Please help identify

[Buzzy84]

I found this rock at a friends house in Turner, Maine. He just bought the house and we were walking the rock wall and there she was, stuck out like a sore thumb perched right up top of the rock wall. The old man that owned the place before was a bit of a collector.. of everything.

Well I was wondering if anyone could help me identify this. Even guesses would help since i know nothing. I realize the picture ain't the best but i think it shows colors pretty good.. If need be i will be pics in daylight better quality.

Thanks for your help!

Also, I'd say it weighs about 25 lbs or so

Edited December 14, 2013 by Buzzy84

[Haderly]

Look and see if it has any wood structure to it. Color wise it looks like a good candidate for Arizona petrified wood which is also called Arizona Rainbow Wood.

[Buzzy84]

What do you mean like wood grain? Things heavy as all hell for size.. I checked petrified wood out.. it does kinda look like that.

Edited December 14, 2013 by Buzzy84

[Haderly]

It could have wood grain, growth rings, knots or even bark. Some petrified wood loses the original wood structure so even if it is petrified wood it may not have wood structure. There is a rock shop in Stacyville, Maine that has a bunch of Arizona Rainbow Wood. If you are ever close you could have the guy look at it for you.

[Buzzy84]

Ya its just a chunk so maybe its just the inside not sure.. Never even heard of stacyville but i will check that out when i get a chance. The other side of the rock is grayish and kind of grainy so you could be right. But would it half to be from Arizona of could it be from around here somewhere? Best bet is probly bring it to that guy ey

[kelly starkey]

ya petrified wood! and it could of come from several different places but AZ has the most.>>>Kelly in az

[Buzzy84]

Cool thanks for the input! Now to figure out what i can do with it if anything. What kind of shops usually buy this?

[newriverblake]

I would guess it might sell at your local park n swap for a few bucks your you could use it as a door stop. If it me I would go for the door stop. From Maine it's a long way to go to get another petrified door stop.

[mihailovici179]

May be aragonite...

[homefire]

Looking at the Photo, my first thoughts was petrified wood! Reading the following post it seems I'm not the only one. It makes some nice looking rings and other stuff if Cobbed nice.

[Buzzy84]

Looking at the Photo, my first thoughts was petrified wood! Reading the following post it seems I'm not the only one. It makes some nice looking rings and other stuff if Cobbed nice.

thats what its sounding like so far.. what do you mean by cobbed nice? If it is petrified wood i would like to try and figure out how to make stuff out of it maybe arrow heads or something like that if possible.

[Buzzy84]

Thanks everyone for your replies! Taking them all into consideration.

[The Found Dutchman]

It's pet wood for sure. If you know how to knap arrowheads already, it should make some nice colorful ones. Make sure you post photos if you do.

[Buzzy84]

It's pet wood for sure. If you know how to knap arrowheads already, it should make some nice colorful ones. Make sure you post photos if you do.

No i dont know how but might look into to how to do it or at least shine some up somehow

[Rimshot]

I would have guessed some type of chert.

https://www.google.com/search?q=chert&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&tbm=isch&source=iu&imgil=155CozAINxqTLM%253A%253Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fencrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com%252Fimages%253Fq%253Dtbn%253AANd9GcS2rII8VG9a7Upg9kpE7qrvSH13bRH5RZEmUoA14-AzITVbgZ4y%253B1280%253B960%253BCvpodWzg0QfeaM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fitc.gsw.edu%25252Ffaculty%25252Ftweiland%25252Fsedrx2.htm&sa=X&ei=SeKuUpO2N8blsATw6oL4DQ&ved=0CDwQ9QEwAw&biw=1117&bih=567#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=155CozAINxqTLM%3A%3BCvpodWzg0QfeaM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fitc.gsw.edu%252Ffaculty%252Ftweiland%252Fchert.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fitc.gsw.edu%252Ffaculty%252Ftweiland%252Fsedrx2.htm%3B1280%3B960

Also look at the marble bar chert hill on the right hand side of this page. It appears layered.

http://geology.com/rocks/chert.shtml

Edited December 16, 2013 by Rimshot

[The Found Dutchman]

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=image&fr=chrf-yff20&va=petrified+rainbow+wood

[Buzzy84]

I would have guessed some type of chert.

https://www.google.com/search?q=chert&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&tbm=isch&source=iu&imgil=155CozAINxqTLM%253A%253Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fencrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com%252Fimages%253Fq%253Dtbn%253AANd9GcS2rII8VG9a7Upg9kpE7qrvSH13bRH5RZEmUoA14-AzITVbgZ4y%253B1280%253B960%253BCvpodWzg0QfeaM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fitc.gsw.edu%25252Ffaculty%25252Ftweiland%25252Fsedrx2.htm&sa=X&ei=SeKuUpO2N8blsATw6oL4DQ&ved=0CDwQ9QEwAw&biw=1117&bih=567#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=155CozAINxqTLM%3A%3BCvpodWzg0QfeaM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fitc.gsw.edu%252Ffaculty%252Ftweiland%252Fchert.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fitc.gsw.edu%252Ffaculty%252Ftweiland%252Fsedrx2.htm%3B1280%3B960

Also look at the marble bar chert hill on the right hand side of this page. It appears layered.

http://geology.com/rocks/chert.shtml

Someone told my friend it was flint a while ago but that was just a guess.. flint is chert?

[Rimshot]

Chalcedony Chert and Flint

Chalcedony is a variety of cryptocrystalline quartz with extremely small crystals and a specific gravity (weight under water, a measure of a rock/mineral's purity) nearly identical to that of pure quartz. Due to its very high quartz content and super fine particle matrix, chalcedony has a very waxy luster.

Chert is composed of larger crystal particles and has a specific gravity similar that of pure quartz. Due to impurities and larger particle sizes, chert is somewhat less "quartz-like" than chalcedony. Chert is duller and more opaque than chalcedony and its luster ranges from non-existant to very waxy, depending on the individual rock formation.

So what is flint? By mineralogical definition, flint is simply black chert. It appears that the term "flint" was originally applied to the high quality black cherts found in England. Over the years names have evolved for local chert formations/deposits that may include the word "flint" and technically speaking these would be incorrect more often than not. The reality of the flint verses chert debate is that in most cases it is something like "splitting hairs", there really is very little difference, chemically speaking. Artifact collectors tend to call materials that have a more waxy luster "flints" and those which have less luster to no luster "cherts". The difference between them lyes in their purity relative to pure quartz and their matrix particle size. The smaller the particle size and the purer the material, the more likely we collectors would be to call the material flint. To a purist, we would be wrong. A generalist would say "close enough".

Note: Some examples of Flint Ridge Flint are known to be 98.93 % pure silicon dioxide.

http://www.theaaca.com/Learning_Center/flintvs.htm

[Buzzy84]

Chalcedony Chert and Flint

Chalcedony is a variety of cryptocrystalline quartz with extremely small crystals and a specific gravity (weight under water, a measure of a rock/mineral's purity) nearly identical to that of pure quartz. Due to its very high quartz content and super fine particle matrix, chalcedony has a very waxy luster.

Chert is composed of larger crystal particles and has a specific gravity similar that of pure quartz. Due to impurities and larger particle sizes, chert is somewhat less "quartz-like" than chalcedony. Chert is duller and more opaque than chalcedony and its luster ranges from non-existant to very waxy, depending on the individual rock formation.

So what is flint? By mineralogical definition, flint is simply black chert. It appears that the term "flint" was originally applied to the high quality black cherts found in England. Over the years names have evolved for local chert formations/deposits that may include the word "flint" and technically speaking these would be incorrect more often than not. The reality of the flint verses chert debate is that in most cases it is something like "splitting hairs", there really is very little difference, chemically speaking. Artifact collectors tend to call materials that have a more waxy luster "flints" and those which have less luster to no luster "cherts". The difference between them lyes in their purity relative to pure quartz and their matrix particle size. The smaller the particle size and the purer the material, the more likely we collectors would be to call the material flint. To a purist, we would be wrong. A generalist would say "close enough".

Note: Some examples of Flint Ridge Flint are known to be 98.93 % pure silicon dioxide.

http://www.theaaca.com/Learning_Center/flintvs.htm

I just aint sure, sounds like it could be what your talking about too. I'm pretty sure maine has tons of quartz around. And my first thoughts was something to do with quartz because some of the veins in the rock look like quartz

[Haderly]

How about taking some close up pictures of the top and sides. The pictures can be just sections of the rock and preferably outside with natural light. Good macro pictures might make it a lot easier to determine.

[d_day]

It definitely looks like it's in the same family as chalcedony, which includes agate, jasper, flint, and chert. It could very well be petrified wood from AZ as was suggested earlier, but could also be any number of other things. More detailed pictures would definitely help.

[Buzzy84]

How about taking some close up pictures of the top and sides. The pictures can be just sections of the rock and preferably outside with natural light. Good macro pictures might make it a lot easier to determine.

Ya I will get some better pictures as soon as possible. This site is very helpful and sounds like one of the 2 suggested. I might not get any til next weekend unless my friend can take some and send them to me today . I will keep everyone posted

[Buzzy84]

It definitely looks like it's in the same family as chalcedony, which includes agate, jasper, flint, and chert. It could very well be petrified wood from AZ as was suggested earlier, but could also be any number of other things. More detailed pictures would definitely help.

More pics to come. I had no idea how helpful this site would be.. glad i found it. so i only took a couple quick pics last sunday night during football.

I've been doing some research and maine does have chert so it very well could be.

[j!]

Created an account just to respond to this post!

If it *is* petrified wood, with that much color, it's either opal or agate. Opal will be lighter than agate, and given that you're surprised at the weight, it is almost assuredly agate IF it's pet wood. Agate is a form of chalcedony, so it isn't incorrect to identify it as such, though its a bit like naming the genus without naming the species.

If you chip at it, and it looks wet, it's probably opal. Also, if it isn't too dried out, and you sprinkle water on it, it will bead up on opal and moisten as usual if it is agate. I don't do much in the way of streak testing, but if you have a slate tile, look up the streak colors for both or either and see what that shows.

[Buzzy84]

Created an account just to respond to this post!

If it *is* petrified wood, with that much color, it's either opal or agate. Opal will be lighter than agate, and given that you're surprised at the weight, it is almost assuredly agate IF it's pet wood. Agate is a form of chalcedony, so it isn't incorrect to identify it as such, though its a bit like naming the genus without naming the species.

If you chip at it, and it looks wet, it's probably opal. Also, if it isn't too dried out, and you sprinkle water on it, it will bead up on opal and moisten as usual if it is agate. I don't do much in the way of streak testing, but if you have a slate tile, look up the streak colors for both or either and see what that shows.

Cool thanks for the response.. I agree with you. I'm not sure what you mean by streak testing though. I can get my hands on a piece of slate tho got all kinds around here.