Is the huge rock anything special?

[Whitney88]

Hey there I wanted to introduce myself because I'm completely new to not only the website but also the field or any field entirely. Many many props to you paleontologists and archaeologists and scientists because I would consider myself have a fairly intelligent individual in general but trying to self teach about fossils when you don't know the first thing is not the easiest LOL

 

   I've always been pretty outdoorsy and love the idea of fossil hunting and always have but it wasn't until recently that I moved to one of the most perfect places for it... Northern Colorado. To be honest it took a few years before I even had a clue that rock hunting is even a thing though.

 

   In the past two or three years I've gotten more and more fascinated with Mother Nature and her ability to create things far more beautiful than I could even imagine. For the most part I've collected cool rocks I've seen here and there but because I've got an 8-year-old that loves to follow suit, it can be tricky to remember 100% where these rocks have come from. I can tell you for sure most of them if not all of them I would bet money came from the same place which just happens to be what I would imagine is as perfect as any for something like fossils really be at.

 

   So I've gone back and forth saying that it's totally possible to find a kick butt fossil but then I tell myself there's really just no way I'd be lucky enough and all I've got is a really pretty Rock I can put my garden. In the back of my mind I've wondered though for a long time now and so I thought that I'd come on here and ask for some advice from some of you guys if you wouldn't mind. I'm making three posts of my number three favorites I think is what I'm going to do and then cross my fingers. I'll expect there just rocks for my garden and hope for the best.

 

   If you could please let me know if you have any idea for sure if this might be any kind of a fossil or even maybe a semi-precious Stone or interesting mineral. Anything would help at all and thank you for your time

[jikohr]

Hi, welcome to the fossil forum!

 

What you have there isn't a fossil, but it is a really pretty rock if nothing else!

 

There should be at least a few well established fossil hunting spots within driving distance (I know you can find dinos in Colorado though it might not be legal to collect them), if you ask for help in the fossil trip planning section someone if not many someone's can help you find a spot near you.

 

Best of luck!

 

 

[Fin Lover]

I'm not seeing any fossils either.  Maybe someone else can comment on type of rock or minerals.

[Mahnmut]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

As far as one can say from pictures alone, I would say this is a nice piece of quartzite rock. The interesting Colours look like they are caused by iron.

Quartz is the most common mineral in the earths crust, but can be precious in its variants, like amethyst, rose quartz, citrine... all the agates are also quartz, chemically speaking.

So, its not a rare thing, but definitely a rock I would put in my garden if I found it.

Best Regards,

J