Another mystery mineral in my pan....

[Ohiogoldfever]

I posted one of these a while back and got some great help narrowing down potentials. I hope some of you guys can help again.

So this is coming from an outside bend. Lots of heavies. These white/gray globs or chunks are very heavy. Relatively soft but not fragile. Requires firm pressure with a blade to split. Some of the heaviest stuff in the pan. Does lead accrue naturally? Sorry no streak test yet.


Strange stuff. Any thoughts?

 

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[DizzyDigger]

Looks to me like naturally occurring lead.

 

[Buckshotnc]

Mercury is heavy but almost like a liquid and mica could be this color and split but not heavy so this is a puzzle. Too small to be lead shot so don't know unless as DD said if lead is a natural occurrence where you're working.

 

[Underburden]

Keep them separated from your clean gold as this looks like mercury contaminated gold to me.

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

Lead is significantly softer than gold.

Looks like fragments of lead to me...but it's hard to tell from a picture.
Should be bright white when scratched or cut.

Means your catching what your supposed to.

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

I was thinking gold with mercury on them also.

 

[arizau]

Native lead metal is "extremely rare" in nature. If you are finding this stuff in Ohio as your handle suggests then it is extremely doubtful that it is amalgam/mercury coated gold IMO. If found in a western state then that could be a different story.
That said IMAUDIGGER is probably correct and the pieces are weathered lead bullet fragments.

 

[tertiaryjim]

Natural silver can form in clusters of needles. Looks sorta like pine needles and they are triangular in shape. The clusters break up leaving the individual curved needles which can have iron staining or if they tangle with some mercury they look silvery. Otherwise they are a dull grey. Fairly hard but also very brittle

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

Rotten automotive batteries make a terrible mess of lead fragments.

 

[No gold in NY]

Native lead metal is "extremely rare" in nature. If you are finding this stuff in Ohio as your handle suggests then it is extremely doubtful that it is amalgam/mercury coated gold IMO. If found in a western state then that could be a different story.
That said IMAUDIGGER is probably correct and the pieces are weathered lead bullet fragments.

Mercury contaminated gold is found in the east too. New Hampshire has it where I prospect.

 

[Ohiogoldfever]

I hadn’t considered the idea of a rotten battery. That’s a good one. This creek is unbelievably full of trash. It’s pretty disappointing really. Decent gold for Ohio, but tons of BS also. I doubt Mercury is an option. At least not in this kinda volume. No Ohio gold rush that I’m aware of.

That rotten battery idea is looking most plausible. I’ll separate some out and get some better info on it in a day or two.

Thanks gents.

 

[Ohiogoldfever]

It melts!!!

It’s a massive amount of lead. That poor, poor water way. Must have been a degraded battery.

Yuck!

Thanks for the input guys!