Is it Silver/Gold??

[BiggusDiggus]

Found this with an AT Gold, solid hit in the 40's...not sure what it is..have other pieces that set the detector off with no visible signs of metal on exterior..smashed with hammer, and 2 interior pieces smooshed together? Could it be Gold or Silver ore?was thinking of trying to crush and melt....or bring for acid test...Any thoughts? HH

 

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[NJnuggetpirate]

Found this with an AT Gold, solid hit in the 40's...not sure what it is..have other pieces that set the detector off with no visible signs of metal on exterior..smashed with hammer, and 2 interior pieces smooshed together? Could it be Gold or Silver ore?was thinking of trying to crush and melt....or bring for acid test...Any thoughts? HH

<img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=831318"/>

Gold should be in the 60 range I thought that's the case for my at pro

 

[Ausgoldhunter]

My AT gold hits in the 40-50 range of most gold targets... Nuggets from .2 - .9 40-45 etc..

 

[NJnuggetpirate]

My AT gold hits in the 40-50 range of most gold targets... Nuggets from .2 - .9 40-45 etc..

Oh okay so maybe it's that case for the pro too

 

[BiggusDiggus]

I tested some known 24k jewelry I have and it hits at a solid 44 on the ATG...hopefully I'll be able to get an acid test kit this week to find out for certain....I was just curious, its a first for me and under the loupe it looks so silver, and is maleable...fingers crossed. HH

 

[NJnuggetpirate]

I tested some known 24k jewelry I have and it hits at a solid 44 on the ATG...hopefully I'll be able to get an acid test kit this week to find out for certain....I was just curious, its a first for me and under the loupe it looks so silver, and is maleable...fingers crossed. HH

Could it be the same for the AT PRO

 

[BiggusDiggus]

I'm not sure, I only have the AT Gold..I think the AT Pro is on a lower frequency than the Gold. So the Gold can pickup sub gram pieces and the Pro will do gram plus...again not sure. Assuming it has to do with the level of impurities and the thickness making the conductivity vary. Also not sure if the Pro/Gold discrimination are the same or if the Pro has a ground balance window and threshold adjustment...

 

[AZADAM]

Well, the picture isn't that great but based on what you have said, and it looks to have tarnished on the non weathered/tumbled areas, I would say it stands a good chance being native silver .

 

[timemachine]

Have you tried a different detector?

 

[meMiner]

I am also thinking native silver.

 

[bfloyd4445]

maybe weighing it may give a clue, gold is heavier than silver. silver is a better conductor than gold so you can use an ohm meter to compare the ohm's of the sample to known silver and gold samples.

 

[Jim Hemmingway]

Hi BiggusDiggus… a silver sample’s benchtest target ID results from its physical / chemical make-up. Silver purity, types of mineral inclusions, structure, size, and shape are the primary factors that impact target ID. Generally naturally occurring gold and silver pretty much share the same target ID range.

Even very minor inclusions of other minerals will degrade silver’s electrical conductivity to a far greater degree than their compositional percentage would seem to indicate. The bulk of silver ores found by hobbyists are low conductives that target ID from low foil to mid-pulltab range. Nearly all natural silver in this area does not exceed the silver dime range, exceptions are extremely rare. So one can see that target ID readouts have little or no value when attempting to distinguish natural silver from other similarly conductive metals.

Your sample does look like naturally occurring tarnished silver, but that doesn't mean it is. Do a quick streak test on the specimen by running it across a piece of unglazed porcelain. Unfinished bottoms of coffee mugs will work fine for this test. Silver produces a silver-white metallic streak, whereas other silvery / white sulfides will not give a similar streak… normally these are dark brown to black… but not silvery / white.

Next check the malleability by seeing if the metal can be indented with a sharp instrument such as a butterknife. You’ve noted above that this is the case. Similar appearance sulfides will crumble with enough pressure, but in any case they will not be malleable.

Silver hardness = 2 to 2½ generally. Platinum for example, is harder at 4 to 4½, much heavier, and insoluble in nitric acid. Native silver will dissolve in nitric acid, producing an insoluble, curdled silver chloride precipitate with HCl addition. No other white malleable metal that is soluble in nitric acid is ever likely to be encountered in a prospecting context.

Finally, check the hardness of the light-hued host rock to determine if a calcite or carbonate composition is suggested, the hardness should reside right around 3ish. Silver up here is nearly always associated to some extent with these minerals.

Of course it would also be useful to know if this specimen was detected in a known silver-producing area. Hope these suggestions are helpful.

Jim.

 

[californiagold]

I never found native silver. But ive found lots of native pocket gold. Some has been right where a pocket was born. And once in a while, some looks silvery. Along with pieces that are brilliant gold. Also some crystaline gold I found a few times looks alittle silvery.
I have a friend that only detects for old coins, he told me somethin once about getting a piece of aluminum foil and spit into it with what ever you think is silver. Then wrap up the spit and the suspected silver. Then wait a few minutes. Then open. He said if it is silver, it will smell like sulphur or rotten eggs. Not sure if this is true. And it might only work on coins. Maybe someone can verify this.
Also maybe you can show a couple more pics to see it better from other angles.
Good luck!

 

[Featherdfishead]

Noticed the original thread was from 2013 but looks like mercury coated gold i've seen in the past, especially if it hits in the 40's on the AtGold - Calgolds an experienced man so mabye its the silver type gold he's found. Jims outlined ya on the proper way to test a specimen so i'd start their.

Good Luck
AjR

 

[meMiner]

Biggus - I got one very similar in look to your picture when panning in northern BC last month. It sure looked like a dirty small pea size nugget. I put it into muriatic acid to see if it would clean up and all that is left is a silvery coloured nugget that no longer makes my Gold Bug make a sound. A similar piece of gold, platinum or silver makes it boing loudly. So, I am baffled.

 

[arizau]

Biggus - I got one very similar in look to your picture when panning in northern BC last month. It sure looked like a dirty small pea size nugget. I put it into muriatic acid to see if it would clean up and all that is left is a silvery coloured nugget that no longer makes my Gold Bug make a sound. A similar piece of gold, platinum or silver makes it boing loudly. So, I am baffled.

I would try a scratch test. The coloration of the residue should give some indication of what it is.