Possible PGM-Iridium-or possible false reading-Anyone know what this might be

[christina9988]

I found this rock out here in Nevada. I have taken it to a refinery and to another lab and gotten two different XRFs that are attatched, as well as pictures. It is extremely extremely dense. Everyone that has gotten a chance to handle it at those labs have said that it is a meteorite. I took it to the GEM association and they said it is a meteorite. However if it is Iridium it would be worth more for the Iridium in my opinion. The University here no longer has a program for testing. I have no idea what to do with this any ideas?

 

[FrugalRefiner]

I don't know if it will help you, but take a look at So, you think your rocks are valuable? READ THIS BEFORE YOU POST ABOUT ORE!. There are some useful links in there.

Dave

 

[Golddigger76]

Although it doesn't resemble any meteorite that I have seen, it looks interesting.

How much does the rock actually weigh ?

Also do you know if there has been other meteorites found in the area that you found this one ?

If you could find information about others have been found in this same area that could help you identify by comparing them to yours.

XRF machines are not a great way to identify the composition of a rock, they are really best used on solid metals and that is if the XRF has the proper library.

Honestly it looks like ore from earth but I am not a expert when it comes to meteorites.

What I do advise is you should wash your hands after handling in case it's arsenic or another toxic element

 

[Man Kesh]

I found this rock out here in Nevada. I have taken it to a refinery and to another lab and gotten two different XRFs that are attatched, as well as pictures. It is extremely extremely dense. Everyone that has gotten a chance to handle it at those labs have said that it is a meteorite. I took it to the GEM association and they said it is a meteorite. However if it is Iridium it would be worth more for the Iridium in my opinion. The University here no longer has a program for testing. I have no idea what to do with this any ideas?View attachment 60729View attachment 60730View attachment 60731View attachment 60732View attachment 60733View attachment 60734View attachment 60735View attachment 60736View attachment 60737View attachment 60738View attachment 60739View attachment 60740View attachment 60741View attachment 60742View attachment 60743View attachment 60744

Nice unique ultramafic conglomerate PGM ore you got!!!
Certainly, the texture does not propose it to be a meteorite at all.
These are types of very rare & valuable rocks/ores (high content in PGMs & sometimes REEs). Such deposits occur mostly at the edges of Archean greenstone belts and Paleoproterozoic orogenic belts or at intracratonic orogenic edges as accrectionary wedges within cratons. The immediate Basement geology is often very complex, highly dissected & paleosubmerged terrains. Good examples include the Bushveld complex that is located between Kaapvaal & Zimbabwe cratons.
My recommendation is that you should do XRD to deduce mineralogical structures. The mineral associations should also assist you to decide what methodologies you need to adopt towards the extraction & refinement of the metals/minerals comprised therein.
Second option is to value the contents and offer for sale (at less hassle but far less but tidy amount $$$ per ton).
Keep us posted on the same.
Best luck!!!

 

[galenrog]

Carefully read and study the link FrugalRefiner provided. It is my opinion that your rock is not as valuable as you believe it is.

Additionally, based on the images of the rock you provided, I can say with great certainty that it is NOT a meteorite.

Time for more coffee.

 

[SeRKaN PGM HuNTeR]

I found this rock out here in Nevada. I have taken it to a refinery and to another lab and gotten two different XRFs that are attatched, as well as pictures. It is extremely extremely dense. Everyone that has gotten a chance to handle it at those labs have said that it is a meteorite. I took it to the GEM association and they said it is a meteorite. However if it is Iridium it would be worth more for the Iridium in my opinion. The University here no longer has a program for testing. I have no idea what to do with this any ideas?View attachment 60729View attachment 60730View attachment 60731View attachment 60732View attachment 60733View attachment 60734View attachment 60735View attachment 60736View attachment 60737View attachment 60738View attachment 60739View attachment 60740View attachment 60741View attachment 60742View attachment 60743View attachment 60744

Hello miner tooth eagle,

Iridium hunting was once popular in my country, Turkei. However, currently, the free market sale of osmium, iridium, and ruthenium is prohibited. You need to pulverize this rock into a fine powder, reducing it to a size of zero microns. In the initial stage, you should use HCl (hydrochloric acid), and then eliminate unnecessary materials with H₂SO₄ (sulfuric acid). Iridium does not dissolve even in aqua regia acid complex, so iridium will be the last substance remaining, resembling gunpowder. I'm attaching an image for you: the letter A symbolizes no corrosion, C is moderate, and D is extremely corrosive, meaning it melts. After melting, you should precipitate it with zinc. Good luck.

Regards

 

[christina9988]

Nice unique ultramafic conglomerate PGM ore you got!!!
Certainly, the texture does not propose it to be a meteorite at all.
These are types of very rare & valuable rocks/ores (high content in PGMs & sometimes REEs). Such deposits occur mostly at the edges of Archean greenstone belts and Paleoproterozoic orogenic belts or at intracratonic orogenic edges as accrectionary wedges within cratons. The immediate Basement geology is often very complex, highly dissected & paleosubmerged terrains. Good examples include the Bushveld complex that is located between Kaapvaal & Zimbabwe cratons.
My recommendation is that you should do XRD to deduce mineralogical structures. The mineral associations should also assist you to decide what methodologies you need to adopt towards the extraction & refinement of the metals/minerals comprised therein.
Second option is to value the contents and offer for sale (at less hassle but far less but tidy amount $$$ per ton).
Keep us posted on the same.
Best luck!!!

 

[goldshark]

Here is what I see in your rock,
1 - Vesicles, gas bubbles generated by a volcanic event, picture 5, 11, and 13.
2 - What appears to be a crushed pile of sulfides, picture 14.
I would wager it is a massive piece of Arsenopyrite. Upon crushing, it will smell like garlic, rather than sulphur. Arsenopyrite gives a false reading from XRF, giving high numbers in PGMs. Send to an assay lab, if you have enough to justify processing, or just keep it as a mineral specimen. Do not ingest any of the crushed powder. A meteorite should be magnetic with the density you describe.

 

[christina9988]

Here is what I see in your rock,
1 - Vesicles, gas bubbles generated by a volcanic event, picture 5, 11, and 13.
2 - What appears to be a crushed pile of sulfides, picture 14.
I would wager it is a massive piece of Arsenopyrite. Upon crushing, it will smell like garlic, rather than sulphur. Arsenopyrite gives a false reading from XRF, giving high numbers in PGMs. Send to an assay lab, if you have enough to justify processing, or just keep it as a mineral specimen. Do not ingest any of the crushed powder. A meteorite should be magnetic with the density you describe.

It is slightly magnetic

 

[Darkthirty]

I found this rock out here in Nevada. I have taken it to a refinery and to another lab and gotten two different XRFs that are attatched, as well as pictures. It is extremely extremely dense. Everyone that has gotten a chance to handle it at those labs have said that it is a meteorite. I took it to the GEM association and they said it is a meteorite. However if it is Iridium it would be worth more for the Iridium in my opinion. The University here no longer has a program for testing. I have no idea what to do with this any ideas?View attachment 60729View attachment 60730View attachment 60731View attachment 60732View attachment 60733View attachment 60734View attachment 60735View attachment 60736View attachment 60737View attachment 60738View attachment 60739View attachment 60740View attachment 60741View attachment 60742View attachment 60743View attachment 60744

http://meteoritetesting.org/Submitting a sample.htm
$30.00 to get an answer, approximately $.50 per gram low end for random meteorites.

 

[orvi]

One reading says over 12% As, second I cannot see As, but Ir pops up.

Where did you find the piece ? Were there any signs of previous workings and mining ?
This can easily be some smelting product or some type of slag/waste material. Hard to say. But amount of As is very high. As goldshark pointed out, it can be arsenopyrite - and I am prone to believe it is. Heavy, silvery, shiny, and as he correctly pointed out, upon impact you can smell garlic-like scent from the vaporized arsenic.

 

[DrMay]

Hello miner tooth eagle,

Iridium hunting was once popular in my country, Turkei. However, currently, the free market sale of osmium, iridium, and ruthenium is prohibited. You need to pulverize this rock into a fine powder, reducing it to a size of zero microns. In the initial stage, you should use HCl (hydrochloric acid), and then eliminate unnecessary materials with H₂SO₄ (sulfuric acid). Iridium does not dissolve even in aqua regia acid complex, so iridium will be the last substance remaining, resembling gunpowder. I'm attaching an image for you: the letter A symbolizes no corrosion, C is moderate, and D is extremely corrosive, meaning it melts. After melting, you should precipitate it with zinc. Good luck.

Regards

Hi
Please can you explain more how can I dissolve the Iridium or how can I separate the Iridium from the residue of the rocks if this is the last substance remaining. Based in the attached table Ir is no corrosive at any solution. Thanks a lot.
Best regards

 

[Yggdrasil]

Hi
Please can you explain more how can I dissolve the Iridium or how can I separate the Iridium from the residue of the rocks if this is the last substance remaining. Based in the attached table Ir is no corrosive at any solution. Thanks a lot.
Best regards

Welcome to us.

How do you "know" you have Ir in the material at all?

I suggest you read this link in particular:
https://goldrefiningforum.com/threa...le-read-this-before-you-post-about-ore.33333/

Then you read the rest of the links for further studies.

We ask our new members to do 3 things.
1. Read C.M. Hokes book on refining jewelers scrap, it gives an easy introduction to the most important chemistry regarding refining.
It is free here on the forum: https://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=54&t=19798
2. Then read the safety section of the forum: https://goldrefiningforum.com/forums/safety.47/
3. And then read about "Dealing with waste" in the forum: https://goldrefiningforum.com/threads/dealing-with-waste.10539/

Suggested reading:
https://goldrefiningforum.com/forums/the-library.101/
https://goldrefiningforum.com/threads/when-in-doubt-cement-it-out.30236/
https://goldrefiningforum.com/threa...le-read-this-before-you-post-about-ore.33333/


Forum rules is here.
https://goldrefiningforum.com/threads/gold-refining-forum-rules.31182/