Advice...

[jza01701]

I found a lot of gold ore and I am unlikely to collect it all to process as I live on the opposite coast. It just seems to intensive. I may try crushing smaller amounts. Though, I also found what I believe is a terrace deposit. I am 3000 miles from the site in CA now. I am frightened now that I may have found a big pile of orpiment. Should I be digging around or just leave it when I return. It is located exactly where a terrace deposit would be on most of the diagrams I have found. It looks eerily similar to orpiment. I am color blind. Is there a lot of orpiment near San Francisco? Thanks.

 

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[tinpan250]

Oripment is a sulfide of arsenic,TOXIC, Forms of arsenic are present in the central valley of Cali, most are in the deeper soil and close to the water table, the EPA is trying to make public water providers put in removal systems and if they get their way farmers and household on private wells, which we don't not have economical technology for yet and the current systems are problematic to keep functioning properly. If it is that big a toxin only a Industrial Health Hygienist can tell if if it is safe or the precautions to be around it after viewing the site and testing, Expensive, you may want to walk away as if you actively mine it,you could be responsible for the clean up and that is huge money,likely not worth the values you would recover or the possible consequences to your health. Run Forest Run

 

[aa battery]

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[Clay Diggins]

A large gold deposit near San Francisco? A terrace deposit? Interesting.

Orpiment is found in the California desert. Never heard of a large deposit in California. It's more likely you have found Limonite or one of the other Iron oxides.

Since you have found a large deposit of gold why not spend the $50 to get a fire assay so you can know for sure what you are dealing with is Arsenic Sulphide? It's what miners do when they encounter a potentially valuable mineral deposit.

Heavy Pans

 

[jza01701]

Thanks. The diagram of placer gold shows the exact location I found labelled as a terrace deposit. What I saw with my eyes was a large golden yellow rock formation exposed in a long dried up stream. The pictures of orpiment appear similar. There were not any realgar crystals or any red color. There is rich gold ore at the top of the hill. Does gold ever appear to look green when the whole piece is yellow? I found a lot of malleable yellow rock. The ore was on the surface. Upon digging most of it appeared brown. The outcropping on the terrace appeared to look like gold. It appears yellow from a couple hundred feet away. It is about 500 feet up the side of a hill. Honestly, I found a yellow "terrace" outcropping of rock. I could not break any off with my hand. It had some white quartz type element to the base of the sides. I will not have pictures until July 19th.

 

[jza01701]

Is there orpiment in the Bay Area?

 

[Goldwasher]

 

[jza01701]

So the gold can be part of the rock formation with the arsenic and limonite right....it could be an alluvial deposit....I am new at this.

 

[jza01701]

So many questions...I will post pictures on July 19. I could have found a placer deposit with gold in the other type of rocks like limonite correct?

 

[kcm]

Ok, let's try this again...

jza, please be careful of what pics you post. Lots of folks trolling the net looking for such places, and they'll do everything they can to make your life miserable. No problem with specific pics and such, but try to avoid anything that helps lock down a location using Google Earth.


EDIT: Guess I should explain the "let's try this again" part. When trying to post this yesterday, I went to hit Send and nothing was there - my post somehow vanished. Operator error, I'm sure!

 

[Clay Diggins]

Is there orpiment in the Bay Area?

More importantly are there any public lands open to location in the Bay Area? I think you will find the answer is no.

Heavy Pans

 

[winners58]

lots of conservation and park lands in that area some don't allow rock hounding a lot do but have limits usually 20lb or less or a 5 gallon bucket or two.
same with metal detecting some allow it some don't or in certain areas. each area is different and have different rules,
the ones to use caution with are cinnabar, asbestos, and the ones with arsenic.
just a reminder always be careful of rattlesnakes and stay away from the Indian reservations or pot growing areas.

research is always good California Geological Survey

 

[austin]

If it's orpiment, wear gloves, a mask and don't eat it. If that deposit is big enough you have a "gold" mine that some company will probably buy from you. Orpiment is used in many different things and is profitable...