Setting a sluice in a small stream and leaving it.

[watersteps]

I would guess that most people would say "that won't work" . Well here is my idea, I want to place 1,2 or 3 sluice's in a small stream on my own property. Now, I live in Potter County, PA. and the stream is about 600' long. I don't have a sluice or know which type to build, but what the heck if it works while I metal detect other areas, why not?
The last thing is, is there any gold in Potter County, PA.?
Anyone got any ideas?

 

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[watersteps]

Well it did get flatter and it is yellow despite what picture shows. I will just hang on to it until I can send it to someone to checkout. Thanks Guys

 

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[Tahoegold]

Well DiamondDan you are hitting on a lot of the possible finds in this area. Marks on rocks, yep we got'em, trees bent over, yep we got'em, aerial photos, no that won't work too many bent over trees all over the place.
No Spanish armor but how about several million in gold within 10 miles of my stream? And how about the Indian Silver mines within 6 miles of my stream? Oh, don't forget the many, many mason jars full of silver hidden by an old farmer within 20 miles of my stream? (It ain't really my stream mother nature owns it.) And guess what, this ain't a joke either. Well I already told you guys too much and I need to get to work building another sluice that won't catch any gold.
Nothing wrong with just kidding around right?
Have a nice day.

Ok, so according to this, Gold is found further away and silver closer. I suppose Goldwasher could be looking at it and saying it doesn't look like gold because it may be Electrum. Gold could be a little darker yellow, however, Electrum, which contains some percentage of silver, would be a bit brighter. Looking at the panning results, it looks like there is no black sands. If the panning results were from the OP, the it tells of someone with experience separating black sands from gold. (I'm not even approaching another possibility of the OP just foolin' us with a pan of gold that was already processed and placed in a pan to see what we would say....)
So, the description of the material flattening with a hammer and panning evidence, seems to point towards something heavy like gold. That pan amount, by the way, how much weight was that? I would take it to a loxal placer gold buyer and ask them what it's worth. Usually, they know the composition of the gold in the area as well. It seems likely you have some gold. It's always better if you are positive you have gold!

 

[Goldwasher]

that brings up a point to consider.

If you have bought gold to practice with. To learn what it looks like. there is a very good chance that it is cross contamination from one of your tools used for that practicing. even at that size.

I am just saying it doesn't look like gold in those pics not that it isn't.. That would be a relatively large and course piece for that area. The pic in light looks goldish. its the shadow pics that make it look like it may not be.

when you "flatten" it it should get flat and thin and not have anything break off. Can you take some more pics of it flatter. one in shadow yet with a bit of side lighting. even in shadow gold will have luster.

Take it to a jeweler they can do an acid test. or buy a test kit.

 

[watersteps]

OK, first I have not bought or acquired any gold from anyone as of this date. Second, I have flattened out the piece that I showed in earlier pictures. Here are some pictures with the specimen on a piece of paper and in a glass bottle.
Hope this helps, thanks again for the help.

 

[Goldwasher]

OK, first I have not bought or acquired any gold from anyone as of this date. Second, I have flattened out the piece that I showed in earlier pictures. Here are some pictures with the specimen on a piece of paper and in a glass bottle.
Hope this helps, thanks again for the help.View attachment 1754146View attachment 1754145View attachment 1754144View attachment 1754143View attachment 1754147View attachment 1754148

wasnt sure if you had.

it does look like gold especially in the top pic.

 

[watersteps]

OK, I ordered a gold test kit, now I will know for sure. I hope the acid test does not eat up my gold!

 

[Jason in Enid]

OK, I ordered a gold test kit, now I will know for sure. I hope the acid test does not eat up my gold!

You dont test the specimen. You rub it on a stone that should come with your kit to leave a streak. Then you test the streak.

 

[watersteps]

I received the test kit.
OK, I don't know if this is good or bad. I placed the piece of gold on the test stone and tried to rub it into the stone and make a streak. It would not happen, I tried using a pencil eraser to push down on the gold and rub it into the stone, no good. All I did was smash the gold flatter. OK, I just tested the flat gold as it was. I tested with the 10K solution, nothing happen. I then tested with the 14K, the 18K and then the 22K solution, still nothing happened. Well lets see what happens when I just leave the piece in the drop of solution for a while. 30 minutes later, nothing happened. Placed the piece back in the bottle and opened a beer.
So what is this stuff? It is too small for me to weigh it, it will flatten out, the acid doesn't affect it, and it is heavier then sand.
Next, I will try to melt it!
Any ideas?

 

[Tahoegold]

Melting would only be informative if you could determine the exact temperature at the point at which it actially melts. That would be difficult as the temperature you would sense would need to be of the metal and not the air around it.
I would go to a local buyer of gold and precious metals. Where I live, they knew of the types of metal mixtures in the area and informed me to keep my finds separate as one location had a higher gold content than the other. The "other location" had a higher silver content making it electrum.
I would even go to "My Land Matters" website and look for all past mines im the area and it should give you the minerals that were mined.
As long as you did the testing correctly, then the results say it is not gold. However, is it possible you got a bogus test kit? I'd still like to talk to my local guy. If they buy placer gold, then they can tell just by looking at it most of the time. And, sometimes they even know which areas produce gold so you could ask them if the area you found this has a history. I'm curious to know! Hope you find out!