new to rock mining with a couple of questions

[Plbnyn]

Hello to all I have appreicated all the forums and information. So much that I have aquired a jaw type rock crusher and I am in the process of having a flail (pulverizer) made at a local high school, I can design and layout, not so good at welding.
the question that I have regards Iron pyrite formed in quartz in a Shist, shale and slate open mine. there has been gold found in this area (per local historians) I would like to know if it something that a person with experience would continue to dig, crush and pan the quartz veins that exist. Some of the quartz vein is as small as 1/16" several inches wide and up to 5" by 10" . There is copper coloring, rust in and around some of the quartz veins not all of them and in some places abundant small (1/32") peices of Iron Pyrite/Fools Gold. And there is shale (crumbly with hands) Slate hard hits to fracture or split and black, as well as schist (per a geologist I know).
This is very much a therapy for me until I found a small sample of gold in quartz (nothing like what has been posted by any one yet, mine is much smaller).
I have spent nothing but time and the cost of a pan, a 16X loupe, snuffer bottle and two small glass vials.

Any help would be appreciated, even a kick in a direction for more reading/researching.

Thakn you in advance for the help> I can post pictures as soon as I can firgure out this new fangled teledeportation device
I carriy around and talk to people in other places.

 

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[robert2b]

Hello, the copper coloring, the iron staining and the pyrite are all good indicators that gold may be present. If you actually found a small amount of gold then you have your answer and the best place to start is where you found the small sample of gold. Take several samples from along the vein and crush them and pan them. Usually where you find some gold you probably will find some more. Good luck and let us know how it is going. Bob

 

[Sheldon J]

Hello, the copper coloring, the iron staining and the pyrite are all good indicators that gold may be present. If you actually found a small amount of gold then you have your answer and the best place to start is where you found the small sample of gold. Take several samples from along the vein and crush them and pan them. Usually where you find some gold you probably will find some more. Good luck and let us know how it is going. Bob

+1 but it is no guarantee either... I have all kinds of the stuff I have ground up from a claim I have access to and not a flake....

 

[Plbnyn]

Found several peices of quartz with 1/8-1/4" spots of gold. All random placements in the vein material. I am in the process (SLOW) of crushing by hand until I can get the ore crusher on line. Probably be done with the crushing of 200LBS of potential ore by end of the week and then pan the following week. I am curious to try and figure out if I am at the beginning or the end of this vein and I think with some shovel work and concurrent road work I might find that out. Thank you to SheldonJ and robert2b for the reply.

 

[pczim]

If I was in your shoes I would not crush every piece of quartz you come across. A simple crack down the middle will let you know if that piece is worth crushing. The whiter the quartz, the less chance of being gold bearing in my opinion.

 

[Plbnyn]

I have many peices that have voids in them and have found peices of gold in those voids and I appreciate the input. I don't have many Paige's of quartz that is white

 

[pczim]

Im not sure if it is the same in your country as mine but I find gold goes hand in hand with green copper when you break the rock open.

 

[Plbnyn]

Pczim,

I have some copper color if the area not in the specific spot I'm digging right now. Currently lots of rust not coloring actual rust it dirty heavy quartz lot of green black and grey colors the history as I am talking to locals is water is very unmanageable for shaft hard rock mining and there was a mine that broke even in the 20's less than a mile from my spot. I have most of the parts for the jaw crusher need to out them together. That and I am maybe 100 hours into this hard rock mining with no other mining experience so forgive my naive questions and responses

 

[augoldminer]

If I was in your shoes I would not crush every piece of quartz you come across. A simple crack down the middle will let you know if that piece is worth crushing. The whiter the quartz, the less chance of being gold bearing in my opinion.

Not always.

You have not seen sixteen to one mine or other mines around Alleghany calif..
Original Sixteen to One Mine, Inc. - Gold Sales
Original Sixteen to One Mine, Inc. - Gold Sales