Gold flakes in slate?

[FreeBirdTim]

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.

 

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[tamrock]

It's Mica

 

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[Assembler]

If there's that much gold in slate rocks then I'm gonna be a rich man....my region of the N. Cascades is lousy with the stuff.

Sir Diggins...Wasn't that burlap and bear grease trick recommended by the most expert expert we were ever honored to have on the site? Been a few years and the nightmares have finally stopped, but I ain't forgot. View attachment 2147052

You may want to read your local geology reports about the different age and possible volcanic events of the past to see if there is some slate worth looking at.
Most of the slate will not have the minerals you may be looking for. With that being said the reports can possibly show you what to look for in your local area.

Nothing like a new twist on the idea of burlap and bear grease to lighten up the topic thread........... and not be too serious for just a few seconds of reading time.

 

[Assembler]

There have been some slates found with gold. As stated crush and pan. Ya never know unless you try. I’ve been trying to lick the gold off the edges of my granny’s old tea set for almost a year now but at least I’m trying.

What do the local geology reports have to say and show what minerals can be present in the slate?

What events have to happen with the local slate in order for the minerals you are looking for to be found within that type of slate?

What age of slate should you be looking for in your local area?

Just a few questions to research, before crushing very much slate.

 

[ConceptualizedNetherlandr]

You may want to read your local geology reports about the different age and possible volcanic events of the past to see if there is some slate worth looking at.
Most of the slate will not have the minerals you may be looking for. With that being said the reports can possibly show you what to look for in your local area.

Nothing like a new twist on the idea of burlap and bear grease to lighten up the topic thread........... and not be too serious for just a few seconds of reading time.

'

'volcanic'

And for no particular reason I post: Slate is a fine-grained, foliated metamorphic rock that is created by the alteration of shale or mudstone by low-grade regional metamorphism. (sedimentary)

 

[Assembler]

'

And for no particular reason I post: Slate is a fine-grained, foliated metamorphic rock that is created by the alteration of shale or mudstone by low-grade regional metamorphism. (sedimentary)

The types and numbers of events will likely be what you are looking for.
After all most people have little problems locating altered shale or mudstone. How the shale or mudstone is altered by events that can be seen in the rock / minerals / crystals is the question to ask.
This post may not address all questions.

 

[Clay Diggins]

If there's that much gold in slate rocks then I'm gonna be a rich man....my region of the N. Cascades is lousy with the stuff.

Sir Diggins...Wasn't that burlap and bear grease trick recommended by the most expert expert we were ever honored to have on the site? Been a few years and the nightmares have finally stopped, but I ain't forgot. View attachment 2147052

They are still here in different and new names. Sepaman lives!

 

[DizzyDigger]

They are still here in different and new names. Sepaman lives!

 

[Assembler]

They are still here in different and new names. Sepaman lives!

How many are out there?

 

[N-Lionberger]

Why did you guys have to bring that crap back up.

 

[Assembler]

Why did you guys have to bring that crap back up.

Well if one is to take a guess as to why is to warn others or perhaps other reasons why.

 

[Chilli]

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.

View attachment 2146611View attachment 2146612

I have detected gold in actual slate. I'll find them later today and post some pics.

 

[Assembler]

I have detected gold in actual slate. I'll find them later today and post some pics.

Yes I'm interested. Thanks

 

[Chilli]

Ok. This is some of the ones I kept. Not because they are worth anything great, but because I just liked the examples. One years ago as novice I utterly kick myself for crushing, live and learn. Its not here and I was dumb enough not to keep it nor take a photo.
Most were found with various Whites Goldmasters.
The hook screw points at the gold the big yelliw boob above it and see those little hole areas just above right, thats gold too in it. I found this as 1 bit of slate with no quartz attached. Broke to reveal gold.

This one I love. Blue/green greasy slate. It screamed and even PIs go off on it.

Another. Went right off on the Goldy. You can see little amount of mineralised quartz above. The gold was encased in slate, this I broke to find it. Slate each side of the gold.

This I love as an example of good indicator slate attached to quartz.
You gotta keep an eye out for these two married together here. 😉
Been very kind to me.
Back side first with both. Yeah see yellow but thats minerals.

Here's the good stuff the other side.

There has always been quartz where I have found gold in slate with a detector. Yes gold in slate not physically in contact with the quartz. Some in the past, the bits of slate an inch to three either direction of the gold, no quartz. But I fully believe that the whole recipe was minerals, quartz, slate gold in the original full matrix in these. But nowhere would I discount a slate bit that goes off until I fully investigate it. 😀

 

[tamrock]

Ok. This is some of the ones I kept. Not because they are worth anything great, but because I just liked the examples. One years ago as novice I utterly kick myself for crushing, live and learn. Its not here and I was dumb enough not to keep it nor take a photo.
Most were found with various Whites Goldmasters.
The hook screw points at the gold the big yelliw boob above it and see those little hole areas just above right, thats gold too in it. I found this as 1 bit of slate with no quartz attached. Broke to reveal gold.
View attachment 2147892
This one I love. Blue/green greasy slate. It screamed and even PIs go off on it.
View attachment 2147893
Another. Went right off on the Goldy. You can see little amount of mineralised quartz above. The gold was encased in slate, this I broke to find it. Slate each side of the gold.
View attachment 2147895
This I love as an example of good indicator slate attached to quartz.
You gotta keep an eye out for these two married together here. 😉
Been very kind to me.
Back side first with both. Yeah see yellow but thats minerals.
View attachment 2147896
Here's the good stuff the other side.
View attachment 2147897
There has always been quartz where I have found gold in slate with a detector. Yes gold in slate not physically in contact with the quartz. Some in the past, the bits of slate an inch to three either direction of the gold, no quartz. But I fully believe that the whole recipe was minerals, quartz, slate gold in the original full matrix in these. But nowhere would I discount a slate bit that goes off until I fully investigate it. 😀

Chilli, I'm not thinking that rock of yours would be considered as a piece of slate. To me it appears to be a type of Schist. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schist The smaller pieces do look like quartz.

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Chill's right. If a quartz vein carrying gold intersects a slate area, the slate will very easily contain gold, and probably some quartz, even if very fine-grain sizes. I'd say the odds of gold would go up when the slate contains sulphides like pyrite.
Jim

 

[Assembler]

Chill's right. If a quartz vein carrying gold intersects a slate area, the slate will very easily contain gold, and probably some quartz, even if very fine-grain sizes. I'd say the odds of gold would go up when the slate contains sulphides like pyrite.
Jim

I have seen this my self a few times. No photos to show.
Yes sulphides can be a strong indicator of other minerals within inches.

 

[Assembler]

Ok. This is some of the ones I kept. Not because they are worth anything great, but because I just liked the examples. One years ago as novice I utterly kick myself for crushing, live and learn. Its not here and I was dumb enough not to keep it nor take a photo.
Most were found with various Whites Goldmasters.
The hook screw points at the gold the big yelliw boob above it and see those little hole areas just above right, thats gold too in it. I found this as 1 bit of slate with no quartz attached. Broke to reveal gold.
View attachment 2147892
This one I love. Blue/green greasy slate. It screamed and even PIs go off on it.
View attachment 2147893
Another. Went right off on the Goldy. You can see little amount of mineralised quartz above. The gold was encased in slate, this I broke to find it. Slate each side of the gold.
View attachment 2147895
This I love as an example of good indicator slate attached to quartz.
You gotta keep an eye out for these two married together here. 😉
Been very kind to me.
Back side first with both. Yeah see yellow but thats minerals.
View attachment 2147896
Here's the good stuff the other side.
View attachment 2147897
There has always been quartz where I have found gold in slate with a detector. Yes gold in slate not physically in contact with the quartz. Some in the past, the bits of slate an inch to three either direction of the gold, no quartz. But I fully believe that the whole recipe was minerals, quartz, slate gold in the original full matrix in these. But nowhere would I discount a slate bit that goes off until I fully investigate it. 😀

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.

 

[Assembler]

Simple Chemistry. Gain knowledge. If you can't afford 3 minutes of torch perhaps knowledge is beyond your means.

A jewelers high temperature torch for spot testing will work better to gain some knowledge of the materials present.

 

[Assembler]

Some in the past, the bits of slate an inch to three either direction of the gold, no quartz. But I fully believe that the whole recipe was minerals, quartz, slate gold in the original full matrix in these. But nowhere would I discount a slate bit that goes off until I fully investigate it. 😀

Perhaps the slate acted as a rapid cooling factor as the mineral rich soup mix crossed the slate layer leaving the pieces of slate within inches of the final dropout zone?

This could explain why you are seeing slate either in direct contact or within inches of the minerals of interest.

 

[Assembler]

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.

View attachment 2146611View attachment 2146612

I had to up vote your topic thread for the simple reason that there is a lot of interest.
Thanks for posting and sharing FreeBirdTim