First find - is it Gold?

[ethought]

Hi All -

First time poster.

Just got my first metal detector today (Gold Bug 2) and went up to the local prospecting fields with a friend.

We found a small patch which had the following pieces (see photo).

If I shine a light on them they do look yellow / gold but in normal light they only look a very dull gold color and in some parts almost like dull silver. The pieces are very jagged, almost molten looking.





They were found near old gold mines around large piles of quartz the old timers had put there I think.

Could it be low quality gold or something else?

 

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[Fullpan]

Unless you found them in fla., they sure look like gold to me. Welcome to TN - and what state are you in?

 

[CoinFetcher]

Looks like gold. Should be weighty in your hand. weight it with a digital scale.

 

[Goldwasher]

First time out.....?? very lucky you might be in a spot that hasn't been detected to well before.. looks like gold to me!

 

[centurion]

I showed your picture to my wife who has been a jeweler for over 30 years, she said it is gold due to the fact it is a brass color, believe she knows gold

 

[Hemisteve]

You should probably PM me the spot where you found those, just so I can verify that it is real.
If it was me I would be there every day until that spot was cleaned out.

Nice finds!

 

[NeoTokyo]

Looks like gold to me, awesome first day out.

 

[ethought]

Thanks for all the reponses! I am still not sure...

@Hemisteve All these pieces were found in the Adelaide hills, South Australia.

We went back today and detected more on the same patch. However like I said before, some bits appear gold (dull), some silver and some silver and gold.

We heated up one of the silver looking bits with a blow torch, it kept its shape when red hot, then we cooled it in water and it formed a smooth nugget shape.

Here is a better photo of the bits from yesterday:



And here is yesterdays finds with todays (where you can clearly see the silver colored bits):

 

[robbor]

Thanks for all the reponses! I am still not sure...

@Hemisteve All these pieces were found in the Adelaide hills, South Australia.

We went back today and detected more on the same patch. However like I said before, some bits appear gold (dull), some silver and some silver and gold.

We heated up one of the silver looking bits with a blow torch, it kept its shape when red hot, then we cooled it in water and it formed a smooth nugget shape.

Here is a better photo of the bits from yesterday:

View attachment 703985

And here is yesterdays finds with todays (where you can clearly see the silver colored bits):

View attachment 703986

You are on fire

 

[ethought]

You are on fire

Beginners luck!

 

[nuggetshooter323]

It might be just of lower purity, which would explain the brassy appearance.

 

[JimmeyC]

Hi ethought, what you have there is indeed gold. The lack of shine is due to the texture. Gold is found like this in mines or the desert. Placer gold is rounded and beaten by the agitation of water and rocks. If still in disbelief hit one with a hammer. If it flattens it is gold but it would be a shame to ruin one of those pretty little nugget. The "silver" is most likely mercury. It was used by the old timers for gold recovery. To test for and get rid of it put it on a spoon and heat it with a torch. This will evaporate the mercury from the gold. CAUTION, do this outside as the vapors are harmful! I have found many nuggets like this.

Beautiful little nuggets there. Congrats and HH, Jim

Oh, by the way, Get rid of that mercury as it will infect your gold collection! Transferring forme one piece to the next!

Gold also comes in many shades of color. Nuggets are not pure 24 kt. In different places they tend to be mixed with different metals. Arizona gold has silver and tends to be brighter. What you have looks to be a copper mix. Northern Ca? Don't be disappointed by this. It is natural and is still 20 - 22 kt !

 

[ethought]

Hi ethought, what you have there is indeed gold. The lack of shine is due to the texture. Gold is found like this in mines or the desert. Placer gold is rounded and beaten by the agitation of water and rocks. If still in disbelief hit one with a hammer. If it flattens it is gold but it would be a shame to ruin one of those pretty little nugget. The "silver" is most likely mercury. It was used by the old timers for gold recovery. To test for and get rid of it put it on a spoon and heat it with a torch. This will evaporate the mercury from the gold. CAUTION, do this outside as the vapors are harmful! I have found many nuggets like this.

Beautiful little nuggets there. Congrats and HH, Jim

Oh, by the way, Get rid of that mercury as it will infect your gold collection! Transferring forme one piece to the next!

Gold also comes in many shades of color. Nuggets are not pure 24 kt. In different places they tend to be mixed with different metals. Arizona gold has silver and tends to be brighter. What you have looks to be a copper mix. Northern Ca? Don't be disappointed by this. It is natural and is still 20 - 22 kt !

Thanks JimmeyC.

Thats what I wanted to hear!!

Just out of interest, is it harmful to handle gold that has mecury on it? I always see people putting gold in their mouth to clean it on youtube videos, I guess that would not be a very good idea if covered in mercury?

One more pic:

 

[63bkpkr]

ethought,
Mercury is NOT good for humans. Putting gold in ones mouth to clean it is, IMHO, stupid. Putting gold in ones mouth with mercury on the gold is really stupid. Handling mercury is NOT a good idea though the effects take time but they are not pleasant. Think of it this way it is your gold so you look at it, you handle it, then you wipe your hand across you face or rub your eye and eventually the stuff gets into your body. Be safe use rubber gloves and do not touch your face with the gloves, wash after use then take off and then wash your hands next.

If your finds are gold then they should bend easily as well as flatten easily without shattering. Good Success......63bkpkr

 

[ethought]

Thanks for the advice 63bkpkr.

All of the pieces bend easily, and the long thin bits do not break off went bent carefully.

I took a small piece and flattened it with a hammer. It went paper thin and did not crumble or shatter.

 

[JimmeyC]

It is gold!!! The info on mercury is correct. Alto a few incidental contacts is not much of a threat. Vaporizing it however is dangerous to breath. As a vapor it actually becomes organic and much worse. That is why you want to be outside.

Beautiful gold! Can't say I'm not a little jealous being here in NY... I need to move out west to stay!!!

 

[austin]

I agree about it being GOLD. Way to go. I also agree with 63 bkpakr about mercury. Be careful. Very deadly substance.

 

[NeoTokyo]

If you still are not sure that it is gold you can send it my way to dispose of.


Keep working that area and all around it, your finding some VERY nice color.

 

[Lanny in AB]

Have you read up on how to do a streak test? Go online and read about what you need to do one. That's another inexpensive way to check what you have.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[nuggy]

Hi Ethought, Lannys advice about the streak test is good - all the info you need for it is on line - also try a local jeweller, he should be able to do an acid test.
To my eye what you have there looks like soldering and brazing splatter, if so it will be bronze, lead and tin alloys. It could also be gold melt splatter from where someone spilled gold out of a crucible or similar when doing a melt. They would have been keen to cover up the mess before the boss found out.
Either way keep us posted. Nuggy