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Want to ID this rock found in WY

 
 
nachot
 
Reply Sat 4 Jul, 2015 01:11 am
I found this rock near Sweetwater Station in Wyoming and would like to know what it is. From my quick research, it seems it may be jasper. Any help is appreciated!

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/hf2Qm5MYSF18VS499XB3F3Wd5uX1bNmvDCErdAT3hguH5VVBgxL-LCp1VVCangEAsDCsjiuPFSOiKA=w1875-h885-rw

https://youtu.be/irrFOz8YFVk
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farmerman
 
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Reply Sat 4 Jul, 2015 04:15 am
@nachot,
Its in the quartz family of minerals. Specifically its a "cryptocrystalline" form of quartz (Means tiny crystals, but mostly its a mixture of two or more kinds of unit crystal structures)

Wed call the rock type by a number of names, the overall name would be chalcedony but that has lots of submembers
Its usually a mixture of alpha quartz and "Moganite". Both are silicas but one is cubix/tetrahedral in its unit cube and the other is monoclinic. You should look up cryptocrystalline quartz,chalcedony, jasper,agate,carnelian,etc etc.Youll be able to tell many of the forms.( The OSHA regs have a very long exhaaustive classification of the quartzes because quartz is considered a CARCINOGEN)

The "waxy" look is the giveaway . Your example has been rolled, probably in a flood stream or a wash and has achieved a "Desert varnish" which inpart a slight color patina and a shiny surface.

Native Americans would use this type of material to craft very fine and sharp projectile points.

The old "rock hunting guides" of the West give tons of locations for these quartz minerals since they are produced by "hot water" Certain kinds are unique to "attract" other minerals that can deposit in these hot water deposit, (Things like gold, silver, platinum, and some gemstones). SO, knowing your quartzes and their kinds, will help you be a bettr rockhound if you ant to find other stuff than just jasper or flint.
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