Heavy shiny "stones"

[bailed]

Found these  on a beach in the Hastings area, southern England, UK. They were all quite localised and a few metres away couldn't find any more. When smashed they seem like some sort of ore. Wondering what they are and how formed. Many thanks

[FranzBernhard]

Welcome to TFF from Austria!

 

These seem to be composed of "limonite", tumbled by the sea.

"Limonite" can come from weathering of pyrite/marcasite concretions or ironstone (siderite) nodules. Or it could have been precipitated directly.

I can not exclude phosphate nodules completely, though.

Do you see any radial structure in the broken one? This would point to a limonitized marcasite concretion.

 

Best of all, local members may perhaps recognize them at a glance .

 

Franz Bernhard

Edited July 2, 2022 by FranzBernhard

[bailed]

Many thanks - will look into that. Not sure about a radial structure in the broken one.