Quartz rocks

[tntrker]

I've still just been sampling around some. I wound up in a creek yesterday with alot of quartz rocks large & small. Should I be busting the rocks to see if they contain a "vein" in them or is there something to look for that would help ID gold in one?

[dave wiseman]

TNT,there wouldn't be a vein in the quartz.Are you finding any rough gold while panning?Any known hard rock gold mines in the area?Check the fine gold in your pan with a loupe/magnifying glass to see if the colors are rough or have minute particles of quartz attached.If so try and find the source on the creek banks/hillsides and go to the next step of sampling the veins.

[tntrker]

Thanks Dave for your time. I guess that may have been a stupid question but I was thinking sometimes the two go hand in hand. No color in the pan yet & no known lode deposits in the area I'm aware of, just old placer mines.

[dave wiseman]

Really not any stupid questions.If there are placer mines in the area the gold had to come from somewhere.As I mentioned in my earlier post,when you do find color check them out carefully.Never heard of glacial gold down that far so the yellow came from somewhere.Perhaps you'll be the one to discover a lode deposit!Are you getting your panning material from on or near bedrock crevices?If you come across any quartz veins,take samples.Don't throw away the quartz in your pan without checking for visable gold.

[Hoser John]

Time for a good quality metal detector to see through them rocks. Prime example was my late great fisher bud Irwin Lee--he parked to relax above Moccasin reservoir offa Hi Way 49 and was looking at the latest road work. He picked up a huge quartz boulder that was pure white brilliant motherlode quartz. When done he acid etched over 3 1/2 lbs of ungodly specimen gold from that hiway junk rock--DETECT-John

[Astrobouncer]

Some of the gold I find here in the upstate has quartz attached to it, but you need a loupe to see it.

[tntrker]

I only had a couple hours of daylight so I was doing some quick sampling of a creek. I hit about 5 differant spots in approx 100 yrds, turning up alot of smaller quarts in each spot, and @ the last one I figured it would be my last so I dug deeper. After pulling up a few larger pieces of quartz it hit me that this creek was full of it and that's what got me to wondering about busting them open. I'll have to wait on the detector. I have the basic tools and a sluice right now. I had figured I wouldn't/couldn't spend anymore right now as not to "freak" the wife out. But all/any findings will be put towards a detector. I was thinking on going to Gold & Gem Grubbin in GA tomorrow (Sat) to play & learn more. Company welcome!

[Doug Watson]

You can always do like I end up doing, and thats to keep bringing good looking pieces of quartz home. I really need a rock crusher because this has really got out of hand, (you should see my buckets) and crushing by hand is way too much work, especially with the way my hand and elbow joints are. Have fun out there. Doug.

[mrs.oroblanco]

There can be gold in quartz.

B