Question for a geologist or maybe knowledgable on man made resins

[Bobdude161]

I have had this "rock" for years. From what I remember, my brother found it in the woods. It has this pink translucent texture to it. From my early age I thought it was worth "like a million dollars", but my father (who has a degree in geology from Berkley) took a look at it and said that it's probably a chunk of resin. The woods used to play in got littered with large piles of junk occasionally and we used to find treasures like these.

It is somewhat transparent with a pink color. A few air bubbles can be seen and it has some jagged edges here and there.

Has a weight of about 5897 g (weighed on an old scale converted from lbs)

Volume is about 2600 mL (water elimination process)

Which means it has a density of about 2.268 g/mL

This question has been bothering me for ages. While the chances are very slim that it's worth the amount I have always thought, I'm just curious what I've holding on to.

I've got some very poor pictures that I took of it.

 

[enda1]

looks like a big lump of quartz. Sure is natural and not man made? Even maybe just glass from some arty glassware place that blows glass?

Or is it softer, more plastic like?

 

[®îçhå®?]

Is your dad sure that it is a rock?? it looks like it could be tinted glass. I went glass blowing once and it ended up a wierd looking thing but that could easily be cooled glass that has just been tainted.

 

[beatsme]

This question has been bothering me for ages. While the chances are very slim that it's worth the amount I have always thought, I'm just curious what I've holding on to.

I'd say you've got a really great curio, and a nifty piece of your childhood that you can hang on to and share with friends/family. Put it on your coffee table and enjoy. IMHO, you really can't put a dollar value on that kind of thing.

EDIT: remember that scene in "Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil" where Cusack and Spacey are looking at the painting? Cusack notices that it's been painted over, and asks Spacey if he's had it x-rayed to see what's underneath. Spacey says no, and adds "I rather enjoy not knowing."

just a thought...

 

[Bobdude161]

Yeah it's hard as a rock. Could be glass, but pink? The pink color is quite consistent outside and inside of it.

 

[Bobdude161]

I'd say you've got a really great curio, and a nifty piece of your childhood that you can hang on to and share with friends/family. Put it on your coffee table and enjoy. IMHO, you really can't put a dollar value on that kind of thing.

oh hell ya im keepin it. I'd definitely keep it if it's worth a mil. Maybe I would sell it if it was worth....... (puts pinky to mouth) 2 miilion dollars (eye brow raised).

 

[riciad]

If it wasn't for the pinky colour it would look like a very clear piece of amber but I think amber would have a lower density as well.

 

[Blue Velvet]

Liberace dropped a bauble. Finders keepers.

 

[almonde]

Density is a little low for Quartz, can you scratch it with a steel blade? On the Mohs hardness scale steel is just below quartz.

(I'm a geologist btw)

 

[iGav]

I'd say you've got a really great curio, and a nifty piece of your childhood that you can hang on to and share with friends/family.

If it was mine... knowing my luck, as soon as I died, they'd find out it really is worth a million quid. Bugger.

 

[Bobdude161]

Density is a little low for Quartz, can you scratch it with a steel blade? On the Mohs hardness scale steel is just below quartz.

(I'm a geologist btw)

no scratches at all. weird.

 

[almonde]

no scratches at all. weird.

Amber would easily scratch, (mohs hardness 2-2.5). Also its desnity is about double what you'd expect for a resin(quartz is about 2.6 g/ml). So you're looking for a substance with a hardness greater than or equal to quartz (7) with a density below quartz

http://webmineral.com/determin/non-metallic_minerals_by_density.shtml

there are some minerals listed by density, hardness is also shown. if you can't scratch it with a knife then its probable hardness is >6.

 

[iGav]

Drop it and see if it breaks.

 

[Bobdude161]

Drop it and see if it breaks.

NO! I would never break my precious. Although it would be interesting to see what happened. I looked up the density of glass and it's about ~2.5 g/cm^3. What's harder than glass that could be a household product as well? Obsidian?

 

[Chundles]

NO! I would never break my precious. Although it would be interesting to see what happened. I looked up the density of glass and it's about ~2.5 g/cm^3. What's harder than glass that could be a household product as well? Obsidian?

Obsidian is jet black (generally, I've certainly seen no other colours).

I was going to suggest Rose Quartz, I have a piece of Rose Quartz at home and it's the exact same colour but without actually touching the object I can't tell whether it's a rock or a resin - rocks feel like, well, rocks.

I would also expect a piece of Rose Quartz that big to have adopted some sort of crystalline structure whereas that looks like a melted blob.

Interesting to say the least. Any chance of getting an actual photo uploaded rather than one that's been shot through the same lens they use on "Days of Our Lives" to keep the actors looking young?

 

[iGav]

NO! I would never break my precious. Although it would be interesting to see what happened. I looked up the density of glass and it's about ~2.5 g/cm^3. What's harder than glass that could be a household product as well? Obsidian?

Do you have a university nearby? I'd take it there for them to have a tommy gander at it.

I have to admit it does look a lot like what enda1 suggested, it's a fascinating object though.

How long have you had it? has it ever emitted a strange noise? or glowed mysteriously?

 

[sonictruth]

Amber would easily scratch, (mohs hardness 2-2.5). Also its desnity is about double what you'd expect for a resin(quartz is about 2.6 g/ml). So you're looking for a substance with a hardness greater than or equal to quartz (7) with a density below quartz

http://webmineral.com/determin/non-m..._density.shtml

there are some minerals listed by density, hardness is also shown. if you can't scratch it with a knife then its probable hardness is >6.

I agree with Almonde's approach, considering a geologist usually needs to see the real deal to offer anything meaningful. From the pictures, though, it seems man-made to me. (i'm another geologist btw)

 

[riciad]

Did you find out any more about your "rock"?

I just thought about it today when I was picking up interesting pebbles off the beach.

 

[adk]

I doubt it's glass. In order for a piece of hot, workable glass that big to cool down to room temperature without shattering is nearly impossible unless you let it cool over a 24 hour to one week span in a kiln. Scraps of glass like that usually get thrown in a bucket where they cool down to fast and shatter.