Gold ore? Need help with ID please

coinhound1983

Sr. Member
Aug 22, 2012
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I hope so! I have no clue . This came out of an amateur geologists storage we won on auction. More feed back from some subject matter experts would be amazing!
 

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it looks rusted in spots.

pulverize the rock.

Does it ding with a metal detector?
 

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Going to try to the whites xlt on it in all metal mode and see what happens. Tomorrow gold store here i come! I just never seen somthing like this besides pyrite. But pyrite is brittle and usually cubed.
 

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It's sometimes really hard to ID gold simply from a picture.

Check it with a sewing needle to see if it just indents and is malleable or it it flakes and crumbles as Pyrite or Chalcopyrite would.

It could be gold or it could be Chalcopyrite, poking it with the needle will help to know if it is Chalcopyrite, if it's malleable more testing may tell if it is for sure gold.

Here's an image of Pyrite with fine Chalcopyrite down on the bottom front that looks like the material on your specimen, Chalcopyrite looks more like gold than Pyrite does, but both will crumble.

File:Pyrite-Chalcopyrite-Sphalerite-40297.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pyrite-Chalcopyrite-Sphalerite-40297.jpg
 

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In the photo it looks like iron pyrite, or fools gold to me.
 

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I am certainly NOT an expert in minerals, but your specimen looks almost identical to one I have, which came out of a local tungsten mine. The one I have measures about 4 inches square and is extremely heavy for its size. I was told by the mine worker who gave it to me that is was tungsten, milky quartz, and pyrite. I have no idea what yours is, but mine does look similar. I can't post a pic because I gave it to my granddaughter. Be sure to let us know what you find out about it. Good Luck! Breezie
 

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