Chrisman91 Posted August 4, 2011 Report Share Posted August 4, 2011 Hello everyone. I was wondering if someone could help me ID this rock? It is a shiny silver color in sunlight, then turns to a gray color in the shade. It was found in the El Paso Mt. Range near Randsburg. I know it is of no significance, but it is really bugging me not knowing what it is.I have taken about 40 pictures of this thing with numerous different settings, and this is the clearest picture I could get. With the silver reflectivity of it, a flash makes it look overexposed. But because of its texture, no flash makes it look blurry. Some characteristics of it include: It's very light in weight. I'm not sure if it is foliation or layers, but it is like someone took very thin sheets of rock and glued them on top of each other like plywood is layered. It is brittle and when dropped on other rocks has a tendency to "shatter". Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grubstake Posted August 4, 2011 Report Share Posted August 4, 2011 Can't really tell from the picture, But it maybe Shist, I have seen some that color in that area. But with the picture so blurry, its had to tell, that its anything but a rock. Grubstake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisman91 Posted August 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2011 Can't really tell from the picture, But it maybe Shist, I have seen some that color in that area. But with the picture so blurry, its had to tell, that its anything but a rock. GrubstakeJohn,It looks like you hit the nail on the head. After reading your post I looked up schist and found pictures, and descriptions, that shows this to be Mica Schist. Thank you for the reply. Now all I have do is research Mica Schist and see if it is a precursor of sorts to gold? I have to hand it to these geologists. There are so many different types of rocks that look the same to the untrained eye. It takes one heck of a brain to memorize each one and be able to ID it by sight only. Wish I was that smart...lol! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank c Posted August 5, 2011 Report Share Posted August 5, 2011 Chris , get yourself a copy of "the field guide to rocks and minerals by The national Audubon Society published by Knoff.Not too costly and packed with info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisman91 Posted August 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2011 Chris , get yourself a copy of "the field guide to rocks and minerals by The national Audubon Society published by Knoff.Not too costly and packed with info.Funny you should mention that, Frank. I actually have a copy of EVERY Field Guide that the N.A.S. has published, but they are at the very back, and bottom, of a 25' x 25' storage unit packed away in a footlocker.... They are fantastic books but I really wish the N.A.S. would publish and print updated versions of them. The Rock & Mineral Guide was published in 1979...lol. They are in need of some revisions to say the least. My two favorites are The Night Sky and Weather! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grubstake Posted August 5, 2011 Report Share Posted August 5, 2011 Yeh, lots of Shist in that are, different kinds, also Basalt, quartz, sand stone. Grubstake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave wiseman Posted August 5, 2011 Report Share Posted August 5, 2011 If you get the state mining reports for your area of interest you can find out if quartz mica schist is a predominant wall rock in the gold mines.Then again,the country rock of lode mines might be of many types.Get a copy of Handbook for Prospectors by Richard Pearl/or older editions by VonBernewitz..$10-$50 on the internet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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