FINALLY! two firsts GOLD AND COPPER IN ONE DAY!

[jewelerdave]

Ok, I have a metal detector, its an old Whites Gold master II V/sat...about 15 years old.
Problem, I have never found gold with it...until last weekend.

well I finaly decided to do a real search with the thing. Took it slow, and got a very faint signal. So I dug it up.
Copper! a .024 gram or 1/3 grain copper specimen. Cool. I kept looking.
Next I got another copper nugget, and another, the largest found was .45 grams.

Then, I got a very faint signal. Pulled up a rock and out of some mud I see gold!
I look at it and put it away, spend more time looking...no more copper, no more gold. But a great day.

Ok, I know these are not the biggest specimens in the world but I figure I must be doing something right to find them so small.

Do most of you all find little tiny pieces of gold this size or is it mostly larger nuggets? Also, I found them in the top 2 inches, is this common? I figured id have to go deeper but I dont think my machine can cut though this ground.

I dont think there is more than a 1/10th of a gram of gold in the thing, not the most amazing find or much to brag about...but its my first and that makes me happy


forgive the photos, its hard to photo this small, top is copper, bottom is gold

[nuggetshooter323]

Very nice! It's always a plus to find something. It sounds like you have the right technique, you just have to be persistant when nugget hunting and you'll find it eventually. I just got my GMT in July and I love that VSAT control.

[chucktx8]

WTG, Don't give up on that Gold Master, It has produced a lot of gold for me over the years.
I also found my first copper nugget last year in Qsite AZ. I don't think they are easy to find, Or maybe I don't look where there is copper signs. Swing slow swing low. chuck

[jewelerdave]

Right on, slow and low is how I was going, seemed to work, I guess being presistant is the key?

I cleaned my specimens of copper with pickeling acid, Pulled all the green off there and left behind the neat crystalline structures. Then I hit them with an ultrasonic, and WOW neat little specimens.

[El Cooter]

Good job Dave! Finding that stuff means you have it down.





Chris

[nuggetshooter323]

Dave,
Did you get your specimens from the Ibex Mine? The reason why I ask is that's my go-to area for gold. On my vacation in July I spent five straight days on those tailing piles and got some specimens that I still need to get ID'ed. I got some really big chunks of copper also. If your going to go back up there this season, PM me and I'll give you some intel I got from an old timer on which piles were more productive.