Gold flakes in slate?

FreeBirdTim

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Is it possible to find gold flakes in slate? I found a small rock the other day and it has gold colored flakes on it. Doesn't appear to be iron pyrite, but not positive. Can you find gold flakes in slate? I live in Rhode island and there's not much gold around here, so I'm doubtful that it's gold.

Lousy pics, but maybe you can see the flakes on it.

zip slate.jpeg
zip slate 2.jpeg
 

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Chilli

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Yes today there are GPS units that will take a photo with all of the cordinance information in a single file. This can help one to track the intersection of rocks or contact zone in general.

In your examples I'm thinking the quartz is the important carrier mineral. In some locations it can be sulfides and perhaps some silica as a fluxing agent. The point is that no two areas are going to be the same mineral soup mix in the thermal flow mix.

Thank you for the photos Chilli. :headbang:
The one I wish I kept was a lump of quartz with blue/black slate about twice the size of a fist. In the quartz was a hollow about the size of a tom bowler marble or a bit bigger. Criss crossing in all directions were easy 2 dozen fine wires of gold a bit thinner than cotton threads all contacting the quartz one side to the other but none of them contacting each other. I had no appreciation back then of what I had found. I destroyed quite a number of, I know now but was a green horn then, quite unique rare specimens.
 

Assembler

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The one I wish I kept was a lump of quartz with blue/black slate about twice the size of a fist. In the quartz was a hollow about the size of a tom bowler marble or a bit bigger. Criss crossing in all directions were easy 2 dozen fine wires of gold a bit thinner than cotton threads all contacting the quartz one side to the other but none of them contacting each other. I had no appreciation back then of what I had found. I destroyed quite a number of, I know now but was a green horn then, quite unique rare specimens.
Yep that wire gold is harder to find.
 

Assembler

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The one I wish I kept was a lump of quartz with blue/black slate about twice the size of a fist. In the quartz was a hollow about the size of a tom bowler marble or a bit bigger. Criss crossing in all directions were easy 2 dozen fine wires of gold a bit thinner than cotton threads all contacting the quartz one side to the other but none of them contacting each other. I had no appreciation back then of what I had found. I destroyed quite a number of, I know now but was a green horn then, quite unique rare specimens.
I have seen human hair size to thread size wire however not very long wires within rock usually going from one area to another contact area.
I could make attempts to slab the area with a rock saw to help show the wires?
 

Assembler

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The one I wish I kept was a lump of quartz with blue/black slate about twice the size of a fist. In the quartz was a hollow about the size of a tom bowler marble or a bit bigger. Criss crossing in all directions were easy 2 dozen fine wires of gold a bit thinner than cotton threads all contacting the quartz one side to the other but none of them contacting each other. I had no appreciation back then of what I had found. I destroyed quite a number of, I know now but was a green horn then, quite unique rare specimens.
It appears that you have found a number of golden 'Threads long enough to sew with'.............:laughing7::headbang:



PS. be careful what you 'Sew' as you never know what you will reap / catch later on........:hello::hello2:............I better 'Sew this up' before I get the point of the needle........ :icon_cat: :toothy1:

Thanks for describing what you have found in the past.
 

JericoAndHercules

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Jun 8, 2022
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I have seen human hair size to thread size wire however not very long wires within rock usually going from one area to another contact area.
I could make attempts to slab the area with a rock saw to help show the wires?
Sounds like you are talking about rutile which is not AU. Gold in color but not AU.
 

Assembler

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Sounds like you are talking about rutile which is not AU. Gold in color but not AU.
I have run into both titanium dioxide that may have a little iron as well as gold threads.
When you take steel edge to gold there is no mistake and the titanium is either white or can be redish depending on how much iron.
 

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