Strange object found with Mineoro 205

[Esteban]

I found this strange metalic-stone object, very heavy, with Mineoro 205 two controls. Produce few beeps, and search the small area of the beeps and found this. I try with my Bounty Hunter detector and the tone is the high, White's detector also show like precious item as dollar coin silver-size. Also I try with strong magnet and nothing, isn't ferrous.

My question is: in the zone no rocks, only regular soil: Can be non-ferrous meteorite?

[hung]

Hi Esteban,

Well it could be a meteorite but even meteorites have almost always the same minerals found on earth.
How far did you pick the signals?
The PDCs and the latest models, detect only gold but eventually copper, silver, as noble metals produce the 'aging' phenomena. So if it was from a close distance, this object might contain one of these elements concentrations other than gold and retained high electrostatics from a high mineralized soil.

In the other hand if it was detected from a far distance chances are there could exist gold inside or... it's an element which triggered the ionic gold chamber, which is less likely.
I suggest you taking this to a lab to have it analyzed and discover what elements lie inside.

[Esteban]

Hi Hung,

I pick the signal 25-30 meters (35 yards) in closed forest area, no contaminated site, seemingly, because don't found any other object. Maybe is mineral, but is a kind of rock wich cover an internal metal, but regular metal detector show as the high-class item... No rocks formation in the environs saw. The soil is not high mineralized, maybe medium. These 2005 and 2010 two controls really is very sensitive. I comprobe isn't high mineralized soil, because in the site wich beeps first I try with the Heathkit GD-48 built himself, this detector you can't control in high mineralized area, since don't have ground control, is a simple (and obsolete) but effective detector. Later I examine the object with regular metal detectors and show me good class metal in the screen (White's) and Bounty H. high tone. Also examine with Geiger counter and nothing.

[Leto]

I bet this is Limonite or maybe Hematite, both rich in iron oxide.

[Esteban]

Hi,

Isn't ferrous and is very heavy. Detectors in discrimination mode shows the "high-class" target.

[Qiaozhi]

Hi,

Isn't ferrous and is very heavy. Detectors in discrimination mode shows the "high-class" target.
In that case it's probably a lead weight. At a local river site I have the same problem with fishing weights. They show up with a high target ID, and they're heavy for their size.

[Esteban]

I examine the metalic part can see and is hard metal.

[Leto]

Isn't ferrous and is very heavy. Detectors in discrimination mode shows the "high-class" target.

This is consistent with Limonite nuggets - detectors sense them as low conductive targets if Fe-oxides levels are high enough.
Esteban if you know any person with REAL geological knowledge just show him the item - he shoud tell you what it is within few seconds. It is hard to be 100% sure just by looking the picture.

[Esteban]

Ok, thanks very much. Sure a specialist has the solution.

[hung]

Also examine with Geiger counter and nothing.

Well, there goes my last guess... I thought since the PDC detected it, could exist some uranium amount.. But as you used the geiger and nothing...
My friend Celi detected a similar item once with the PDC 205 it turned out to be radioactive uranium and the ionic chamber got ruined.
Qhiaozi made a good guess.. There could be lead inside, but since you are saying it's hard metal, I don't know.
Anyway check with a lab as I am very curious to know what kind of metal made the PDC beep at this great distance if it's not gold:confused:

[hung]

Hmmm..I just had a clue.
There could be 'pirite' (pirita) into this thing. Which is always found with natural gold. This would explain the detection at this distance...

[Esteban]

As I explain, 205 and 210 models also detects copper, bronze, silver and gold, and alloys. The beeps was few, not very insistent. In the same line are platinum, rhodium, palladium, also precious metals, more expensive than gold.

[hung]

As I explain, 205 and 210 models also detects copper, bronze, silver and gold, and alloys. The beeps was few, not very insistent. In the same line are platinum, rhodium, palladium, also precious metals, more expensive than gold.

Oh, ok, now I see it. You mean detection pattern was not the usual for gold. Yes in this case might exist some kind of alloy described above. But the distance detected is that it's not usual for alloys like that.
Will you take it to the lab?

[Radioactive]

As Hung say's it looks like a meteorite.
If you can slice it with a CBN (cubic boron nitride) blade saw, you can really see some nice color patterns.

http://www.meteorite.com/meteorite-gallery/graphics/splash.jpg

Here is the link to a lot of information on meteorite's. (http://www.meteorite.com/)

Remember it's worth money, just put the word meteorite in eBay and see.

Good find!

[hung]

Hi Radiocative,

Nice , incredible pictures. Thanks for sharing this with us.

[Lake]

What about measuring objects density?

http://www.union.edu/PUBLIC/GEODEPT/hollocher/pedagogy/K-12_labs/Labs/KH2/KTH2.htm

Here is the formula:

Density = (Weight in air) / [(Weight in air) - (Weight in water)]

Here is also some mineral identification information:
http://webmineral.com/determin.shtml

[Leto]

Characteristics of meteorites are:

Metal - even stone meteorites contain small flecks of metal (iron-nickel alloy).

Density - most meteorites containing metal have densities greater than 3.3 grams per cubic centimeter.

Magnetism - most meteorites attract magnet easily even stony ones will attract a magnet on a string.

Fusion crust - when a meteorite falls through the Earth's atmosphere a very thin layer on the outer surface melts. This thin crust is called a fusion crust. It is often black and looks like an eggshell coating.

Chondrules - stone meteorites contain small balls of stony material called chondrules that are about milimeter in diameter

Remaglypths - sometimes when a meteorite falls through the Earth's atmosphere features called regmaglypts form on the surface. These look like thumbprints.

Examples of iron-bearing minerals which are very commonly mistaken for meteorites are magnetite and hematite. Both of these minerals are heavier than typical rocks and have some features which resemble meteorites. Other candidate judging on picture is Limonite whitch is not a true mineral, but a mineraloid, and it is composed by a mixture of similar hydrated iron oxide minerals, mostly goethite with lepidocrocite, jarosite, and others. By my experience all those minerals can be detected by IB or PI detectors as low conducting targets.

These minerals can be very readily distinguished from meteoritic material by a characteristic known as their streak. You can test the streak very simply. If you take a common ceramic tile, such as a bathroom or kitchen tile, it has a smooth glazed slide and an unfinished dull side which is stuck to the wall when installed. Take the sample that you think is a meteorite and scratch it quite vigorously on the unglazed side of the tile. If it leaves a black gray streak the sample is almost certainly magnetite, and if it leaves a red-brown streak it is almost certainly hematite. A meteorite, unless it is very heavily weathered, will not leave a streak on the tile.

[Esteban]

Leto, thanks for the input. I'll check all it and read in the web pages provided by Lake and Radioactive.

Hung, yes, all precious metals are in the range of the gold, but as are very rare an object in rhodium, for example, can't demonstrate easily. The only time I ear that a different metal than gold or silver was found with long range metal detector this consist in a platinum crown inserted in a small statue of a saint.

Another rare case was a rock with uranium found in a little mountain.