Black Sand

[greydigger]

I understand black sand indicates heavier iron deposits and sometimes gold.
Worried about black sand just being oil spill on the beaches.
Any suggestions?

 

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[kuger]

I understand black sand indicates heavier iron deposits and sometimes gold.
Worried about black sand just being oil spill on the beaches.
Any suggestions?

Pan it

 

[Goodyguy]

The magnet will tell you if it's iron and panning will tell you if there's gold in it.
It always boils down to panning because sometimes you find gold where there is no black sand present.

Go for the Gold!
GG~

 

[kuger]

Not all black sand (hematite)is magnetic

 

[greydigger]

I just panned a bunch and have a lot of sparkles in the black sand that's left.
Could this be Obsidian? Got it from the beach.
I didn't think iron (Fe) had sharp facets or flat planes.
Maybe Hematite.
And if black sand is mostly iron, why isn't it brown (rust)?

Only been out once since we got into prospecting and already have 2 gallons of black sand.
Found 1 flake of gold about .05 square and much less thick.
Hope to find better place soon.

Grey

 

[bigwater]

I discovered that wet magnet trick from a post on this site I think, and it works really well to get rid of all of the ferrite black sand out of your concentrate. I sort of modified it a bit to keep from trapping flour gold in the ferrite. Make sure the black sand is dry, and wave a heavy earth magnet a couple of inches over the top of a pan full of dry black sand, and watch the ferrite jump up at you. Clean the magnet off from time to time (which is harder than it sounds), and shake the pan like you would if you were wet panning from time to time. You'll clean about 3/4 of the sand out of your concentrate that way. Once you can get to where you can drag the magnet through what's left and not pick up any more ferrite, you're ready to start wet panning.

 

[Astrobouncer]

One thing you can do to keep the magnet clean is just use a couple freezer bags over the magnet. Peel away the top bag when it becomes loaded with black sand and then just dump the sand in another container. But definitely do this dry so you don't pick up the gold.

 

[bigwater]

Great idea with putting the magnet in a baggie. That'll certainly make it easy to get rid of the ferrite.

 

[Goodyguy]

Here is a great informational video featuring a store bought magnet designed just for black sand removal.



Magnet alone or with trays can be purchased from:
http://www.goldfeverprospecting.com/bublsama.html

 

[kuger]

I just panned a bunch and have a lot of sparkles in the black sand that's left.
Could this be Obsidian? Got it from the beach.
I didn't think iron (Fe) had sharp facets or flat planes.
Maybe Hematite.
And if black sand is mostly iron, why isn't it brown (rust)?

Only been out once since we got into prospecting and already have 2 gallons of black sand.
Found 1 flake of gold about .05 square and much less thick.
Hope to find better place soon.

Grey

Hard to say,but I am tinking it might be mica.

My sand is %70 Hematite,so the magnet (altough I do use a heavy hitter)really does little for me

 

[bigwater]

Here is a great informational video featuring a store bought magnet designed just for black sand removal.

Magnet alone or with trays can be purchased from:
http://www.goldfeverprospecting.com/bublsama.html

Great info there. When I watched the video my mind started spinning about how I could build that thing with a length of PVC pipe, a couple of caps, a magnet to fit... blah blah blah. The whole bill of materials was in my head and I figured it'd take about three hours to manufacture. Then I clicked the link you gave, and "phhhtt"... for no more money than they're charging for the thing I'll just buy one.

 

[greydigger]

I like that magnet also.
Made one in about 10 min. but that one is much better.
Maybe my dealer can order some so I don't have to pay twice that in shipping.

I still don't understand why iron doesn't rust...

Grey

 

[Astrobouncer]

Grey, as I understand it magnetite does not rust technically because of its molecular composition (iron(II,III) oxide, Fe3O4), which means it is already an oxide. Rust is another kind of oxide. Rust consists of hydrated iron(III) oxides Fe2O3·nH2O and iron(III) oxide-hydroxide (FeO(OH), Fe(OH)3). The main type of oxidation that occurs to magnetite is when magnetite mixes with oxygen hematite is produced. Perhaps you have heard of Bluing steel to make it rust proof? That is when they add a small layer of magnetite to steel to rust proof it.

 

[greydigger]

Thank you AB.
Black sand is not just Fe.
That makes sense now.

Grey

 

[nebraskadad]

I understand black sand indicates heavier iron deposits and sometimes gold.
Worried about black sand just being oil spill on the beaches.
Any suggestions?

worried about an amorphos glob of crude, or black sands? Now depends on "where ya are? "

There is an adage, gold is generally where it has been found before. The gulf coast is not generally considered one of those places.. Nome Alaska, and Gold Beach Oregon, however are. Doing a bit of "web" geology and prospecting 1st determine if the location you are obtaining your dirt is a place where it has been found before. Oil in the sand would have the definite smell of distillates it would also tend to stick together, rubbing the sand through your hands would leave an oily black residue if it was crude oil, black sands by itself will not do that.

Separation AU from magnetic sand or hematite is a bit more difficult. Classifying your black sands in stages, 1/4" minus, 12 minus, 30 minus, and 60 minus, then panning or running through your chosen cleanup device. I use a blue bowl at 60 minus, anything above that I run through a cleanup "banker" ( a small highbanker, with recycling pump)..

 

[greydigger]

My original post had 2 meanings.
My first thought was inspired by the oil derrick explosion in the Gulf of Mexico and the expected problems. Talk of oil washing onshore. I thought crude oil might be black and wanted to differentiate the oil from iron. Maybe if I tried to set it on fire it would tell me - I don't know.

Because this thought didn't come through very clear we are talking about iron and other types of black sand. (Not oil).
This does help me a lot as I am trying to process some now.
First try through a mini sluice with small ribbed matting was a failure.
Now am drying the sand and have a magnetic multi stage system ready.
This sand is from the Pacific Ocean beach to the north of Gold Beach but still have some hopes.
If system gets me some flour I will try on the black sands on Columbia River which has a many streams flowing into it. Hope to hit Cascades this summer and try there.

Grey

 

[Shake n Flake]

Worried about black sand just being oil spill on the beaches.

Go for it--have you seen the price of oil lately?