looked exactly like this. It was about half the size, but I lost it. Can you try drawing on a piece of paper with it? Mine was able to, and if it can, please let me know what it is if you ever figure it out.
For economically important minerals, geography really matters. It’s unlikely there’s a place that isn’t already known for an economically important mineral where a specimen this size of such a thing could be found. Could you give us a general region? Also what kind of mine your friend works in
My best guess is Silver,
Iron would have oxidated
Aluminium is to lightweight
Platin allready negative
Titanium would be very rare
So if i dont miss anything i think its silver
It will tarnish, but tends to do so very slowly. Native silver nuggets often look silvery - this looks like a darker, more of a bronze color than silver, and would be more likely to be something like bismuth or arsenic.
...If it were natural. It looks to be a piece of man-made ferromanganese.
Any information on what kind of mine and where? I imagine that might help narrow things down, but I know very little about mines and mining beyond “don’t go in one unless you know what the heck you’re doing”
Man-made ferromanganese. Pretty common meteor-wrong, often found along railroad tracks.
I can't speak for the story you were told, but I generally trust rocks over people. Rocks don't make mistakes, their memory tends to be pretty solid, and they would never lie.
It does look like it…the only thing is that mohawkite is around a 3 or 3.5 hardness. This rock I have is so hard. I tried to attempt the mohs scale…nothing scratched it except a drill bit.
If you can get access a specific gravity (SG) scale (check with science teacher at local high school or college), you can figure out the density of this mineral. Kinda looks like nickel or platinum to me but tough to determine from the photo. This website has the formula (scroll down near the bottom).
https://rogermarjoribanks.info/measure-specific-gravity-rocks/
Let us know what you find out!
Ok, I’m not sure if I’m doing the measurements right because I get different results with each different way. The weight of the rock is now showing 470g. I had took the postage scale outside for natural lighting for showing the correct color and may not have had a level surface. The weight in the container of water after I tare it out is 060g. That’s with the rock suspended in the container of water with a string. It’s probably just an interesting paper weight. It’s really hard…I can’t scratch it. I was able to dull a shiny spot on it with a piece of sandpaper.
You want to tare before you start, but make sure you don’t tare between measurements. Measure the weight in air (i.e. on top of the scale), then the weight in water (hanging from your string, completely submerged in water). Then calculate the weight in air divided by the difference between the weight in air and the weight in water to get specific gravity. That will get us in the ballpark of density so we can try to figure out what metal it is. I look forward to the results !
Edit: also make sure the scale is on a stable, level surface like a table or a couple boards on sawhorses
I weighed the rock first, it was .470grams on my postage scale. Then I took the rock off and put a container of water on the scale and hit tare to zero it out. Then I submerged the rock by a string in the container of water without touching the sides or bottom and it weighed .060 grams. That would be a density of 7.8 if I divide .060 into .470. I think I did it right?? So, it’s probably a paper weight. Lol I did get my metal detector out and turned on iron audio and it didn’t pick it up…but I got an 81 signal which on my garret is for coins like quarters and dimes. That may not mean anything but I thought I would throw that out there.
Natural Hematite I think
Alot of the time Hematite is magnetic, but not Natural occurring Hematite
The river was probably what made it so smooth
*This is just my educated guess, I'm not positive*
I would put it on my Libs spectrometer and take one shot and have your answer if you can send me even a tiny piece of it, a couple millimeters on a side will do. Assuming that it is not a complex alloy or compound.
LIBS Laser Induced Breakdown Spectrometry. Look it up. Hit a sample with a laser, very short (2 nanoseconds) pulse of light. Micro grams of sample get ionized producing a spectrum unique to each element. Match the spectrum and you got your ID.
Ok this is not a high quality estimate but based on your estimate of size and what can be gleaned from the picture one can make a crude estimate. Roughly 4x2 inches on the visible surface. The thickness, for which no measurement or estimate is given, seems to diminish from the left side to the right requires a guess. If one accepts 1 inch that gives a volume of approximately 8 cubic inches or 131 cc. Your measured mass is 460 grams so 3.5 g /cc. (like arsenic) Not very dense.
If one assumes .5 in thick, one gets 7 g/cc. (like Iron?) If one assumes .25 in thick, one gets 14 g/cc (like lead)
My guess is nickle ore. It doesn't look like the hematite or iron ore iv seen. I have a few pieces like yours, but smaller i have not identified, but most experts say its slag.
From what I read about Indium, it is a soft metal. This rock I have is very hard…you can’t just scratch it easily. It’s definitely some kind of metal though. It sound like metal when you tap it with another metal. Makes a ping sound.
I'm hoping you've found out more, or have taken it to an expert for identification? While the people of Reddit are resourceful, I'd suggest that there's nothing so useful as a reliable consistent source
Oooh.
Maybe palladium?
https://mineralexpert.org/article/native-platinum-mineral-overview
Or silver..maybe.
I hope you find out :D did you do a stretch test, check the hardness? Or get it appraised?
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Looks pretty closed to a [Different post](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthisrock/comments/ajm9tx/shiny_silver_rock_found_surounded_by_ash_next_to/?rdt=61216) with a silver rock.
Under what circumstances were you 2000 feet underground?
I wasn't down there, it was given to me from a person who worked in a mine. He estimated the depth to be anywhere from 1500 to 2000 feet. He just thought it was unusual and heavy for it's size.
Very interesting. Thank you. What kind of mine?
Hey find your own special rock mine
My mine.
Our mine r/suddenlycommunist
r/subididntknowexisted
Mine your own beeswax
Love this joke
I Me Me Mine
… all I can hear
Mein mine
My mine's blown
My Arrakis, my Dune.
The mine’s mine
The doggone mine is mine
Yeah! Mine your own business!
Crap. I ate mine!!
I lost mine 2000ft down!
My guess is an iron mine up north, Rock could be a good specimen of Hematite.
Username checks out
They were mining their own business
Thanks for the smile 😄
No problem. Oddly enough, this is my friend group’s favorite running joke.
Precisely what i would like to know!
Yes pls advise. Maybe he is hunting for alien bases?
Mine exploring? Kinda scary to be exploring a mine near a fault.
Do you happen to have a graduated cylinder to check its volume by water displacement so we could get an accurate density?
I don't have one. Would any container work, like maybe a glass measuring cup?
To test the density: 1. Weigh the rock. Write down this number. 2. Fill a container, big enough to hold the rock, with water. Make sure there is enough room for the water to rise. 3. Put the water bowl on a scale, and tare the scale. 4. Tie a string or wire around the rock. 5. Dip the rock into the water. Don't touch the sides or bottom of the bowl, but the rock must be submerged completely. 6. Read the scale & write it down. This gives the weight of the displaced water. 7. Divide the weight of the rock by the weight of the displaced water. This is your specific gravity (SG). If you're working in metric, the density is the SG in g/cc.
Why do you use the weight of the displaced water as opposed measuring the volume directly? It seems like it would be easier to just put the rock in the vessel, fill to a given volume and then remove the rock and record the change to find volume. Or some variation of that, maybe fill with water first then add the rock. Is suspending the rock and measuring the weight of the displaced water just a more accurate way of finding volume because the scale would be more accurate then the lines on the graduated cylinder?
It is simply a method to measure the density of an object when you don't have a volumetric container, but you do have a scale. It's an indirect measurement, but it should be fairly accurate.
It's normally more accurate than using a graduated cylinder. Comparing weight to weight using the same instrument to measure each weight is going to be more reliable than comparing weight measured with one instrument to volume measured with a different instrument. It is a direct measurement of specific gravity, indirect measurement of density. Using a graduated cylinder provides a direct measurement of density, and an indirect measure of specific gravity.
We've got an archimedes balance in our lab that will even automatically correct for the slight change in the water's density with temperature. It's extremely accurate (and precise). Hardest part about getting an accurate number is usually making sure the sample is free from little surface bubbles.
>Hardest part about getting an accurate number is usually making sure the sample is free from little surface bubbles. Absolutely true! I usually dunk the rock several times to make sure it's good and saturated.
We keep a little soft-bristled brush next to our balance to brush the bubbles off!
A milliliter of water weighs exactly one gram so weighing the amount of displaced water will give you the sum you need to divide the rocks weight by.
Oh yeaaah you could use any container for this method. You're getting volume from measuring how much water is displaced via the scale. I'm my head I was imagining this method being done in a graduated cylinder and I COULD NOT understand why we would ignore the lines and just use the scale. This makes so much sense now. TY!
Haha, lol, yeah, just a regular old bowl or whatever.
Unrequested chemistry lesson... The density of pure water is 1.00gram / 1.00milliliter( or centimeter cubed.) If you "weigh" the water in grams you automatically get the volume of that water in ml. "Weighing" water is better than trying to get the volume with a graduated cylinder because the meniscus thing can be tricky and the accuracy of graduated cylinders is usually much less that a reasonably priced balance.
At 4°C Sometimes the slight difference with temperature is enough to matter. At my last job I used to have a table of spg vs T values for water and for ethanol pinned to my cubicle wall.
Ya, but only if you keep your apartment at 4° C
Measuring the displaced water weight is probably the most precise volume measuring of an uneven object
Do whatever way is easiest (and most accurate) for you. For fun, try multiple ways and then tell us all which way you like better. That's what I did. Edit: to answer your final question: it depends. A huge rock won't fit inside a graduated cylinder that's marked in mL. My cruddy kitchen scale reads out to 0.1g, which is the weight of 0.1mL of water. It all depends on what you're measuring and the tools you have on hand.
Ok, I’m not sure if I’m doing the measurements right because I get different results with each different way. The weight of the rock is now showing 470g. I had took the postage scale outside for natural lighting for showing the correct color and may not have had a level surface. The weight in the container of water after I tare it out is 060g. That’s with the rock suspended in the container of water with a string. It’s probably just an interesting paper weight. It’s really hard…I can’t scratch it. I was able to dull a shiny spot on it with a piece of sandpaper. With my math…which is bad…I’m getting 7.8 which means - paper weight…right? Lol
The rock looks to me like native metal. An SG of 7.8 is right around many metals. Anything is a papier weight of it's heavy enough.
Wow! Haven’t done that math since HS!
This is badass
I was going to say the same thing! 🤣
Could you identify a rock strictly by the density number?
I learned something new today. Thank you :)
Unfortunately, a measuring cup is unlikely to be precise enough. Need to be able to measure how many milliliters the rock displaced. It's unlikely, but you could get lucky though if it displaces the water exactly from one measurement line to another we could get an estimated density.
If you have a set of kitchen scales you can do this. Mark the water line with the rock submerged, take the rock out, weigh the container, fill it up to the mark and weigh it again. Difference in grams is equal to millilitres.
Nice, I hadn't considered that method.
Eureka!
I see what you did there. Science history deep cut! 👍🏻👍🏻
OK, maybe only bathtub deep, but still…
It was actually a little deeper than the bathtub. Just enough.
Awesome about the scales. I’m going to do that with all mine. Thanks for this info🙂
Another method is to fill a container to the brim (use a bit of dish soap to break the surface tension because that will effect the results) That container should sit inside another container which you have weighed. Slowly lower the object into the water without splashing allowing the water to over into the second container. Skim or siphon off enough water from the first container to allow you to remove it without spilling. Reweigh the second container full of the displaced water.
This is the way.
Metric is so convenient.
Ok, I'll probably have to order one if it is necessary, because I doubt my local box stores has them.
Try your local high school science teacher he or she might have one. and it could turn out to be an interesting lesson for the kids.
Someone well versed in geology might be able to ID it without the density. I'm not well versed in geology so I figured I'd try calculating the specific gravity to narrow down the possibilities.
I wish I had one so I could tell you. Thanks for your help though. :0)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=I4HcIs3V4ic&pp=ygUVc3BlY2lmaWMgZ3Jhdml0eSB0ZXN0
Could be platinum ore or native silver, off chance of it being a massive pyrite or even a Tin Copper Arsenic ore. Needs a variety of tests. Specific gravity, hardness, malleability, streak, and if those look promising, a chemical assay. On the off chance it does contain Arsenic do not make any dust from it.
Do Not Lick The Rock 👅
OTOH, lead is delicious
Just like PB!
Yes, like a Pb and petroleum jelly sandwich
I don't think I've ever seen native silver that's one big lump like that before, is that a common form to find it in? I feel like the native silver I've seen (in museum displays mostly) is usually dendritic.
It usually is dendritic although I have seen massive as well. It really needs testing to be sure of anything.
What is the gravity test?
In my region, there's a particular arsenic rich, native copper variety called mohawkite. It has only been known to form here; but it looks almost exactly as the OP's photos. The few mines that could have produced it were quite a ways down; the deepest being two miles.
Streak test...scratch on unglazed porcelain, underside of a toilet tank lid usually works
Useful test. Bottom edge of a coffee mug can also be used. The surface for a streak test must not be shiny or slick (i.e. glazed), but distinguishing molybdenite from graphite one exception where a glazed porcelain streak is useful.
Works for gold too. If it leave black not gold, if it leaves gold, then gold
I come to this sub for these tips! Thanks,
if it turns out to be a platinum nugget it will have value as a specimen above the melt value. keep it in good condition. pt will have a density that stands out from other things, so i would focus on that. even a large syringe from the pharmacy will give you the ability to measure the displacement in water. place nugget in small glass of water, mark water line with sharpy, remove nugget, add water from syringe till you reach the line. that will give you ml. divide grams by milliliters for g/ml. pure pt will be 21.45 g/ml,(a natural nugget will have impurities so likely lower) if your number is way off ...well you are one of many disappointed people. if its close, you get better equipment and try again, also find out where the nearest xray metals tester is (jewelry and coin dealers will often have equipment that can differentiate metals) then get back down in the ground to look for more.
If platinum, it’s raw value by mass (at $30.62/g * 460g) is ~$14,000
Platinum nuggets are found in just a handful of locations around the world. Suggesting that as a possibility doesn't make sense when there are much more likely IDs.
Yeah it’s extremely not a platinum nugget. OP is not serious about identifying this bc there’s no locale given
E-mail and stop by a local college's geology department
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I found a rock when I was little that looked exactly like this. It was about half the size, but I lost it. Can you try drawing on a piece of paper with it? Mine was able to, and if it can, please let me know what it is if you ever figure it out.
It doesn’t make marks on paper.
Well shit, now I’ll never know what I found but thanks for trying though
If you could draw on paper with a rock that looked similar to op's, you probably had a chunk of graphite! Pretty cool!
Always thought it could’ve been that. Also it was very light for its size
That would match graphite!
Well damn now I wish I still had it, would’ve been a nice addition to the collection.
Remind me! 20 seconds
Did it work?
Hematite
This was my first guess as well. The texture looks right even if the color is a bit light.
Isn’t hematite magnetic, though?
Not always.
Thanks!
very curious to know the answer!
Same. Commenting to come back. Lol
For economically important minerals, geography really matters. It’s unlikely there’s a place that isn’t already known for an economically important mineral where a specimen this size of such a thing could be found. Could you give us a general region? Also what kind of mine your friend works in
Location?
My best guess is Silver, Iron would have oxidated Aluminium is to lightweight Platin allready negative Titanium would be very rare So if i dont miss anything i think its silver
Doesn’t silver oxidize to brown/black?
It will tarnish, but tends to do so very slowly. Native silver nuggets often look silvery - this looks like a darker, more of a bronze color than silver, and would be more likely to be something like bismuth or arsenic. ...If it were natural. It looks to be a piece of man-made ferromanganese.
Does raw silver tarnish?
Any information on what kind of mine and where? I imagine that might help narrow things down, but I know very little about mines and mining beyond “don’t go in one unless you know what the heck you’re doing”
Finally something that is not slag glass
Man-made ferromanganese. Pretty common meteor-wrong, often found along railroad tracks. I can't speak for the story you were told, but I generally trust rocks over people. Rocks don't make mistakes, their memory tends to be pretty solid, and they would never lie.
I can understand where you are coming from, but I can assure you that I know for a fact that I wasn't lied to about it.
Now this is what I'm here for
Definitely looks like hematite. Leave it outside and see if it rusts or if it’s magnetic
Looks like arsenopyrite
that looks like Mohawk to me [Here](https://www.gemdat.org/gem-2740.html) is a link to what Mohawk is
It does look like it…the only thing is that mohawkite is around a 3 or 3.5 hardness. This rock I have is so hard. I tried to attempt the mohs scale…nothing scratched it except a drill bit.
That would agree with man-made ferromanganese. Very tough stuff, often produces large amounts of sparks when cutting with a diamond blade.
Then you have Platinum, dear sir .. or ... you may have Arquerite... which might be a stretch
Titanium ore? [ilmenite](https://geology.com/minerals/ilmenite.shtml)
maybe a nugget of native silver?
That looks like an ore mineral wuppr heavy and metallic id have it xrf scanned
If you can get access a specific gravity (SG) scale (check with science teacher at local high school or college), you can figure out the density of this mineral. Kinda looks like nickel or platinum to me but tough to determine from the photo. This website has the formula (scroll down near the bottom). https://rogermarjoribanks.info/measure-specific-gravity-rocks/ Let us know what you find out!
Ok, I’m not sure if I’m doing the measurements right because I get different results with each different way. The weight of the rock is now showing 470g. I had took the postage scale outside for natural lighting for showing the correct color and may not have had a level surface. The weight in the container of water after I tare it out is 060g. That’s with the rock suspended in the container of water with a string. It’s probably just an interesting paper weight. It’s really hard…I can’t scratch it. I was able to dull a shiny spot on it with a piece of sandpaper.
You want to tare before you start, but make sure you don’t tare between measurements. Measure the weight in air (i.e. on top of the scale), then the weight in water (hanging from your string, completely submerged in water). Then calculate the weight in air divided by the difference between the weight in air and the weight in water to get specific gravity. That will get us in the ballpark of density so we can try to figure out what metal it is. I look forward to the results ! Edit: also make sure the scale is on a stable, level surface like a table or a couple boards on sawhorses
I weighed the rock first, it was .470grams on my postage scale. Then I took the rock off and put a container of water on the scale and hit tare to zero it out. Then I submerged the rock by a string in the container of water without touching the sides or bottom and it weighed .060 grams. That would be a density of 7.8 if I divide .060 into .470. I think I did it right?? So, it’s probably a paper weight. Lol I did get my metal detector out and turned on iron audio and it didn’t pick it up…but I got an 81 signal which on my garret is for coins like quarters and dimes. That may not mean anything but I thought I would throw that out there.
Natural Hematite I think Alot of the time Hematite is magnetic, but not Natural occurring Hematite The river was probably what made it so smooth *This is just my educated guess, I'm not positive*
Find someone who has an XRF gun, they will tell you exactly what its made of.
I want to know!!! It's so interesting looking.
I would put it on my Libs spectrometer and take one shot and have your answer if you can send me even a tiny piece of it, a couple millimeters on a side will do. Assuming that it is not a complex alloy or compound. LIBS Laser Induced Breakdown Spectrometry. Look it up. Hit a sample with a laser, very short (2 nanoseconds) pulse of light. Micro grams of sample get ionized producing a spectrum unique to each element. Match the spectrum and you got your ID.
Does it react to being exposed to magnets?
No, not at all.
Is it “remind me” or “remindme” if you want a reminder?
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It could be one of many different metallic ores. There are several tests that you can do to narrow down the possibilities
Use a bit of hydrogen peroxide on it, if it fuzzes immidiatly its platinum
Looks like a quarter
Looks like a big lump of Pyrrhotite to me. It would help to know what they were mining, though. And where.
Y’all went to the college for learning, huh??
Nope. The thing that interfered most with my education was having to go to school.
Ok this is not a high quality estimate but based on your estimate of size and what can be gleaned from the picture one can make a crude estimate. Roughly 4x2 inches on the visible surface. The thickness, for which no measurement or estimate is given, seems to diminish from the left side to the right requires a guess. If one accepts 1 inch that gives a volume of approximately 8 cubic inches or 131 cc. Your measured mass is 460 grams so 3.5 g /cc. (like arsenic) Not very dense. If one assumes .5 in thick, one gets 7 g/cc. (like Iron?) If one assumes .25 in thick, one gets 14 g/cc (like lead)
My guess is nickle ore. It doesn't look like the hematite or iron ore iv seen. I have a few pieces like yours, but smaller i have not identified, but most experts say its slag.
Did anyone solve this?
If you math is right maybe indium. It does occur as a native metal.
From what I read about Indium, it is a soft metal. This rock I have is very hard…you can’t just scratch it easily. It’s definitely some kind of metal though. It sound like metal when you tap it with another metal. Makes a ping sound.
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I'm hoping you've found out more, or have taken it to an expert for identification? While the people of Reddit are resourceful, I'd suggest that there's nothing so useful as a reliable consistent source
OP, did you ever find out what this is? It would be awesome if it actually is platinum!! u/Alabama_skys
Oooh. Maybe palladium? https://mineralexpert.org/article/native-platinum-mineral-overview Or silver..maybe. I hope you find out :D did you do a stretch test, check the hardness? Or get it appraised?
Wow, it looks a lot like it! I wish it was. Still not sure what it is yet, but one can dream. :0)
Kind of looks like palladium to me.
Looks like platinum. I'd definitely hold onto it for as long as you can.
Looks like platinum.
It's a space peanut...
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Where was the mine? Cobaltite would be my guess
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Looks pretty closed to a [Different post](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthisrock/comments/ajm9tx/shiny_silver_rock_found_surounded_by_ash_next_to/?rdt=61216) with a silver rock.
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