Mystery Estate find of jeweler refiner

[Crudbud]

Hi, I was able to purchase quite a bit of Sterling jewelers stock and some gold material, from a jewelers room/shop an estate sale recently. When I went the next day in the barn I noticed a box with some crucibles, and gold colored pieces of metal, with some dark brown powder and silver, copper specks also. Which I took to have my buyer refine, and the 100 grams of this stuff yielded $2000 in gold. In a makeshift refining room, I grabbed some antique empty, acid bottles, some mercury, and a small jar with a gray clumpy but heavy hardened powder, just because it was on his refining bench. Assuming it was some type of flux or ash idk, I decided to dump a little into a pan with water, and it does not dissolve or mix with the water, it does have small specks of gold in it. It appears heavy for the small amount in bottle, and does not fall when turned upside down, like it was wet and dried and hasn't dislodged since it dried. Can anyone advise on what it could be? There was also some lead pellets scattered on the bench, and another small bottle of gray powder with holes poked in the lid like a salt shaker. Thanks!

 

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[Crudbud]

Hi, I was able to purchase quite a bit of Sterling jewelers stock and some gold material, from a jewelers room/shop an estate sale recently. When I went the next day in the barn I noticed a box with some crucibles, and gold colored pieces of metal, with some dark brown powder and silver, copper specks also. Which I took to have my buyer refine, and the 100 grams of this stuff yielded $2000 in gold. In a makeshift refining room, I grabbed some antique empty, acid bottles, some mercury, and a small jar with a gray clumpy but heavy hardened powder, just because it was on his refining bench. Assuming it was some type of flux or ash idk, I decided to dump a little into a pan with water, and it does not dissolve or mix with the water, it does have small specks of gold in it. It appears heavy for the small amount in bottle, and does not fall when turned upside down, like it was wet and dried and hasn't dislodged since it dried. Can anyone advise on what it could be? There was also some lead pellets scattered on the bench, and another small bottle of gray powder with holes poked in the lid like a salt shaker. Thanks!View attachment 2196689

Well not sure if there is a better category for my post. I'm thinking the gray material could be lead. I just don't know what process would this would be used for, or what process created this result. It also reminds me of a dirty mercury residue, but that usually would be in the form tiny balls. Either way I don't want to be experimenting with lead or mercury, until I can do it safely.