[Rockhounds] Romanechite?

[Charles Baran]

The folks on the Mother Ship left it?
Chuck Baran

Donald Hixson wrote:

>About three years ago I came across a rock near Yuma AZ with a metallic like growth in it. Some of this material also was agatized. I put it in my 14 inch rock saw and it labored through a 3x3 inch cut. The next cut the saw made it through about half way and stopped cutting. I examined the blade and all of the diamond was completely removed from the cutting edge. I sharpened the blade with several cuts through a grind stone and tried it again. The second attempt also failed. In forty years of cutting rocks I had never had this happen. I found if the the rock had enough agate mixed in, it would cut and polish into a great looking cab. Mostly black with fancy metallic inclusions that my wife claimed as hers. 
>I have showed this to many people with blank looks on there faces also with many suggestions and I am not sure any of them were right. A friend had them analyzed with these results: 
>Major: silica, manganese oxide and manganese silicate.
>Accessory: barite (baryum sulfate) and calcium-manganese-lead-copper oxide.
>Hope someone has some ideas. 
>Don
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