Not Gold but an interesting find none the less.

[minersmoss]

Found in river gravel with my metal detector, along the mighty Skagit River. Registered a 38 on my Mine Lab X-Terra 705. My 14kt gold wedding band registers a 30. Was kind of dark when I found it but it shined right up when I rubbed it against my blue jeans. Weighs in at 0.11 oz. Anybody have any ideas as to what it might be ? I should also add that it is NOT magnetic, nor is it soft, I smacked it with a hammer a couple times and it didn't make a flat spot.




UPDATE : Found out that the scale I used to weigh my nugget was not functioning properly. I used a different scale (yes, one that works) and got a weight of 0.42 oz. I thought it felt heavier than 0.11 oz. Sorry for the confusion.

 

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[Fullpan]

Is that natural blue color? or camera stuff... otherwise my guess is platinum

 

[minersmoss]

Has no blue in it at all. Completely metallic, silver in color.

 

[Fullpan]

platinum nugget - Yahoo! Image Search Results

some pics look a LOT like yours

 

[Jeff95531]

Wow! If it is a platinum nugget, any guesses as to it's value?

 

[minersmoss]

Yes they do. Guess I need to seek out a professional in my area that can help with an ID.
Thanks again.

 

[minersmoss]

My area is not really known to harbor Platinum, or Silver, but who knows what the glaciers brought down from Canada

 

[Fullpan]

Wow! If it is a platinum nugget, any guesses as to it's value?

Platinum has recently fallen in price like gold. It is now about 50-75 dollars per ounce higher than gold. Think spot yesterday for plt. was
about $1450.00 Not sayin its plt. but better have an expert look at it.

 

[Alex Burke]

My area is not really known to harbor Platinum, or Silver, but who knows what the glaciers brought down from Canada

They talk about platinum in that exact river here in the last post.
Mindat Mineralogy Messageboard

 

[minersmoss]

Interesting read, news to me wonder why nobody's looking for it ? I cant detect any kind of magnetic properties in my sample?

 

[Oakview2]

For its size, doesn't seem heavy enough for platinum

 

[Alex Burke]

Interesting read, news to me wonder why nobody's looking for it ? I cant detect any kind of magnetic properties in my sample?

People don't usually walk around with a Minelab either lol so they probably miss most of them if that's what it is. It's unusual to find a nugget that size, if ever, that would be a record size for Wa probably lol. I think it's probably lead or some alluminum alloy maybe sorry I can't tell you what it is. Hope it's Pt though that would be awesome! Did you try trying to get that # to pop up again on detector by scanning a crushed can or lead object at home? I think an acid test is best way to test it, probably take it to a jeweler. Good luck, keep us posted on it.

 

[minersmoss]

People don't usually walk around with a Minelab either lol so they probably miss most of them if that's what it is. It's unusual to find a nugget that size, if ever, that would be a record size for Wa probably lol. I think it's probably lead or some alluminum alloy maybe sorry I can't tell you what it is. Hope it's Pt though that would be awesome! Did you try trying to get that # to pop up again on detector by scanning a crushed can or lead object at home? I think an acid test is best way to test it, probably take it to a jeweler. Good luck, keep us posted on it.

If it were lead I think when I was hitting with a hammer it would have made a flat spot in that area also would be able to scratch it with the tip of my jack knife if it were lead

 

[Gold Maven]

found one similar, measured the volume with a graduated cylinder and water, weighed it and calculated the weight/volume.

Turned out to be tin. I always thought tin was an alloy, but it is an element, the wt/vol came out dead on tin, and if I was off a little on volume measurement, it still would easily fall in the non precious metal range.

good luck, post the results.

 

[minersmoss]

For its size, doesn't seem heavy enough for platinum

UPDATE : Found out that the scale I used to weigh my nugget was not functioning properly. I used a different scale (yes, one that works) and got a weight of 0.42 oz. I thought it felt heavier than 0.11 oz. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[minersmoss]

I really doubt that this rock is Platinum lol, like "MeteorMiner" said it would be a record class find for this area and HIGHLY unlikely, which by the way I agree with completely. I will do a specific gravity test and see what I come up with. I'll keep you all posted.
Thanks for all your comments.






Here is a good close up :




Hard to see with the shine, but there appears to be a small bit of white
color, just to the left. When viewed through a magnifier it looks milky
white like Quartz. ?

 

[minersmoss]

Specific gravity test results were a little disappointing turned out to be a 6, if I did it right. Right around the Tin area.

 

[chris rizin]

Have you tried a streak test? If it was lead wouldn't it leave a metallic grey streak?

 

[Alex Burke]

Yes, I vote one more test lol

 

[Fullpan]

I wish NeoTokyo was around, last fall he found a platinum nugget very similar in size and appearance to yours. It was found near Redding Ca. He sold it
for $ 175.00 If you scan back on NeoTokyo's posts, you'll see mention of it. There is also a pic of it along with vials of gold in the "Show me your best finds" thread. That's in the sluicing forum. Try p. 8 Nov. 17 - the nugget is in lower right of pic.