Ashy white nuggets found with gold?

[oragonads]

So after panning concentrates from last dredging season I have found a few small nuggets of an ashy white material. They look like gold but are ashy white. Platinum?

 

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[johnnyblaze]

They look like gold but are ashy white.

Are they burnt coal?
See if a metal detector picks them up


Blaze..

 

[kuger]

Lead

 

[oragonads]

They are a lot whiter then lead and just as heavy as gold. I will check if they are magnetic when I get home and will take some pics.

 

[kuger]

scratch a small piece with a pin.Lead when it has been in the water for a long time often turns white

 

[chkn]

Somebody else here had a story about something like that, definitely an interesting possibility...

 

[DigginThePast]

I'd do, or have done, a specific gravity test to tell for sure. As I understand it, its most likely to be lead but the chance exists for platinum. Here is a link with some info which contains another link to aid in setting up the test.
http://www.gold-nuggets.org/specific-gravity-test.htm

A couple pics of various platinum nuggets. They do range from dull/ashy like you mentioned to shiny.

 

[Rasputin]

Sometimes gold is recovered coated with residual mercury left over from the old gold mining days. They didn't understand how dangerous mercury was back then. Perhaps this is what you are seeing.

 

[kuger]

Sometimes gold is recovered coated with residual mercury left over from the old gold mining days. They didn't understand how dangerous mercury was back then. Perhaps this is what you are seeing.

Merc,isnt white

Merc,on gold is either shiny silver or dull gray

Oh,yea,and Mercury is also naturally occuring

 

[johnnyblaze]

I'd do, or have done, a specific gravity test to tell for sure. As I understand it, its most likely to be lead but the chance exists for platinum. Here is a link with some info which contains another link to aid in setting up the test.
http://www.gold-nuggets.org/specific-gravity-test.htm

A couple pics of various platinum nuggets. They do range from dull/ashy like you mentioned to shiny.

Where else in the U.S. can you find platinum nuggets?
Have they ever turned up here in New England


Blaze...

 

[oragonads]

Definitely not mercury. I actually also have some pieces of gold with mercury on them and the stuff is definitely not mercury. As soon as I get home from work I will take some pictures and post them.

Thanks DigginThePast, they look very similar to those pictures but I think a little whiter then that, I will compare when I get home.

 

[oragonads]

Also I should be more clear. They are not actually ashy. The color is like a really light gray (like ash) / white dull color.

 

[kuger]

lead

 

[oragonads]

Here are a few pics. Sorry for the quality, I couldnt get any closer shots. Taken with my phone (best I can do).

 

[oragonads]

Well I tried melting one and a piece of lead I shaved off a sinker with a bic lighter (supposedly a 3000 degree flame) to see which one melts first but couldn't get either to melt. I ended cutting one in half with a knife. The ashy white color is corrosion and the inside is shiny silver color. It's also malleable like lead so I'm guessing its just corroded lead. Bummer .

 

[DigginThePast]

I'd do, or have done, a specific gravity test to tell for sure. As I understand it, its most likely to be lead but the chance exists for platinum. Here is a link with some info which contains another link to aid in setting up the test.
http://www.gold-nuggets.org/specific-gravity-test.htm

A couple pics of various platinum nuggets. They do range from dull/ashy like you mentioned to shiny.

Where else in the U.S. can you find platinum nuggets?
Have they ever turned up here in New England


Blaze...

Blaze - I'm not sure of all the states but a few of the western ones are known to produce platinum. I'm not aware of any occuring in New England.

I presumed the OP was is Oregon or vicinity due to their user name. A friend of my brother is located in Oregon and has found many small platinum nuggets at his claim, though his are usually blackish which could be due to other minerals.

Well I tried melting one and a piece of lead I shaved off a sinker with a bic lighter (supposedly a 3000 degree flame) to see which one melts first but couldn't get either to melt. I ended cutting one in half with a knife. The ashy white color is corrosion and the inside is shiny silver color. It's also malleable like lead so I'm guessing its just corroded lead. Bummer .

Bummer for sure but expected. Hey, at least you're getting out and finding gold.