Post subject: Re: I found this digging in my back yard do you know what it
Posted: Tue Jul 10, 2012 10:03 am
Site Admin
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:22 pm Posts: 21602 Location: San Francisco
Yes, in all seriousness, bring your unknown to the geology (petrology) department in your local college or university and ask for some help with identification.
Post subject: Re: I found this digging in my back yard do you know what it
Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 4:05 pm
New to the Forum or The Quiet Type
Joined: Tue Jul 10, 2012 7:44 pm Posts: 2
fasano wrote:
I found this digging in my back yard do you know what it is?It has gold flakes that fall off and can be pulled off in spots.
What you are describing is mica. It occurs black, tan(the gold color) to clear. It is soft and can be easily marked with another rock. The whole rock looks like a piece of pegmatic rock that contains several different minerals. AKA leverite, as in leave it right there. Hope this helps some.
Post subject: Re: I found this digging in my back yard do you know what it
Posted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 1:40 pm
Valued Contributor
Joined: Thu May 15, 2008 4:55 am Posts: 237 Location: Vienna, Austria
If: it is a pegmatite and if the rest of the dyke is in your garden and if this is not just a piece transported to the place when your house was built you could try to dig the weathered parts with a small chance of finding a pocket with minerals more interesting than mica.
But really : ask some local geologist or , sometimes better, a local rockhound, about the potential of your discovery. In the best case (the rock beeing pegmatite) this rock is a sign that might something interesting could be found wherever it originated. But only few pegmatites contain pockets and even fewer contain pockets with gemstones...
Good luck!
_________________ To see a world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
And eternity in an hour.
Post subject: Re: I found this digging in my back yard do you know what it
Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 10:59 pm
New to the Forum or The Quiet Type
Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2012 11:46 pm Posts: 2
More obvious questions would be: 1) Where is your backyard located? State, etc 2) Are there more of the same type of rocks in the area?
From looking at the picture labeled "Rock #3", on the left side, the black material is Mica, so are the gold flakes and I have to agree with Roxxusa, the rest looks like pegmatite. In itself, nothing valuable, but if there are more of the rocks around the backyard, you could potentially find gemstones.
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 16 guests
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot post attachments in this forum