HarbingerSong Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 Hello all, i like to take the kids on hikes and look for cool rocks. I came across this but no one can tell me what it is, and I've looked for an assayer in my area. The closest is quite aways away. I live in so cal. Any help would be fantastic. This weighs approx. 8.79 oz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Herschbach Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 Melted aluminum most likely, unless it is heavy. Then melted something else like lead or possibly silver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarbingerSong Posted August 10, 2018 Author Share Posted August 10, 2018 Thanks. I was hoping u would say platinum or rhodium. Anything I could do at home to test? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Herschbach Posted August 10, 2018 Share Posted August 10, 2018 Is it really heavy? If not it’s just melted aluminum and I would not waste further time in it. It is not natural, definitely been melted. Chance of it being platinum or rhodium I would put at near zero. They cannot be melted by normal means. If heavy almost sure to be lead but melted silver is not impossible. Lead melts at around 620 °F and so is rather easy to melt. Silver has a melting point almost three times higher than lead at around 1763 °F. There are acid tests available for silver. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GB_Amateur Posted August 11, 2018 Share Posted August 11, 2018 A specific gravity test will separate aluminum from silver/lead and from platinum group metals quite easily. If done carefully it will separate lead from silver (and also from stainless steel, although I doubt this is SS). Aluminum is 2.7 to 3 (depending upon alloy), SS around 7-8, silver in the low 10's, lead in the low 11's, platinum group 18+ (which sets it apart from most metals, other than tungsten and gold which are also way up there). From the patina I doubt it's lead, although I can't rule that out. Lead is gray most of the time (or even white sometimes after a long exposure time). I agree with Steve that it's quite likely aluminum. I find quite a bit of melted aluminum in places I wouldn't expect it. (I also find a lot of melted lead and lead-tin solder, but as mentioned those tends to turn gray relatively quickly.) For your sake I do hope it's a precious metal, though. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredmason Posted August 20, 2018 Share Posted August 20, 2018 looks like something melted in a big fire- there have been many in S. Cal....if it is lead you can easily mark it with a knife or even fingernail...an XRF scan would reveal the truth... fred 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Lunn Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 I agree with all of the above comments. The smooth top and rough bottom are possible clues to a fire origin. A SWAG calculation using your photo with the quarter and your 8.79 oz weight strongly suggests aluminum. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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