Anyone know about rocks and/or stone artifacts? UPDATE PHOTOS

[debilorrah]

Quote:
It does!!!!! Kinda strange looking to me. The second one, I am waiting for her reply, but I kinda lean toward rough jade. It looks like quartz running through it which would be right. It also looks green enough to be native US jade. Most people think of jade as really light green, which is not true. Most is very dark. It also appears they have been worried and not polished.

 

[BarkerChickens]

Both look like river rock (a water polished in flowing water such as rivers).

The first one looks like a polished limestone breccia...see how it looks like angular puzzles pieces in a gray/black matrix?). Really cook looking! The The red in the "puzzle pieces" look like cinnabar (a mercury sulphide mineral) and the yellow may be from the cinnabar as well or goethite (limonite - an iron ore) possibly. Cinnabar is common with dolomite and similar, which is a carbonate mineral. Carbonates (including limestone) are common in Texas, so that makes sense to me. Additionally, cinnabar is generally related to sedimentary rocks, which again would make sense in this location.
Here is what cinnabar looks like
Here is cinnabar with limonite
Here is a photo of Limonite

While I can understand that the second one kind of looks like marble it is awfully dark and something was nagging at me about what it was, but I couldn't think of it off the top of my head. Chert! I think it is chert given the color, veining and the fact that it occurs as a silicate mineral in limestone.

As for worry stones...no clue. The first one I would doubt it (though it is a gorgeous rock!). But, chert was commonly used for such items. Hope this helps!

Shelby

 

[TammyTX]

Thank you so much! I think the black/red rock does look like the cinnabar. The other black rock with the veining could be chert, makes me think some of the artifacts are chert....is chert related to flint?

I looked at a geological map of the area and it looks like we are right in a split between two types which makes total sense because our own property has one half that is black clay and the other is more redish gravel with yellowish clay a couple fee down. Even our septic guy said we had weird dirt because in the back where he was digging he came across small pockets of white powdery stuff....I guess limestone.....but it was like chalk.

....now, if all this meant we have a secret gold mine! ...or silver or oil....I'd even take diamonds.....!

 

[BarkerChickens]

Quote:
Chert and flint are very similar and both occur in Texas. They form in slightly different environments, but, in general, both are formed in carbonate environments (such as limestone for chert and chalk for flint) as silicate (ie, quartz) nodules or veins. Flint is usually darker, lacks the veining of chert and is commonly found as round nodules with a white layer on the outside (silicate flint inside with a carbonate/chalk outside). Chert can occur as thin beds, veins or nodules, is usually lighter than flint and contain veining within the mineral. It can be difficult to distingush the two as many features can be shared by both. For those that aren't interested in the geology per se, usually separate "chert" from "flint" by quality, with flint being higher quality because it has a smoother appearance (lacks the veining). etc. Both were commonly used in tool making though.

If the back was like chalk, then possibly it is a lower quality flint....though it looks like chert to me. They are similar, so it not a world of difference, but the chalk usually denotes flint, but given the geological environment in Texas, it may have been a fragment washed from a nearby area.

What separates the two units on the map? Is their a structural feathers than separates them (such as a topographic high, fault, etc) or is it erosional (as the ground slopes down, it changed units)? The breccia one is really cool looking! We don't get look rocks like that here in CA (at least with those colors/minerals).

 

[BarkerChickens]

Tammy...completely off topic, but I was reading through your personal page. You are so funny!! I enjoy your sense of humor! I can completely relate to everything you wrote. DH and and I have no children, 3 dogs (including one with all sorts of "issues"), 1 cat and 32 chickens (30 by the end of the day probably). We started this summer with 63 chickens (6 hens and 57 chicks), but between deformities, failure to thrive and those invited to dinner, we are stopping at 30.

 

[BarkerChickens]

DH says the breccia looks like a lady bug.

 

[TammyTX]

The only map I could find online was pretty teeny but I can tell you that topographically speaking we are on a slight slope and about a 1-1 1/2 miles from the Colorado River (as the crow flies).

I heard once that when geese fly south they have "memory" passed down of places that used to hold water and they will circle those areas when the water is long gone. That's what happens to us every spring and winter. The geese will lower and circle over our properties which makes me think there used to be water here. All we have now is a wet weather creek at the back and a small wet weather tank.

The breccia rock is not usual for here. Well, they could be all over since I don't know what I'm looking at! But I don't see many with the contrasting colors like this one. I like the ladybug description better than mine.

Thank you for the compliment. I'm pretty sure my humor was developed for self preservation during my pre-teen years!

Thank you for your help, I very much appreciate it!

 

[debilorrah]

Tammy too bad you are not closer to Shelby and I. We could have some fun in the desert here. There are soooo many cool rocks here!!!!!

PS - Shelby and I live near each other....

If you ever make it out this way, let us know!

 

[BarkerChickens]

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I agree!

 

[TammyTX]

Thanks!