HELP is this gold?

THGold

Newbie
Jun 20, 2015
3
2
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I have been using a highbaker next to my creek in Georgia. After taking a bucket of cons home I bought a blue wheel to help process. There is lots and lots of black sand but no gold in the cup. When I put the cons in a pan and move it around I see tons of small flakes that stick out and look like gold. But is it gold??? image.jpg image.jpg
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The Gilded Lens

Sr. Member
Oct 13, 2014
476
815
The Sierra Nevadas
Detector(s) used
Garrett 14" Pan, Garrett 15" Super Sluice Pan, Bazooka 36" Sniper,
Hand Dredge
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Sorry, I don't see any gold. Keep panning down to the heaviest of heavies. Get rid of those light colored rocks until you only have black sand. Then you will have a better idea if there is any gold in there.
 

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THGold

Newbie
Jun 20, 2015
3
2
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
The small flat pieces that look goldish seem to smear when moved between two fingers? What is it?!
 

The Gilded Lens

Sr. Member
Oct 13, 2014
476
815
The Sierra Nevadas
Detector(s) used
Garrett 14" Pan, Garrett 15" Super Sluice Pan, Bazooka 36" Sniper,
Hand Dredge
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
The small flat pieces that look goldish seem to smear when moved between two fingers? What is it?!

Most likely mica. Do they glitter in the sun but turn brownish/black in the shade?
 

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OP
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THGold

Newbie
Jun 20, 2015
3
2
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
That's exactly what it does.. Shines bright gold in the sun then turns a dark color.. I def have tons and tons of mica!!! I'm going to dig on bedrock in the creek tomorrow and retry..
 

Hoser John

Gold Member
Mar 22, 2003
5,854
6,721
Redding,Calif.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Simply get a magnet and a knife-if it sticks to the magnet 99% of the time it's not gold. When pressed with a knife blade does it crack, crumble or goes crunch?? Not gold and ez as pie to tell-John
 

yodi

Full Member
Mar 24, 2015
172
93
NE Washington
Detector(s) used
Whites Coin Master / Garret Ace 250
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
I don't see any visible gold but it can be hard to see fine gold in pics
 

1637

Bronze Member
May 26, 2011
1,774
2,421
tujunga ca
Detector(s) used
xlt mxt gmz and now a gmt whites
buy 20 dollars of gold mix it with some gold,then pan.once you see gold in the pan you will always know what you are looking for.
good luck brad
 

bobw53

Hero Member
Oct 23, 2014
522
1,132
Hatch, New Mexico
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
buy 20 dollars of gold mix it with some gold,then pan.once you see gold in the pan you will always know what you are looking for.
good luck brad

1/10th of gram on e-bay is about $7... Doesn't sound like much gold, but its far more than enough to show you what it looks like, and how it behaves.

And, yes, once you see it, you will always know it. It doesn't change color, it doesn't shimmer, it doesn't twinkle, it just sits there, all by itself, because all the
other crap is at the other side of the pan... If its in the middle of a bunch of regular old rocks in your pan, its not gold... Gold is about 6 times as dense as
those regular old rocks... Those rocks will wash right away, and that gold will sit there... If you have to pan "careful" to keep the gold in the pan, its not
gold, let it go...

When I was green, and I'm not far off of that now, seeing real gold in my pan saved me a lot of time... Knowing how it looked and knowing how it behaved....
I wasn't wasting time trying to keep the pyrite and the mica in the pan... You can be a really unskilled, ham fisted monkey panner and still retain a large
amount of the gold (as long as you don't turn the pan upside down)... Technique and skill will get you the rest of the way..
 

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