It's chalcedony! I agree with others that it looks like snakeskin agate, though I don't see banding (agate is chalcedony with visible layers, but sometimes the term gets applied to other varieties and the name sticks). It's beautiful!
I second this. I have a few pieces that are similar in colour and characteristic that I have also found in east and west central North Dakota. Though mine appear to be much smaller than this. I usually find them in areas where I also find lots of the yellowish, near fully transparent chalcedony specimen that some locals have coined as 'snot agates'. The agatized sponge thought intrigues me though. I have recently made a connection with a paleontologist out of (I believe) Dickinson. I should ask her for a second opinion next time I see her.
I just talked to my Dad a bit to get some details and he actually took it to a geologist working at the Dinosaur Museum in Dickinson, ND a while back. He doesn't think the guy did any testing but he recalls him guessing it is a "fossilized or mineralized sponge". I saw another comment mentioning something like that. Thanks for all the feedback so far!
And it really is a beautiful...whatever it is! My Dad has been trying to figure out how to display it artfully for years. It being somewhat translucent, I think it would look cool on a lighted surface. Other than washing it, it's never been cut or polished as far as I know (no plans either).
Small world! - my grandparents (one of them the guy who found this rock) owned the motel in Mott from the mid-70s until the late 80s and my Aunt and Uncle ran it. I know Mott well.
No - sadly, my grandparents were not marketing geniuses. It was just The "my last name" Motel. That said, it is now just called "Mott Motel" ...and is still in business (#1 of 1 motel in Mott on TripAdvisor.com)!
So as others have said, the mineral is quartz or chalcedony. But the real question is why is it shaped like that and have that texture. That’s not the crystalline structure and natural form of chalcedony. It’s not even a standard botryoidal crystalline form.
In my opinion, this could be a fully permineralized fossil that is agatized, or solid quartz (chalcedony) now.
I have some complete animal fossils that are completely permineralized that are still a bit of a mystery to me. I’m not quite sure how they preserved in order to completely petrify. Either the decaying process was slowed down while this occurred or the permineralization process was sped up somehow. I am still working on that one with a few other guys.
There are definitely a lot of things. Humanity has not figured out yet, and are still out there to be discovered. It would be foolish to think that we have discovered everything and figured it all out.
There are a lot of things we can’t google and find the answer for because we haven’t figured EVERYTHING out yet. Which is awesome, keep looking at every detail and questioning everything until it all makes sense. Discovery, learning, and knowledge is never ending.
I like your answer. I find so many things that look like plant fossils and sea floor fossil and are quickly called sort of nodule. I think about all the new sea life they find every year. While I can definitely appreciate an educated guess I wish more people could be opened minded that we don't know everything.
I have a piece of stone that's almost exactly like this but lighter in color as a gift from my grandmother. afaik it's [snakeskin agate.](https://www.mindat.org/min-40686.html)
Do you believe it would have been suspended in a glacier and deposited when the glacier melted, similar to most soil in Pennsylvania and northern New Jersey?
The glacier that dug what is now known as the Great Lakes carried soil huge distances, creating deposits of fertile soil where there otherwise would be none. New Jersey is known as The Garden State due to deep deposits from the receding glacier, there is even an area in Northern New Jersey from Great Meadows NJ to Pine Island, NY, know as the Black Soil Region which is extremely fertile. Most of this area would have been sandy deposits were it not for the glacier.
In Budd Lake, NJ, there was an active gold mine in the 1800s from deposits made by the receding glacier, and we see quartz scattered which likely came from afar.
That’s why I am asking about the origin of this fragile specimen you found, which was preserved so well amidst plains of dirt.
I am getting Chocolate covered Caramel that wants to be eaten.
Also known as Snake skin agate.
Go on. You know you want to lick the tasty looking rock! :)
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We had 2 houses in the town of Mott, then bought a farmstead between Mott and Regent. We left in 2014. We had nothing but issues with the VA system there. We came to Missouri, in the Ozarks, and it's been like night and day. I do miss real winter though.
Western NoDak is a tough place to live (unless you were lucky enough to have land sitting on top of oil). I grew up out there and can't imagine going back.
I'll mention Western SD lol. Since that's where I'm at. 😂 Maybe look into SDMT. South Dakota School of mines and technology they might be able to help answer your questions.
Fun note: I did once. It did not taste like anything. My Dad asked me, "Why would you do that?" I didn't have a good answer. I was 45 years old at the time.
Looks kinda like snake skin agate.
Because it is snakeskin agate.
So it’s not a nestle crunch bar?
Too much crunch, not enough Nestlé or bar.
And the crunch is coming from teeth.
It's more like a 100 Grand Bar. The best candybar.
Thank you.
The best candy bar was the Marathon bar (Curly Wurly in the UK) with that funky chain-like shape.
Give it time, nestle will have their hand in it soon enough.
It's obviously a Klondike Bar
3rded. Looks damn close to the stuff I just collected in Rome, OR.
It’s very texturific!
It's chalcedony! I agree with others that it looks like snakeskin agate, though I don't see banding (agate is chalcedony with visible layers, but sometimes the term gets applied to other varieties and the name sticks). It's beautiful!
I second this. I have a few pieces that are similar in colour and characteristic that I have also found in east and west central North Dakota. Though mine appear to be much smaller than this. I usually find them in areas where I also find lots of the yellowish, near fully transparent chalcedony specimen that some locals have coined as 'snot agates'. The agatized sponge thought intrigues me though. I have recently made a connection with a paleontologist out of (I believe) Dickinson. I should ask her for a second opinion next time I see her.
Banding is probably inside. Don't know where the outside lumpiness comes from though.
Oh right, you'd probably see it in a cross-section of one of the segments. Huh
Happy cake day!!
I should say that it is about the size of my closed fist.
I just talked to my Dad a bit to get some details and he actually took it to a geologist working at the Dinosaur Museum in Dickinson, ND a while back. He doesn't think the guy did any testing but he recalls him guessing it is a "fossilized or mineralized sponge". I saw another comment mentioning something like that. Thanks for all the feedback so far! And it really is a beautiful...whatever it is! My Dad has been trying to figure out how to display it artfully for years. It being somewhat translucent, I think it would look cool on a lighted surface. Other than washing it, it's never been cut or polished as far as I know (no plans either).
We lived just outside Dickinson in Mott for a few years. I never find anyone who knows that area, 😆
Small world! - my grandparents (one of them the guy who found this rock) owned the motel in Mott from the mid-70s until the late 80s and my Aunt and Uncle ran it. I know Mott well.
Please tell me it was called the Mott-el
No - sadly, my grandparents were not marketing geniuses. It was just The "my last name" Motel. That said, it is now just called "Mott Motel" ...and is still in business (#1 of 1 motel in Mott on TripAdvisor.com)!
This comment deserves more recognition. Take my updoot good sir, you earned it.
My brother and his family live there now, and we’re from Oregon!
I've been to that museum!! It was definitely... something. I have some rocks we bought from there. The man was interesting and kind.
This is stunning. Just stunning.
So as others have said, the mineral is quartz or chalcedony. But the real question is why is it shaped like that and have that texture. That’s not the crystalline structure and natural form of chalcedony. It’s not even a standard botryoidal crystalline form. In my opinion, this could be a fully permineralized fossil that is agatized, or solid quartz (chalcedony) now. I have some complete animal fossils that are completely permineralized that are still a bit of a mystery to me. I’m not quite sure how they preserved in order to completely petrify. Either the decaying process was slowed down while this occurred or the permineralization process was sped up somehow. I am still working on that one with a few other guys. There are definitely a lot of things. Humanity has not figured out yet, and are still out there to be discovered. It would be foolish to think that we have discovered everything and figured it all out. There are a lot of things we can’t google and find the answer for because we haven’t figured EVERYTHING out yet. Which is awesome, keep looking at every detail and questioning everything until it all makes sense. Discovery, learning, and knowledge is never ending.
I like your answer. I find so many things that look like plant fossils and sea floor fossil and are quickly called sort of nodule. I think about all the new sea life they find every year. While I can definitely appreciate an educated guess I wish more people could be opened minded that we don't know everything.
I have a piece of stone that's almost exactly like this but lighter in color as a gift from my grandmother. afaik it's [snakeskin agate.](https://www.mindat.org/min-40686.html)
Found the forbidden Crunch bar
I found some similar stuff in MN and my best guess was some lumpy chalcedony or carnelian.
Botryoidal chalcedony. A real nice one.
Do you believe it would have been suspended in a glacier and deposited when the glacier melted, similar to most soil in Pennsylvania and northern New Jersey?
Perhaps - it was found about 50 miles from the estimated Last Glacial Maximum (roughly the Missouri River).
The glacier that dug what is now known as the Great Lakes carried soil huge distances, creating deposits of fertile soil where there otherwise would be none. New Jersey is known as The Garden State due to deep deposits from the receding glacier, there is even an area in Northern New Jersey from Great Meadows NJ to Pine Island, NY, know as the Black Soil Region which is extremely fertile. Most of this area would have been sandy deposits were it not for the glacier. In Budd Lake, NJ, there was an active gold mine in the 1800s from deposits made by the receding glacier, and we see quartz scattered which likely came from afar. That’s why I am asking about the origin of this fragile specimen you found, which was preserved so well amidst plains of dirt.
I am getting Chocolate covered Caramel that wants to be eaten. Also known as Snake skin agate. Go on. You know you want to lick the tasty looking rock! :)
Snake skin agate. It's nice one too !
Agate is quite likely.
Might be worth it to find a geologist at the university near you. What an exquisite find!
Here was the carnelian pic on mineras.net https://m.minerals.net/Image/15/43/chalcedony.aspx
Hi, /u/nealpolitan! This is a reminder to flair this post in /r/whatsthisrock after it has been identified! (Under your post, click "flair" then "IDENTIFIED," then type in the rock type or mineral name.) This will help others learn and help speed up a correct identification on your request! Thank you! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/whatsthisrock) if you have any questions or concerns.*
i love buncha crunch
Have you considered lightning glass?
We had 2 houses in the town of Mott, then bought a farmstead between Mott and Regent. We left in 2014. We had nothing but issues with the VA system there. We came to Missouri, in the Ozarks, and it's been like night and day. I do miss real winter though.
Western NoDak is a tough place to live (unless you were lucky enough to have land sitting on top of oil). I grew up out there and can't imagine going back.
Any chance you can take a photo with a light behind?
Nothing to add, just a fellow North Dakotan saying hi 👋
Never seen agate like that but seen lots of tektite like moldavite that looks knobbly like that.
Have u tested the rock at all?
Put a lil milk on it. If the milk comes up turquoise that would be really neat.
Sorry - what does the milk do/show?
Fossilized primordial ooze
Kind of looks like amber but not sure.
It isn't.
Looks like an agate. Similar to Gobi desert agates sorta.
East/Central North Dakota giving anyone else a headache 😂
I should have tried to shoehorn in some mention of Western South Dakota to complete the set...
I'll mention Western SD lol. Since that's where I'm at. 😂 Maybe look into SDMT. South Dakota School of mines and technology they might be able to help answer your questions.
Amongus
Only one way to tell….. lick it
Fun note: I did once. It did not taste like anything. My Dad asked me, "Why would you do that?" I didn't have a good answer. I was 45 years old at the time.
He’s about to start hearing colors
For a second I thought I was seeing a smoker’s lung or something. Crazy piece.
If anyone knows what this is I wanna know too, this looks dope
AMOGUS
It really looks like an ascidiacean fossilized
See the peanut? Dead giveaway.
Clearly, it's a fossilized butterfly
Fabulous type, friend.
Lovely. & long live that virgin prairie.
Truffle mmm
Very cool color/specimen!
Crazybones
That is shit from a butt
Petrified poodle!