valuation of a ore rock platinum group

[Nesslilli48]

Hi everybody,
I recently have found a rock containing the platinum group metals. My question is how to get a valuation of the rock and who does this kind of work. The rock has been assayed already. The the slow cleaning process is yielding good results so far. Thank you in advance.

 

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[southfork]

Hi everybody,
I recently have found a rock containing the platinum group metals. My question is how to get a valuation of the rock and who does this kind of work. The rock has been assayed already. The the slow cleaning process is yielding good results so far. Thank you in advance.

So, post the assay report and then maybe someone can tell you what your rock is worth.

 

[smokeythecat]

Yes, with the report we can value it. Without the report, it won't work.

 

[Nesslilli48]

I will post tonight

 

[Nesslilli48]

Here"s the report. I will have another report done on the inner body of the metal areas . the report posted is from the bottom of the rock and has since broke off i will post some more pictures shortly to show both pieces . they are most distinctly different .The rock is made up of millions of very small balls of metal . the black stuff coming off is very very tough. the rock weights 31.6 lbs

 

[Nesslilli48]

The actual in person color of the rock is silver gray with a ting of gold . buffs to a high shine but always reverts to a pale shiny gray. Here's some more pictures from the start. the rock was baked in the oven for 2 hours at 500 degrees to try and loosen up the black stuff. It didnt help

 

[Nesslilli48]

The shots in the oven is when it was 500 degrees.

 

[JohnWhite]

It’s time to sell the farm and get you some mining equipment…

Ed T🤪

 

[Nesslilli48]

I am on that track

 

[JohnWhite]

I’m just curious…Is this the first assay you have ever had performed on hard rock ore

Ed T

 

[JohnWhite]

I was rather naive when I took in some ore which should have assayed at more than 40 ozs of gold per ton…And the assayer kept the delicate wire specimens and told me there was 1.3 ozs of gold per ton…

I never sold the farm…Nor has anyone ever found where said ore came from…

If you believe you have something worthwhile…Trust no one and start doing lots and lots of reading and research…

Just my 2 cents…

Ed T✌️

 

[Nesslilli48]

I’m just curious…Is this the first assay you have ever had performed on hard rock ore

Ed T

Yes

 

[JohnWhite]

I wish you all the best…

There is an old saying…I have modified it a bit…It is where you find IT…Whatever the IT may be…

Ed T

 

[Mountaineer2020]

Beautiful rock! Based on the assay not worth much but that's just looking at precious metal values. I'd be curious what the composition of it is by xrf spectral analysis. Obviously quite a bit of other metals in it. Careful with the oven is vented good! Wouldn't want mercury vapors or sulfur to be wafting around the house. Could try to get a specific gravity off it and rough guess what the primary composition is. Wonder if it could be from a lightning strike or meteorite? Best of luck!

 

[Nesslilli48]

Beautiful rock! Based on the assay not worth much but that's just looking at precious metal values. I'd be curious what the composition of it is by xrf spectral analysis. Obviously quite a bit of other metals in it. Careful with the oven is vented good! Wouldn't want mercury vapors or sulfur to be wafting around the house. Could try to get a specific gravity off it and rough guess what the primary composition is. Wonder if it could be from a lightning strike or meteorite? Best of luck!

The specific gravity is between 14 and 15 done with the water displacement method.
Yes i would like to have a xrf analysis done also but I don't know anybody with one.

 

[pepperj]

Here"s the report. I will have another report done on the inner body of the metal areas . the report posted is from the bottom of the rock and has since broke off i will post some more pictures shortly to show both pieces . they are most distinctly different .The rock is made up of millions of very small balls of metal . the black stuff coming off is very very tough. the rock weights 31.6 lbs

The assay report states that every thing is based on a ton (2000 lbs)
So you have the weight values under each mineral tested.
So your rock weighs 31.6 lbs.
I must be missing something here, or does the OP still live on the farm?

 

[Mountaineer2020]

The specific gravity is between 14 and 15 done with the water displacement method.
Yes i would like to have a xrf analysis done also but I don't know anybody with one.

Wow heavy stuff. Heavier than any ore so it must be nearly pure metals of some type. Lead is about 12 so it's denser than that which opens up possibilities in the radioactive spectrum. Curiousity is killing me. Reed Laboratories does a 56 element xrf analysis but you have to send in a 60 gram sample if I remember right. It's also costly $75.. Maybe with the specific gravity, and a streak test and the hardness you could identify it. Streak test just need to see what kind of mark that makes on a white ceramic tile. Hardness try scratching it with fingernail, penny, nail and a piece of quartz. https://www.wikihow.com/Test-Hardness-of-a-Mineral With those 3 pieces might be able to identify what the majority of that piece is.

 

[Clay Diggins]

Streak, hardness and specific gravity tests only work on minerals. Those tests will not identify a rock. Clearly, from the assay and the appearance this is a rock - not a mineral. Those tests won't reveal what kind of rock you have.

An XRF only tests the surface of the rock. It might reveal more elements than the fire assay but it won't tell you the composition of the whole rock only the very small surface area tested. The fire assay is the most accurate and reliable way to determine the percentage of precious metals in your sample.

If you want to know what the rock is you will need to study the geology, mineralogy and stratigraphy of the immediate area it was found. That will also give you some clues as to whether the area is worth mining for it's mineral values. One rock doesn't make a mine or and it appears from your assay that it wouldn't be profitable to process that one rock for it's precious metals. You are going to have to find a lot more rocks of equal or greater value to see a profit.

I'm inclined to think this "rock" may be smelter slag. The density, composition and layered appearance do point to a man made object.

Heavy Pans

 

[Nesslilli48]

Wow heavy stuff. Heavier than any ore so it must be nearly pure metals of some type. Lead is about 12 so it's denser than that which opens up possibilities in the radioactive spectrum. Curiousity is killing me. Reed Laboratories does a 56 element xrf analysis but you have to send in a 60 gram sample if I remember right. It's also costly $75.. Maybe with the specific gravity, and a streak test and the hardness you could identify it. Streak test just need to see what kind of mark that makes on a white ceramic tile. Hardness try scratching it with fingernail, penny, nail and a piece of quartz. https://www.wikihow.com/Test-Hardness-of-a-Mineral With those 3 pieces might be able to identify what the majority of that piece is.

Thank you . i will check reed's out . 75 is worth it i am going to try and get the sample from the middle area. i hope its not radioactive

Streak, hardness and specific gravity tests only work on minerals. Those tests will not identify a rock. Clearly, from the assay and the appearance this is a rock - not a mineral. Those tests won't reveal what kind of rock you have.

An XRF only tests the surface of the rock. It might reveal more elements than the fire assay but it won't tell you the composition of the whole rock only the very small surface area tested. The fire assay is the most accurate and reliable way to determine the percentage of precious metals in your sample.

If you want to know what the rock is you will need to study the geology, mineralogy and stratigraphy of the immediate area it was found. That will also give you some clues as to whether the area is worth mining for it's mineral values. One rock doesn't make a mine or and it appears from your assay that it wouldn't be profitable to process that one rock for it's precious metals. You are going to have to find a lot more rocks of equal or greater value to see a profit.

I'm inclined to think this "rock" may be smelter slag. The density, composition and layered appearance do point to a man made object.

Heavy Pans

i am in Minnesota this rock and others i have found are from farmers fields. these rocks have been piled up over the years . mostly i find silver ore rocks these rocks were deposited from the glaciers years ago, when i found this one i picked it for its weight to size ratio. it was completely encased in old seabed then i dropped it in a can of muriatic acid which dissolves the old seabed which is comprised of old microscopic seashells and silty sand. so the old uneducated guess slag isn't even close. my rock man says its metamorphic rock . as sedimentary rock replaced with molten what ever he also thought it may be a skarn

 

[Nesslilli48]

Thank you . i will check reed's out . 75 is worth it i am going to try and get the sample from the middle area. i hope its not radioactive

i am in Minnesota this rock and others i have found are from farmers fields. these rocks have been piled up over the years . mostly i find silver ore rocks these rocks were deposited from the glaciers years ago, when i found this one i picked it for its weight to size ratio. it was completely encased in old seabed then i dropped it in a can of muriatic acid which dissolves the old seabed which is comprised of old microscopic seashells and silty sand. so the old uneducated guess slag isn't even close. my rock man says its metamorphic rock . as sedimentary rock replaced with molten what ever he also thought it may be a skarn