this post was submitted on 31 Mar 2025
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What is this thing?

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A brittle rock made of glitter. It breaks in this linear fashion and can be pound into sand by a mortar and pestle.

Anyone got any clues?

Edit: Thanks for all the answers. I found it in Romania and after searching for forums of minerals from Romania, I got a few other clues.

It isn't conclusive to me yet, but the possibilities are:

  • Pyrit
  • Mica
  • Schist
  • Nagyágit
  • Calaverit
  • Sylvanit

Of these, Mica and Sylvanit fit the best (imo).

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[–] Live_your_lives@lemmy.world 2 points 23 hours ago

I'm not all that great at identification, despite having a sizeable rock collection myself, but I feel pretty confident in saying that you've got a type of mica schist. Schists often are primarily composed of mica.

[–] baconeater@lemm.ee 37 points 3 days ago (1 children)
[–] lurch@sh.itjust.works 31 points 3 days ago (1 children)

a better way to do it is post something like "look what a cool bauxit i found" and then just wait for them to angrily correct you 😄

[–] sga@lemmings.world 3 points 2 days ago

the linux support strategy i see

[–] Rogue5196@feddit.it 22 points 3 days ago (2 children)
[–] Wahots@pawb.social 6 points 2 days ago
[–] FauxLiving@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago

African Grey is the only bird that's made me want a bird.

[–] uservoid1@lemmy.world 13 points 3 days ago
[–] Ephera@lemmy.ml 6 points 3 days ago

As a kid, I got told that's pyrite, but I'm not sure how correct that is. Most images show the crystalline structure rather than brittle stone, but I was able to find this picture on Wikpedia:

[–] tetris11@lemmy.ml 4 points 3 days ago

It might be a schist?