...what kind of rock is this???...

[stickyfingers]

...this is probably a good question for Big Cats... hey Paul my friend... I've been onto tour rather amazing website...

http://uqconnect.net/~zzpclach/index.htm

...I see that you know a fair whack about rocks and minerals etc... I'm just wondering what you can make of this rock that I've had for over 10 years or so... it was given to me by a llittle old lady that used to live next door just before she died... I used to help her out by fixing things for her etc etc... I once noticed this rock on a sideboard cupboard in her house and asked if I could have a look at it...

...when I lifted it up I was surprised that it seemed quite heavy for it's size... I asked her what it was and where did she get it from... she told me that it had been in her family for several generations... she was given it by her grandfather when she was a young girl and she was 75 years old at the time... she believed that it was either a fossilised Dinosaur egg or a Meteorite... she wasn't sure what her grandfather told her what is was... (her memory was fading unfortunately)...

...it seemed to be quite precious to her... it seemed to have a lot of significance to her for some reason or another... I have no idea for what reason... for all I know... it may just be an old lump of useless rock!... but I must say... my curiosity with this is driving me crazy!!... so any help whatsoever in identifying the round rock would be greatly appreciated!... if it is just a lump of useless rock... so be it!!... I'll still keep it... she gave it to me because liked it... you never throw away something that meant a lot to the person that gave it to you... here are the photos of it that I took...

...first a close up of a chip on the surface of the rock...



...the next... a side view of the rock...



...a top view...



...a view of the other side...



...a view of the "fat end" of the rock...



...the bottom of the rock...



...the "thin end" of the rock...



...a top view at an angle...



...a close up of the chip from another angle...



...the side on measurements with the wieght of the rock...



...and finally... the front on measurements...




...well there you have it ladies and gentlemen... does anybody have any ideas??? ... I'm guessing that Big Cats just tells me to use it as a doorstop or something ... but anyways... I still like the rock... hmmmmm... what name can I call it??? ... I might call it Fred... (unless anybody has a better name for it of course)!!!!!... cheers... Stickyfingers.

[Big Cats]

Hi Sticky

Well without knowing the history of the stone, it is hard to be exactly correct, however it could be one of only a few things.

Firstly from your photographs, to me it looks like a jasper, but;

It could be a Chalcedony Bomb, or;

It could be an Opalite volcanic bomb.

But I would say it is volcanic in nature.

It is most likely about between 75 and 120 million years old.

It has also been worn by some means, be it either by man or in a river or some other way.

But my guess is that it most likely a jasper bomb that was a gizzard stone to some prehistoric animal.

I have one very similar to that, which I found while fossicking for petrified wood near Chinchilla.

Anyway that is my estimation from my experience. Without actually examining the stone it is hard to tell. The chip on the side is concoidal, which indicates to me that is of a quartz species.

Hope this helps.

Big Cats

[stickyfingers]

...oh man that is fantastic!!!! ... I really do appreciate your opinion on what that rock is!!!! ... you've made my day my friend! ... it was really interesting when you mentioned about the fact that it could be a gizzard stone for a dinosaur!! ... it sort of ties in with what she was saying about something to do with dinosaurs... she was quite adamant about it being something strange but also important in some way... (to her and her family at least I imagine)... perhaps it was recognised as being what you think it is way back a few generations back within her family ??... who knows eh????...

...I will definitely call it "Fred" from now on... whereas Fred Flintstone used to be sitting ON a dinosaur... this rock was possibly sitting IN the dinosaur!!!... (did you like that link huh??... did ya???... did ya????... oh well... I thought it was funny at least)... again Paul... thanks for that my friend... as I said previously... you've made my day!!!!... cheers... Stickyfingers.

[Shazzoir]

Sticky, I don't think it's an egg of any kind, modern or prehistoric, but a very attractive stone.
I'm with the jasper analysis. It may have been given to your neighbour's grandfather under the guise of a dinosaur egg, because it honestly looks like something similar to the egg we know, but dino eggs weren't shaped like modern bird eggs (slightly more pointed at one end, more rounded on the other) which this item resembles. I'm guessing it's stone and jasper does have a pretty good range of colours.

Here's some info from a helpful website: http://www.lowellcarhart.net/ebay/fake.html


"The true color of genuine fossilised eggs ranges in colour, and the shading of the egg varies constantly throughout the specimen. Fossil eggs are always exactly the same color inside and out, because exactly the same matrix material is inside and out. When you see a different color inside (typically referred to as a "yolk") then you know that you are looking at anything *except* a fossil egg. Possibly it is instead a geode, nodule, concretion (most common), or modern stomach stone.

Also, virtually all genuine eggs have cracks while many fakes are completely devoid of cracks. (These are typically just smooth rocks, which the seller claims is a dino egg). I have sold over 4,000 dinosaur eggs from half a dozen species and every single one had cracks caused when the egg was crushed by the weight of overhead soil and rock."

Shazz

[stickyfingers]

...thanks for that Shazz... very interesting stuff... it's quite a market selling dinosaur eggs eh??? ... that was a great link to read... I never really imagined it to be an actual dinosaur egg... just something of interest that meant a lot to a sweet old lady next door... until I posted the rock on here I didn't even know that "Jasper" existed!!! ... they say that you learn something new every day eh??? ... looks like I did yesterday!!!... but all in all... a totally fascinating exercise for me I can tell you!!!... thanks Paul... thanks Shazz!... cheers... Stickyfingers.

[AussieTrev]

So let me get this right..... a jasper stone is just a rock that a dinosaur has swallowed???
They swallowed the rock to help digest their food? They normally eat 2 rocks so they grind upon each other?
Sounds reasonable.

Sticky - thanks for letting me touch your jasper at work!

I couldn't tell that it was anything except a rock - looking - thing.
I did notice one thing though Sticky... ... the size of the jasper isn't 73 centimetres long... ... its 7 point 3 centimetres long.

Shazz - do you go looking for the fossils yourself or do you just look over the net for them? Trev

[Shazzoir]

Hey Trev,

No, I don't buy them off the net, though there are some very attractive specimens available, but it is just impossible to tell the genuine article from a photo sometimes, especially on sites like eBay.
Also, there is a good chance that fossil for sale has been hacked out of some country's natural treasure store location of fossils, and I am not interested in helping finance a (black) market for fossils.

As a kid, my father, bless 'im, dragged my family all over Australia looking for gemstones and such. I love it! We mined for opal at Lightning Ridge in NSW, spent four consecutive years in winter fossicking for sapphires at The Willows gemfields, out near Emerald, hunting Rhodonite in NSW, Sapphires at Glen Innes, Rubies and Garnet at Proston, up near Rochampton etc etc. Now, I wistfully remember those times, and wish I could do it all again, the life is a good healthy one.

I have a box of fossils somewhere, but don't have a clue exactly where, when I find them, I'll put some up for you. They've been accumulated from Australian sites only, a couple were given to me, my family and I found the rest. Ammonites are my faves.

Shazz

[stickyfingers]

...some great memories there Shazz... thanks for sharing them with us... I'm looking forward to seeing the photos if you manage to put them up... they sound fascinating! ... cheers... Stickyfingers.

[bunyip]

hey Stickyfingers I finally joined up ... Bunyip

[stickyfingers]

hey Stickyfingers I finally joined up ... Bunyip

...hey about time Sue ... welcome to the forums!!! I can't believe that you finally did it!!!... cheers... Stickyfingers.

[Dion]

Welcome Bunyip

I am guessing you know sticky there is plenty to keep you informed on all things paranormal here let your mind wonder free my friend

[Big Cats]

Hi Sticky

I way just having a re-look at that stone and the dimensions do not add up at all to the weight.

The only way that stone could be those dimensions, is if the stone was hollow.

Can you measure it again in inches? And weigh it again?

The stone also has a waxy feel to it, doesn't it! I would bet.

Big Cats

[stickyfingers]

Hi Sticky

I way just having a re-look at that stone and the dimensions do not add up at all to the weight.

The only way that stone could be those dimensions, is if the stone was hollow.

Can you measure it again in inches? And weigh it again?

The stone also has a waxy feel to it, doesn't it! I would bet.

Big Cats

...hey Big Cats... it seems that I stuffed up the measurements altogether big time according to AussieTrev ... he has actually seen it... and in inches it works out to be about 5 and a half inches long X 4 inches wide X 3 and a half inches high ... and yes... it seems to have a smooth and possibly waxy sort of feel to it... and it is 1.694 Kilograms in weight... hmmmmmm ... you're not going to shatter my world and say that it has nothing to do with Dinosaurs are you??? (aw nuts!... I should NEVER have done a show-and-tell to all my friends with the rock!) ... I don't care if it is a Dinosaur suppository!!!!!! ... **Sticky holds his breath and hopes it is still something to do with Dinosaurs** ... oh well... bummer if it isn't...

...so what do you think that it is now that you know the new measurements??? ... I am so curious because when you asked if it has a waxy feel to it... I have a sneaking suspicion that you may already know what it is???... it sorta seems waxyish (is that a word?) to me and also my wife... so now I'm prepared for you to tell me that it is now just a boring old bit of rock and should use it as a doorstop or toss it in the garden with the rest of the rocks!!! ...thanks for taking the time to give me an opinion my friend ... cheers... Stickyfingers.

[Big Cats]

Hi Sticky

No my opinion of what the stone is has not changed.

I just realised that your dimensions had to be wrong. Initially I must have been thinking mils or something. I was more interested in the shape and apparent texture and fracture of the stone to work out what it may be.

I am still sticking to my original comment.

Big Cats

[stickyfingers]

Hi Sticky

No my opinion of what the stone is has not changed.

I just realised that your dimensions had to be wrong. Initially I must have been thinking mils or something. I was more interested in the shape and apparent texture and fracture of the stone to work out what it may be.

I am still sticking to my original comment.

Big Cats

...yeehaa!... **Sticky wipes sweat from his brow ** ... that's so cool ... thanks Big Cats... for a second time... you've made my day!!! ... thanks my friend... cheers... Stickyfingers.

[Tracey]

Well good thing it wasnt a bladder stone............