Gem and gold

[blackchipjim]

I'm new to prospecting for gold in Arizona and have tons of questions about that subject. While I pan and pick and shovel in my search for gold I keep my eyes open for other colorful stones. Any input on what to keep your eyes open for when in certain areas. Thanks

 

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[stdenis_jd]

Lots of copper minerals in AZ, if I were you I'd familiarize yourself with all the blues, greens, blue/greens and reds for:

chrysocolla
malachite
azurite
shattuckite
cuprite
native copper

and some zincs like:

smithsonite
adamite
hemimorphite

 

[stdenis_jd]

some of the zincs are arsenates as well, meaning they contain arsenic so just be careful around the dust and if they get wet the arsenic can absorb through the skin. Pretty sure some of that is water-soluble so you'll want to wear gloves if you find yourself around the arsenates/zinc arsenates.

 

[meMiner]

When I am placer mining for gold, I identify crystals by looking at shape and colour. Many are heavy enough to stay in the sluice or pan to the end, but some will easily roll out due to their shape. I always hope for a diamond, but it hasn't happened yet. Also, keep and eye out for native artifacts. A good tool to have in the kit is a cheap jeweler's optic. Many rocks look interesting, especially when wet, but with magnification are duds. Good luck with your adventures.

 

[Bajahunter]

I attached a 14x Hastings triplet to the split ring on my Swiss Army knife. Use it all the time. Like having a microscope in your pocket