Thread: Mystery Hone ID Request

When you get it can you post up close pictures of these spots? Please and thank you!!!!

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As I shared with Christopher, I'm not sure this looks like petrified wood. Now you can take my Geology elective in college (which I still love learning about every chance I get), my visit to the Petrified Forest, and a dollar-put it all together and buy the cup of coffee it's worth at the local diner.

Having said, the rings don't look like the growth rings from a tree-too much variation in spacing along them. And most of the PF I've seen is far more colorful from the various minerals fossilized within the decaying tree's structure. I never even thought of the Novaculite angle, though-I guess the specific gravity test would tell? I wonder too if the bands are some sort of exotic sedimentary layers that settled in that fashion. It kind of reminds me of some of the really wild metamorphic banding from millions of years of heating and folding that I see on some of the back-country trout streams I frequent, kind of like this:

or this

There are rocks and minerals like this all over the NC mountains. The Appalachians are supposed to be the oldest mountain range on earth; mineral samples have been found that are close to half a billion years old. This doesn't answer Christopher's question, but gives us a similar rock in its raw, natural state.

Anyway, Bianco, I don't care what it is, I want to hone on it at our next mini-meet! Aaron

edit: Look at this page of different gneiss samples from around the world, especially the banded greenish one a little ways down the page: http://www.sandatlas.org/gneiss/

SHD,

Thanks for the thoughts and photos. While I have no idea where the stone was quarried, it was purchased and shipped from Portland, Oregon. (Might be regional?) And yes, I'll definitely bring this stone to our next scotch tasting.

I visited the link, but I'm not sold on it being any of those type stones. But I could be wrong. Often am.

(aaron--I'll snap some well-lighted close-up photos tomorrow morning.)

Regards,
Chris

I never even thought of the Novaculite angle, though-I guess the specific gravity test would tell? I wonder too if the bands are some sort of exotic sedimentary layers that settled in that fashion. It kind of reminds me of some of the really wild metamorphic banding from millions of years of heating and folding

The gravity test would only let you check the grade of novaculite if that is indeed what it is. There are plenty of other rocks that will have similar density.

Novaculite is one of the odd rocks. It is a chert, and follows the rules for that rock type. It can show original deposit banding and fossils, Form in huge sheets, Or form as nodules. It can also show pressure banding and folding and be found in layers. As such there are no real rules for what one should look like. Jaspers and agates are the same family. Chert is actually one of the more interesting rocks in general as it is normally considered to be biological in origin, Been formed from chalks and limestones.

A spark test might be more beneficial than a gravity test. If you run some mild steel down one side quickly you might be able to get sparks. Cherts and flints are know to have this property. Again other rocks can do this so it's not a perfect test.

Originally Posted by Iceni

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A spark test might be more beneficial than a gravity test. If you run some mild steel down one side quickly you might be able to get sparks. Cherts and flints are know to have this property. Again other rocks can do this so it's not a perfect test.

Be careful though. I chipped a tranluscent using it as a "flint" with steel.

Steel, thanks for the flint test warning.

And the CU photos, as requested...





And I was wrong about those two spots shown above.

The first photo is the top side which I've tested with fantastic results. That small spot is just a swirl of the surrounding natural, non-inclusionary pattern.

However, the bottom side, which I haven't tested on a razor, DOES appear to be an inclusion-filled area. In fact, I gave it a few more laps on that side, and now I can BARELY feel the spot with my fingertips.

Regards,
Chris

Originally Posted by CJBianco

Steel, thanks for the flint test warning.

And the CU photos, as requested...





And I was wrong about those two spots shown above.

The first photo is the top side which I've tested with fantastic results. That small spot is just a swirl of the surrounding natural, non-inclusionary pattern.

However, the bottom side, which I haven't tested on a razor, DOES appear to be an inclusion-filled area. In fact, I gave it a few more laps on that side, and now I can BARELY feel the spot with my fingertips.

Regards,
Chris

Thank you!!! Based on what looks to be flaking, my vote is for Novaculite.... hopefully someone more experienced will chime in!

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OK, so I showed this mystery stone to my friend, ScoutHikerDad (who posted above), and after seeing the stone in person, he agrees that it does indeed resemble some sort of petrified wood. (There are a lot of subtle "growth ring lines" on this stone which the photos above do not capture.) However, we both agree that it may be something else entirely. Who knows?

Would anyone with plenty of natural stone experience like to play with this stone for a while? I'd welcome the opinion (on stone type, performance, or otherwise), and I'd happily ship it anywhere in the USA.

Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Chris

Moughton hone The layers are sedimentary i think .

Originally Posted by RusenBG

Moughton hone The layers are sedimentary i think .

Thank you for the reply. I don't think it's a Moughton, though. That was one of my first thoughts too, but the colors are off with none of the Moughton's usual red or green. This stone is brown and cream (yellow). Also, as another member mentioned, it's improving an 8K edge, unlike the typical Moughton. ScoutHikerDad tried the stone on a few razors, and he said that it definitely improves an 8K edge, and seemed to at least maintain a 12K edge. (Although, he couldn't be sure if it improved it.) That's much too fine for a Moughton, I believe. The closest thing I can think of is an Arkie. =/

Regards,
Chris