Thread: black stone and smallest ID

Over time I have accumulated a number of stones some of them withouth id..
Here are two from ebay UK...both two washed ,scrubbed and degreased with hot water and liquid soap.. i have tried to identify them, but nothing..if someone help me i'll appreciate..

1. This stone is from Nottingham.. dimensions are 7x2x1/2 inches..it is dark, dark like coal...consistency is similar slate and smell like bitumen..slurry is dark brown almost black..the stone is quite smooth..in my opinion grit size is around 4-6k but unfortunately the texture is not regular...

2.This one is from Carmarthenshire...it is a small piece of rock with
irregular shape.. only one flat surface of 8x3 centimeters..very hard and fine stone..smooth like glass the color is dark blue and slurry is gray...on mahogany wooden surround was writtten " r. bawdem ", maybe the manufacturer..

Are the locations you give the area where the ebay sellers were based, or do you know that the stones were definitely quarried in those particular areas?

The only hone that I am aware of coming from Nottingham, is an ironstone found in what is called the Whetstone Layer of the East Derbyshire/ Nottinghamshire Coalfields. Ironstones have a recorded history of use as hones, although this is mostly as fine, finishing stones, they were available in different varieties of coarseness. On the other hand, ironstone is usually of a reddish colour, and should be very hard, with a close texture. Maybe you have some type of metamorphosed stone, that was altered by contact with the harder ironstone layers of the area.

As far as number two is concerned, Wales seems to be blessed with a great many varieties of honestones. Sowerby mentions that a stone very similiar to the Turkey Hone was to be found in parts Wales, however, he only provides one illustration of a cream-coloured hone from a different area than yours. Based on your description of the hone, I think that it may be a Novaculite of Kirwan type, the most famous of these being the Idwal Oilstone.

Kindest regards,
Alex

Hello,
no , unfortunately the locations are only the places where sellers are living...
but the first stone is from an old woodworker collection(great-granfather of seller)...I'm sure this is not an ironstone...i have seen many of these rocks and of course they are reddish...i agree with you, this is problably a metamorphosed stone...i'm thinking that problably it was quarried near some coal deposit because of its smell and color...
On the second stone i can only say that hydrocloric acid litterally eat this rock...