Inside a Quartz vein

[Goldspeed]

Hello everyone! Just wanted to share a picture of this Quartz vein I've been working. I'm in Lancaster South Carolina. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated!

 

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[Underburden]

Suggest you purchase a 10X loupe so that you can get an up close view. That's how I'd look at it if you handed me that rock.

 

[Goldspeed]

I do have a 10x loud this is actually a Quartz vein I. The side of a steep hill and you can see the crevice so it's a bit difficult to get in there. I'm trying to remove some to get deeper in the crevice. I've broken some off and there are pyrite cubes all along the contact line. Much of it is eroded. I'm still learning and my thoughts are it's mica and or pyrite. The haile gold mine isn't terribly far from me and they are pulling out millions of ounces. All very fine gold. Most encased in the pyrite. They've also ate finding molybdenite and electrum.

 

[Goldspeed]

Excuse my grammar. Auto correct isn't very correct.

 

[huntsman53]

Excuse my grammar. Auto correct isn't very correct.

When signed in, you can go back and edit your posts to correct any grammar mistakes made by auto correct.


Frank

 

[huntsman53]

I would suggest crushing and panning out everything you can. The Quartz vein looks great and more than likely contains Gold.


Frank

 

[Twobrothers]

Looks like you're heading in the right direction. Sounds like the locale and the material and the history are coming together. Gold is where you find it and where you find it is where it is. I would sure be digging deeper if I were there. Be nice if you could take magnified pictures of that quartz vein, especially along anything shiny. Is this the only surface outcrop of the vein? If so I would keep hacking along the quartz vein and the contact with the country rock. If you can trace the vein along he surface give it all a thorough examination. If you have a metal detector run it along the surface outcrop of the vein and see if there are any hotspots. Remember gold is dynamic. The geological, chemical, and even bacterial cycles that form gold are still very much alive http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/gold-prospecting/546474-natural-physical-chemical-biological-processes-gold-formation.html Even if this was mined or high graded years ago new deposits precipitate, are exposed, unlocked out of sulfide matricies as the sulfides decompose. Deposits that were un-economic for the old timers may be todays bonanza ore. Seek and you shall find. An assay is great when you find material that gets you excited enough to drop 50$ to know for sure.

 

[Twobrothers]

All very fine gold. Most encased in the pyrite. They've also ate finding molybdenite and electrum.

Closer to the surface where the pyrites are exposed to water, sunlight, oxygen and bacteria those sulfides will decompose leaving behind the insolubles (gold silver). Natural processes will reconcentrate the fine stuff into nuggets but generally that takes place in alluvial environments (creek beds streams ect). It may be a good idea to check any nearby drainages, creeks or streams downhill form the surface showings and do some sample panning. Electrum is a good sign. Gold and silver there.

 

[Goldspeed]

Thanks a bunch! That's a lot of motivation and information! There are at least three exposed Quartz veins I've found. This one is about two feet wide and I honestly don't know how deep it goes it's pretty massive. There is also a couple of trees with rockpiles all around them. I'll get out this weekend and take more pictures and try to get some good close ups.

 

[Twobrothers]

There are at least three exposed Quartz veins I've found. This one is about two feet wide and I honestly don't know how deep it goes it's pretty massive. There is also a couple of trees with rockpiles all around them. I'll get out this weekend and take more pictures and try to get some good close ups.

You're on to something for sure. Sounds like some fun keep us posted!

 

[dave wiseman]

Not trying to be a spoil sport but just because one finds fine gold or even species in a vein it dosen't mean that the veins/or veins contain payable material.It's only ore if it's economical to extract and process it.But then again any gold found in a quartz vein is worth following.The gold goes in and out in a vein if it's there at all.Paystreals,lean,fines,species, pockets,barren, etc etc..or in any combination of the above.As far as a mine being close to your point of interest,that may or not have a bearing on your deal.If it's on the same lead or in the same zone of mineralization it may be good.What's good in one spot may have no bearing on a spot thirty feet away,or it may.

 

[Hoser John]

Try to chisel out as big as possible slabs chunks whatever for better analysis. Insitu always much easier to id as sure looks very interesting to me.John

 

[Goldspeed]

 

[Goldspeed]

a few pictures from the Quartz vein this weekend.

 

[Bejay]

Gold vs Pyrite...that is the question. You should be able to crush the rock and pan it.....and if that is gold it will be in your pan. You might try to scratch it with a dental tool and if pliable it is gold....if it chalks and turns to powder/dust it is pyrite. Easy peasy!

Bejay

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

Quartz is very common. I have found numerous massive quartz veins that run for miles through gold country.
The quartz contains gold, but it's not ore.

Be careful - those old timers were smart enough to spend the time to cut timbers and shore up their working tunnels.
Yours may have had timbers that were later salvaged for another project.

 

[bc5391]

You have 1 piece that looks promising, do as Bejay suggests. Its best to sample at least a bucket full, a lot of work to do with a hand crusher, but may be worth the effort, iron stains and pockets in quartz are good signs.

 

[Twobrothers]

Sweet! Looks a lot like some of the material in my neck of the woods. Finely layered quartz with lots of oxidizing pyrites in the layers. Had an assay done on a low-medium visually qualitatively 'exciting' piece and it did have gold in it (about a gram per ton). Now I am trying to pinpoint if the gold is indeed the shiny material I am looking at or if the gold is traveling as invisible particles in the oxidized pyrites... Fun time getting out in the field and breaking off rocks. It never gets old seeing something that's never been seen by any other human.
View attachment 1474395 View attachment 1474396

 

[Goldspeed]

That's some mighty fine material you have there. I'd like to have some of the material I've found assayed.