Now!!!! How do i get the gold out of it :/

[joesdigs]

Nice lump of quartz with iron ore pyrite and microscopic gold I've found a mountain of it

 

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[Reed Lukens]

mortar & pestile time

 

[LP13]

Chemistry time. Some people suggest mercury but since it's been put in the same classification as pedophiles and gun owners, I suggest getting together with someone knowledgable on the use of aqua regia and have them show you how to use that process. I have had great success with it getting ALL the gold out of my high-graded concentrated black sands and crushed ore samples. Going to have to get one of those little impact mills. I saw a nice one for around $300 or for a SMALL mountain you might get one of these.

Gold Ore Impact Flail Processing Rock Quartz Crush Mill - Gold-Mill.com

Aqua regia has some hazards that are not to be taken lightly. But once you are familiar with the dangers of it, it is a simple process, can easily be done safely if done properly, and not so expensive. But really, get a hands on intro to it and don't just try to glean how to do it from internet sites. Lots of dangerous misinformation there. Personally I would like to get a good step-by-step 'how to' using iodine, as it would be one of the safest processes to leach gold, but so far I have not found one. There are a few on the internet but they always leave out some important aspect of it, and when followed, the leach does not work. So I have stuck to the aqua regia. I have used it on multiple occassions now with excellent results, and am very comfortable using it. Just remember the 3 S's when using it. Safety. Safety. Safety. Good to have a 5 gallon bucket of water with tons of baking soda in it handy too. And put the whole kit-n-kaboodle in some large plastic tub or something in case of a spill. I put mine in a kids wading pool.

 

[joesdigs]

Hey LP thank you for that info... I will get a look into it tonight. Seems like exactly what I need... Can't see many people here in Ireland being familiar with that aqua stuff but I'll check around.. But I don't want attention to my
Gold as the state will want it for themselves. Maybe we could chat about how it is used and the precautions... If that's ok you can private message me .. Joe

 

[Goodyguy]

You could also build your own crusher. http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/gold-prospecting/188969-portable-rock-crusher.html

 

[joesdigs]

Hey Good guy... Yes I am going to have to crush these rocks/ores anyway as the gold is microscopic. Each particle in this mound I've found is about 1/8 the width of a human hair. So it's going to take a chemical after crushing. I have access to a commercial kiln and this may be the best route after crushing to extremely fine dust. But I'm not sure on the exact process... I know the gold sounds small but that rock in my hand has 1/4 of sn ounce of gold in it

 

[Goodyguy]

Hey Good guy... Yes I am going to have to crush these rocks/ores anyway as the gold is microscopic. Each particle in this mound I've found is about 1/8 the width of a human hair. So it's going to take a chemical after crushing. I have access to a commercial kiln and this may be the best route after crushing to extremely fine dust. But I'm not sure on the exact process... I know the gold sounds small but that rock in my hand has 1/4 of sn ounce of gold in it

It's amazing how easy a hand operated crusher will turn even the hardest stone into powder. The ramrod is the key. Keep the head (business end) of the ram rod down to no more than a 3 inch diameter. larger diameter heads require a lot more physical effort due to spreading out the impact over a greater area. For best results the rod also needs to be around 4-5 feet long and weigh around 15-20 lbs. to make crushing easier.

Once you sell a few ounces get a powered crusher and save time and energy.

GG~

 

[LP13]

Smelting would be my second choice. Acess to a ceramic kiln and buying a good crucible is all you really need there and some very simple chemicals like washing soda, borax, stuff like that. With the right flux you end up with 99.9% of all your gold recovered (guessed on the % actually). I have not yet smelted any gold yet, but I intend to. Have the chemicals, just have to buy a kiln. If you use the aqua regia process you end up with a red powder that needs to be melted down to make it look gold again. I use an oxy-acetylene torch. Kiln would work too. So if you have access to a kiln, perhaps your best choice might be to smelt it. There are plenty of how-to's on the internet on smelting, and compared to acid, a lot less dangerous. So you may want to consider this option. - Once you have it crushed to powder of course ...

 

[joesdigs]

I think I'll
Try the kiln first... For safety reasons... But I'll still research the chemical and see what it is.... Either way I'm getting gold out of this mountain... Lol

 

[Goodyguy]

Here is a good source for everything you need: www.makeyourowngoldbars.com

 

[Reed Lukens]

If you put the quartz into a kiln it will explode. I wasn't kidding when i said the mortar and pestle. For a couple of small rocks like that this is the best way. I made a rock crusher that the one in the movie many years ago & it works fine but no better than a good mortar & pestle. Then pan out the gold afterwards. For leaching or other formulas you should read through Kens site > Basement Chemistry for the Prospector

 

[joesdigs]

Will it explode as powder?

 

[LP13]

Just in case it was missed, I did say - "So you may want to consider this option. - Once you have it crushed to powder of course ... "

 

[Reed Lukens]

There's no need to put the quartz into the kiln, it pans off quick & easy. Will it explode as a powder? Well it will snap, crackle & pop just like the cereal. I'll make a movie on this soon enough, I have a jaw crusher and work quartz quite a bit. There's just no reason to put the quartz into the kiln or anything because it pans right off leaving the heavies. First you need to see exactly how much gold is there in those rocks before you spend a bunch of money on equipment. This is gold ore >

 

[joesdigs]

I don't intend spending a load of money on anything.... But as I stated earlier the gold is microscopic.. Thinner than a human hair .. But an awful lot of it. So panning is not an option.

 

[TerryC]

You could also build your own crusher. http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/gold-prospecting/188969-portable-rock-crusher.html

Hey GG! I haven't watched your video reference but I KNOW who it will be! Ha ha! Tnx again for the pat on the back. Do you think we got another convert? TTC

 

[Reed Lukens]

Yea, LP13 has the best answer with the aqua regia for micron gold. Do you have an actual micron size of the particles? I've used mercury as well but only because the gold was already covered in it from the hydraulic pits here. Check out Kens site, I think he has the aqua regia process on there also. Depending on the laws there, honestly, if charged mercury is an available option for a small sample test, then that would be the second but perhaps easier choice though still no comparison to the aqua regia. An awful lot of micron gold means an awful lot of crushing, so first you need a good crusher, then I would still have to test pan it just because the gold still sinks

 

[LP13]

Hey joesdigs - I will bet there are a lot more people familiar with what aqua regia is and how to make it and use it properly (safely) than you might think. Some good sources of instruction on it might be a chemistry teacher or professor and people who do assay work. Aqua Regia is simply a combination of two common acids, but be aware before you go running out and trying to do this that the acid produces toxic red fumes that remain toxic for a short time (oxidizes in air quickly), so this needs to be done under a fume hood or outdoors away from the house, your car or lawn mower, etc. The fumes from the acid will rapidly corrode even stainless steel (in seconds). Basically you have acid burn aspect of using it if you spill it on yourself, toxic fumes that need to be avoided and the corrosive properties of the fumes. And this is why I am not giving any details on the HOW-TO. But anyone with a reasonable level of intelligence and responsibility can safely use the stuff. I simply caution you about following online instructions due to the fact that no one will be there with you if you screw up the first time and you don't know what to do ... you spilled acid on yourself and it's eating your flesh off ... oh hey ... I'll run to the computer and check online what to do ... right? With someone with experience demonstrating the process for you first hand or standing there directing you as you do it yourself for the first time, there is a lot more information there than can be written down and shared on a website. That's how I learned. A geologist friend of mine stood by and instructed me the first time. You will also need the right equipment, although inexpensive and easily obtained, you unlikely have. Sorry for the long-winded post ... I'm good at that!

 

[joesdigs]

Great info guys... I'll try finding someone that can show me the process and how to carry it out safely.

 

[Goodyguy]

Hey GG! I haven't watched your video reference but I KNOW who it will be! Ha ha! Tnx again for the pat on the back. Do you think we got another convert? TTC

As Reed stated you will still need a good mortar and pestal once you get the ore crushed down to size.
The mask is also very important to keep the dangerous particulate out of your respiratory system.

I use the carbon filter types as sold by Harbor Freight. Quartz is the number one polymorph of silica. See: silicosis