First time post. Need some help identifying please

[gadfly]

Hello there everyone. I've been a long time rock collector but over the past week have decided to make it a full time hobby. Unfortunately I know little about types and what not, and I've tried to look it up myself but it's not easy for a newbie like myself, so any help would be much appreciated on what I have here.

A little background on the area - It's in middle Tennessee, in and around a creek that has existed for as long as I can remember. All of these finds were found on the ground, no digging or anything. I know I also have coral which I'm posting just to show it off. My hunting partner and myself actually found 3 1ft- 2ft intact frags of fossilized coral there which we will most likely donate to the university because there is so much out there it's crazy. Okay on to the pictures.















The last picture there is the creek it goes for miles in either directions with plenty of shoals full of rocks and coral I have tons more but I'm going to start small this post is picture heavy as it. Thank you in advance for any help that can be given.

[eechler]

Looks like TN paint agate.)(

[gadfly]

Also another bit of information on the site, It's about 3 miles from the Wells Creek Basin

[eechler]

Wrong location for paint agate. Geology records show agate, chert, and Pet Wood in the area. Did not say what the quality of the Pet wood is.

[joanne]

Thats some realy cool looking stuff, Have no clue what it is, But would love to trade for some of it. send me a pm. if your up for it. Thanks Joanne

[einherjer]

Apr 3, 2012 6:56:37 GMT -5 @eechler said:

Wrong location for paint agate. Geology records show agate, chert, and Pet Wood in the area. Did not say what the quality of the Pet wood is.

I'm Gad's collecting mate, Depending on the areas rock formations and which stream or waters it was found it, the "Pet wood" here ranges from crap to nice. Our last excursion from which the rocks in the photos came produced a piece of "Pet Wood" that was about 1.8 Kilograms and you could see the inner core, and exterior bark. Unfortunately I left it because my bag was full.

[rockshine]

Hey gadfly, you've got a lot of beautiful glass slag in the more "glassy " photos. Check your local history and you will probably find either a glass manufacturer/glass blower or a foundry near by. It could be impact glass from meteorite impact, but most likely would not have such beautiful colors and swirls and be so solid if it were impact. The giveaway clues for glass are sandy outer texture, where the molten mass was poured onto a bed of sand, the swirls and color bands and patterns, the conchoidal cleavage or fracture, and the gas/air bubbles visible inside the material.
I would check to see if there were any Art Glass schools or communities in the area, say before 1950. Another possibility is civil war manufacture of cannon balls. Similar glass is found in the area of Cartersville Ga, where the Confederate army made cannonballs using iron ore and manganese from the local sources, for the battle of Kennesaw Mountain. But, that is not likely in your case, given the clarity and designs in the glass.

[gadfly]

Actually the hill right next to it is called "Iron Hill" and we have still standing iron furnaces all over the area. Then we've also been told it could be impact material. I spoke with some long time locals which is where I got both stories on what it might be. I assumed it was slag but wanted to get a more trained eye on it, so thanks to everyones input. Now my second question, can it be turned into cabachons or cut? I like the raw look but I also want to do some more interesting things with the others I have, being that we're heading back there this weekend.

[eechler]

Rockshine - I should of recognized the specimens as slag, you can even see the bubble pockets. We have lots of iron furnaces in our neck of the woods. Slag cab be found in lots of area's in the valley since they used the slag for road beds.

I have a friend that Cab the slag when he can find interesting colors.

I would still say that the 4'th pic down look like agate - just remember that this is my opinion.

[rockshine]

I try my best to make it agate, but keep runnjing up against those two "bubble-froth" cavities at thet lower right. And as far as locality for paintrock, even though it is not the accepted area, small amounts of agates can be found scattered throughout the area at lower elevations. These resemble paintrock closely enough that the unknowing or the unscrupulous hawk them as paintrock.

[rocksinthehead]

I think its chert. You can actually find some fairly colorful chert in Mid. Tenn, and it can make pretty nice looking cabs.
That's the 'paint rock' looking stuff that I'm talking about. I agree that the other is slag.