FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Ricky hartzog]

I find this all in the ground near the Saltville fault line in Saltville, Virginia.

[Gail]

It’s so blurry! Can’t tell.

[Ricky hartzog]

I had the same problem have to get my camera and computer out tried it on my kindle it streaks red and if you sand it down it has a metallic luster this picture looks better but might not On here

[John S. White]

A sharper photo might help but it is difficult to identify positively something like your object from even a good photo. The red streak strongly suggests hematite as does the metallic appearance on a fresh surface. Is Saltville a known hematite occurring area?

[Kevin Schofield]

My guess is that this is a piece of rusty iron or iron slag, maybe from an old forge.

The red streak is "hematite" in as much as rust may well be the Fe2O3 (Fe3+) oxide, and filing through a surface rusty coating will reveal bright unrusted iron below.

[Ricky hartzog]

There is enough of this stuff that it would be a 5 acre forge. You start digging and it is everywhere. It is not magnetic and if you break it, it's black. Some of the nicer pieces I have look like rusty pyrite

[Ricky hartzog]

It has 3 cubes joining

[Ricky hartzog]

Iron doesn't shatter into black dust and is magnetic.

[Ricky hartzog]

The reason I was wondering is I'm a blacksmith trying to learn how to create my own steel.

[Kevin Schofield]

[Ricky hartzog]

Saltville was known for salt and gypsum. I know during revolutionary war and civil war they mined iron around I'm trying to find a place that will help me identifying some stuff I find. I'm no geologist but I also know the difference between an old junk piece of iron and some kind of mineral. I know no matter how rusty iron is the rust will stick to a magnet the iron will stick to a magnet so a magnet won't stick to it

[Ricky hartzog]

I'm going to get a better picture. Just be patient with me as I'm just trying to learn.

[Ricky hartzog]

I got some pieces that are perfect squares some pieces are real heavy some pieces just looks like a glob but it isn't magnetic some pieces is red some is black some is just rusty looking chunks but I am willing to mail anyone a piece so they can see what it is for thereselves

[Ricky hartzog]

My area has never been geological survey beyond a guess I live in the valley and ridge section of the Appalachian mountains right on top of the Saltville fault line

[Firmo Espinar]

Hi Ricky.

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