Kevin in Colorado...and elsewhere

So yesterday I dropped a bunch of cool rocks off at a friend's house. Like many of us (I bet), I bring home petrified wood and other cool stuff I spot in the course of prospecting. My friend has 20 inch diamond saw to cut slabs and he also makes points (arrows, spears, etc) via traditional means.

Anyway, as a surprise thank you, he gave me some elk steaks and a cool ore sample from a hard rock mine in AZ.
ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1454395944.810369.jpg
...this is the chunk with its nice smooth surface from the rock saw.
ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1454395991.759392.jpg
...here's an iPhone close-up where you can see the gold crystals!
ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1454396098.750703.jpg
...and here's one using a macro lens.

I'd like some advice on what to do with this rock. I'm inclined to soak it in an acid to expose more gold but that might lead to just having a little pile of tiny individual crystals. Thoughts?
 

Kevin, personally I love samples of gold "in situ", in its natural state. Any chance of displaying it on a table, under a light with one of these:ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1454419629.841560.jpg
 

Kevin you are an insperation , In NH we can't legally make dams to add flow to our sluices , I have been thinking about building a funneling system to divert more water into the sluice when the low water season hits . Do you have any thoughts about this or is it a waste of time .
 

KevinInColorado said:
So yesterday I dropped a bunch of cool rocks off at a friend's house. Like many of us (I bet), I bring home petrified wood and other cool stuff I spot in the course of prospecting. My friend has 20 inch diamond saw to cut slabs and he also makes points (arrows, spears, etc) via traditional means.

Anyway, as a surprise thank you, he gave me some elk steaks and a cool ore sample from a hard rock mine in AZ.
View attachment 1267704
...this is the chunk with its nice smooth surface from the rock saw.
View attachment 1267705
...here's an iPhone close-up where you can see the gold crystals!
View attachment 1267706
...and here's one using a macro lens.

I'd like some advice on what to do with this rock. I'm inclined to soak it in an acid to expose more gold but that might lead to just having a little pile of tiny individual crystals. Thoughts?
Click to expand...
The dose is the poison. Try a small amount of vinegar on the area you care the least about in the worse side. Up the duration and acid strength until you get the desired result. If you don't like it - stop !!

Takes a lot of acid to eat rock, and not sure Quartz is easily consumed, but you might shine up your gold and eat away distracting minerals like irons.

I am currently digesting a sedimentary rock which has grown some nice crystals, I just can't figure out what they are yet.
 

motohed said:
Kevin you are an insperation , In NH we can't legally make dams to add flow to our sluices , I have been thinking about building a funneling system to divert more water into the sluice when the low water season hits . Do you have any thoughts about this or is it a waste of time .
Click to expand...

Worth a try. Maybe some sort of tarp and stakes contraption?
 

Yeehaw!! Prospecting nonstop!! Really cool chunk of ore. Nevada has some of the best hard rock around!
That ore appears not to be of the typical "Carlin" type ore found in Nevada. The Carlin type deposits are sedimentary metamorph in origin like mudstone and breccias. Your ore looks to be from a "porphyry" type deposit but the host rock looks metamorphosized. Does your sample have little holes like swiss cheese? It looks like it does.
Hydrothermal deposits often contain sulfide base metals in excess! Yours looks to be metamorphic quartzite or calcite with possible amethyst or fluorite tendencies with a little oxidized sulfide and FREE GOLD!! That "free gold" is beautiful stuff in its host rock! Any idea as to the particular mine or area it was taken from?
 

KevinInColorado said:
Cute!
My last day was Monday! It's official, I'm retired!!!
Click to expand...

Congrats on the retirement Kevin! Now everyday is Saturday. It's going to be fun seeing what you dig up next.
 

Way to go Kevin, congrats on the retirement! Now the real play time begins!
 

I have an idea. Cut out the best ring sized part of that rock and make up a legend about the Dutchman's lost Colorado mine, and have the story point to some area where you previously arranged hard rock claims and established tourist properties, and be willing to negotiate reasonable sales on the many claims and service friendly accommodations. Just watch some Bob Newhart reruns to figure the best angles - his thing fits perfect with your retirement.. PM me for my mailing address to send my checks to :D
 

GrizzlyGremlin said:
Yeehaw!! Prospecting nonstop!! Really cool chunk of ore. Nevada has some of the best hard rock around!
That ore appears not to be of the typical "Carlin" type ore found in Nevada. The Carlin type deposits are sedimentary metamorph in origin like mudstone and breccias. Your ore looks to be from a "porphyry" type deposit but the host rock looks metamorphosized. Does your sample have little holes like swiss cheese? It looks like it does.
Hydrothermal deposits often contain sulfide base metals in excess! Yours looks to be metamorphic quartzite or calcite with possible amethyst or fluorite tendencies with a little oxidized sulfide and FREE GOLD!! That "free gold" is beautiful stuff in its host rock! Any idea as to the particular mine or area it was taken from?
Click to expand...

The label on the ore sample says "gold ore ~20 oz/T, Oatman AZ" and yes there are fine holes in it as you predicted :)

...not sure where you got Nevada, it's from Arizon-y ;)
 

Haha all those southwest states blend together lol! New Arivadaco.. Anyway I dream of finding visible gold in ore. Its just magical!
 

Hey all, take a look at my blog: I'd love some more followers, especially my fellow Colorado prospectors!
Finding Gold in Colorado – historic sites and modern honey holes
https://findinggoldincolorado.wordpress.com/

I just added a post about a site in north metro Denver. I'd love your follow up questions (post them as comments on the blog please, not here).

Update: I just sprung for the upgraded website name. The old name (above) still works but so does www.findinggoldincolorado.com ...yay!
 

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Cool Blog, I'm following along. You are compiling quite the resource. Nice work!:headbang:
 

My Valentines present from my wife was an afternoon of gold prospecting with Grizzly Gremlin...weird? She just knows me well!

I caught up with him at a spot on Clear Creek that he wanted to really try out. We were in an open space park in the midst of metro Denver but you'd never know it while standing at our dig site...it looks and feels like the middle Of nowhere. The day was a mix of sun and clouds with intermittent bouts of really windy air and temps in the low 50's F...perfect digging weather!

Here the two us...
ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1455500905.340597.jpg

Barry feeding his sluice...with a dam out into the middle of the stream!
ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1455501401.618004.jpg
And of course me:
ImageUploadedByTreasureNet.com1455501134.450794.jpg
...feeding my Prospector.

Gold pics to follow tomorrow...I know better than to spend time processing my cons on Valentine's Day!!
 

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