think i found silver nuggets!!!!!!!!!!!!!

twizzle

Greenie
Jan 20, 2014
18
1
iowa
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
i was metal detecting in iowa and had some strong hits on my detector and found 2 nice sized rocks that after I cleaned them resemble what I believe to be solid silver. hopefully someone can help me identify them. thx 006.JPG
 

More then likely you found a sample of Galena. An ore of lead. I can only say that's my hunch, but it still could be some other type of metallic item as I only have a photo to go by. In what part of Iowa was it found?
 

Last edited:
Upvote 0
twizzle > scroll down to Rocks/Gems Forum and post there. I am interested what the experts say
about your nuggets.
 

Upvote 0
i will thx. on the bottom of it I also see what to me looks like dark gold and a few lil gemstone looking fragments. I wish I had a better camera so I could get a better photo but ill try different lighting to get better clarity. and I found it where there was an old railroad track that is now a public walkway. it was in the sand about 6 inches down.
 

Upvote 0
Acid test time......
 

Upvote 0
i agree galena, especially if you found it anywhere near Dubuque county,there were a couple of other counties
heavy mining there, and around the mines of spain area

Galena has a distinct metallic-gray luster and a cube-shaped crystal form. It is very heavy and is the principal ore of lead. This mass of crystals is from Dubuque County, where ores were mined for over 300 years from veins in the dolomite bedrock.
[h=3]Minerals of Iowa
http://www.igsb.uiowa.edu/browse/minerals/minerals.htm[/h]
 

Upvote 0
More then likely you found a sample of Galena. An ore of lead. I can only say that's my hunch, but it still could be some other type of metallic item as I only have a photo to go by. In what part of Iowa was it found?
I don't know about other places, but here in PA, there is an old silver mine in Lancaster county where the silver is found in with galena. It is in quartz matrix. I am definitely not a gem expert or anything, however.
Is this true in Iowa? Does anyone know?
 

Upvote 0
I wish I had a better camera so I could get a better photo but ill try different lighting to get better clarity.

Yes, additional lighting is always a good decision. However, the reason for the bad pics may not necessarily be due to the lighting. It might be that your camera is focusing on your fingers and not the nugget. Try taking future pics without holding the item you are trying to photograph.

Photography is my other hobby.

Cheers!
 

Upvote 0
I wish I had a better camera so I could get a better photo but ill try different lighting to get better clarity.

Yes, additional lighting is always a good decision. However, the reason for the bad pics may not necessarily be due to the lighting. It might be that your camera is focusing on your fingers and not the nugget. Try taking future pics without holding the item you are trying to photograph.

Photography is my other hobby.

Cheers!
 

Upvote 0

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top