So how do I separate these two ?

[Ashman]

I do have some gold in here and I believe there is also some pyrite. I have busted up 3 small rocks to get this point. But before I keep going and end up with a mason jar full of pyrite, I wanted to know if there is an easier way to remove any of the pyrite.

When I panned it out I removed all the small pieces that kind of flutter or seemed to be floating. I was also told another way to tell if it pyrite it will certainly shine in the sun but when you change your point of view or cast a shadow gold will still shine as gold. Pyrite will however darken or lose its gold color.

My issue is a lot of this is gold flake. So small super thin flakes seem to flutter some and some of these small pieces even though the gold color or shine seems to be lost when I cast a shadow, the small pieces when acid tested seemed to hold up. So then those pieces that seem to act like pyrite to the eye were actually gold, well according to an acid test.

At a complete lost, was wondering if I made a home made smelter, if I could get it hot enough to melt gold, what would happened to any pyrite ? Or is this not even an option for what I am trying to accomplish. I am not chemical freak and honestly all that stuff scares the hell out of me, when people start talking about using certain chemicals to separate the gold,,,, UUUUGGGGHHHH

 

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[Clay Diggins]

Classify.

When all the particles are near the same size the pyrite will be easy to separate with simple panning.

Heavy Pans

 

[GrizzlyGremlin]

If your new to cleaning gold up and want the best down and dirty method look up the "shake and tap".

 

[arizau]

If your new to cleaning gold up and want the best down and dirty method look up the "shake and tap".

That or go here. How to Pan for Gold

 

[winners58]

need a Falcon cleanup pan much harder plastic I tap then rock and slowly wash out every thing that isnt gold.
NEW PRODUCTS from Falcon Prospecting

 

[fowledup]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wAsKSDNBVo

Excellent video that shows what everyone above has said, classification, the tap and rock, etc.

 

[winners58]

after blowing up the photo looks like some gold the rest is not, gold will sometimes run with pyrite and quartz
but not mica, muscovite, biotite or lepidolite, best to buy a jewelers loupe
look for cubic structure or show distinct planes of cleavage, gold is not transparent.
magnification will help a lot.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Mike and Red did a great job on this demo...watch and learn!

PS your pic looks like a little gold and a lot of not-gold to me.

 

[CApicker]

Wow been doing this for a few years now and never saw that tap and roll.
How cool is that? Not so sure how it will work on the river with only one clasification leaving many sizes of material but I'm gonna give it a go. Never thought about roughing my pan up on the bottom either but I'm sure that's why my old trusty crappy pan is my LUCKY pan!!! Cool thread.

 

[CApicker]

I'm gonna agree with Kevin here and just hope that some of what you got there is good. Even after years I still have to take chunks of awesome looking pyrite out of my pan and smash it between my fingers to see if I can break it into flakes. It gets scarry near the end of the pan when what looks like Gold is rolling out as you wash your rocks but I have learned to trust myself and seem to get even the finest and smallest Gold at the end.

 

[johnedoe]

few little odds and ends about panning here...... http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/panning-gold/459664-art-gold-panning.html

 

[LP13]

Not sure my answer fits your question or is what you are looking for, but I would use an acid or heating to get rid of the pyrite (depending what kind it is, i.e, chalcopyrite, aresenopyrite, etc.) If heating is chosen, put in a furnace or kiln and keep it well below 1950F (1500-1600F is plenty hot) with no flux and plenty of air and then the gold won't melt and the sulfur in the pyrite will be driven off (arsenic too if it's in it so don't be breathing these fumes!)

 

[Jeff95531]

I'm gonna agree with Kevin here and just hope that some of what you got there is good. Even after years I still have to take chunks of awesome looking pyrite out of my pan and smash it between my fingers to see if I can break it into flakes. It gets scarry near the end of the pan when what looks like Gold is rolling out as you wash your rocks but I have learned to trust myself and seem to get even the finest and smallest Gold at the end.

I had the same problem CA. Last year I thought I was losing fine gold out of the pan and the sluice. A Millers Table will remove all doubt of what is and what ain't gold.