Rocks from new Property In Nevada

[CButcher 0]

Hi

just bought property in Northern Nevada, and found some formations and rocks that I am clueless as to what they are.

We found out that someone in the past had leased the property for  gold mining, but no signs of mining on the property.

Thanks if you can give us any info on what these are.

C

[Au Seeker 2,683]

Welcome to the forum CB!

I have moved your topic to the Rocks, Minerals and Fossils section so it will get more attention from members on what you have.

[Stillweaver hillbelli 86]

Looks like Albite( the white feldspar)...crush it to powder, make playdom, play pattycake, fire it and you made ceramic.          the blackish( may be a deep red?)  surrounded by^ could be schorl(black tourmaline), garnet, or... course there is plenty of quartz,too

Glittery shiny stuff could be biotite mica.

 

 

[CButcher 0]

Thank you, makes for a good start of my research. 

[Diggingd 35]

Hey they may have taken all the gold, but there could still be a lot of intrinsic value to find in your new land, best of luck to your hunting and hope you find some new stuff soon! Feel free to share with us 

[Stillweaver hillbelli 86]

In center of third pic is a small cavity with  a dark pyramidal shape crystal that could be Zircon.

[Bedrock Bob 2,810]

I would say the first two photos are silicified limestone. The third is hypabyssal or intrusive quartz vein.

The first two photos  are of a rock that came from the surface of a limestone deposit. Probably an old sea bed. The third came from deeper within the ground where there was some pressure. Probably granite hosted.

It is very common to see limestone overlying granite basement rocks. I will take a wild stab and predict your area is granite overlain with limestone. 

As far as gold goes you would be interested in rocks like the third photo. Maybe something with less mica and more iron minerals.

If I were you I would sample with a gold pan and see what this lease talk is all about. You could have some nice gold on your place. What a hoot that would be!

[greendave41 9]

I believe the first specimen is "Angle Plated" Quartz and indicates there was some interesting hydrothermal activity going on. See this a lot in NC. The etching could be the voids left over from Calcite that was dissolved out. Interesting nonetheless.

[Bedrock Bob 2,810]

The second photo is obviously of hydrothermal origin. It crystallized under pressure and the crystals grew large and reached into a void. It formed under some pressure. Hypabyssal or intrusive geology. A classic example of hydrothermal activity.

The crystal size of the first photo would seem to rule out hydrothermal activity. This rock was formed at the surface under little or no pressure. The microcrystalline structure is physical evidence of this. It is not an extrusive volcanic so it formed as a sedimentary metamorphic and silicified through decomposition/replacement at the surface of a formation high in silica.

At least that is what I am seeing.