Are these flakes pyrite or gold?

[High Etiquette 009]

Was working a river today and found a highly concentrated area of what appears to be gold. After some research, I still wasn't able to determine if this is actually gold or pyrite (fools gold).

Any suggestions from the pros would be great.

The first photo is a collection of the flakes in a clear plastic cup from the top angle.

 

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[Aufisher]

Pyrite

 

[dredgernaut]

does it smash flat with a hammer or does it explode into pieces , gold will smash , pyrite blows , lol

 

[High Etiquette 009]

Pyrite

How can you tell it's pyrite?

Also, when I pinch it between my fingers it will smear into little gold flakes

 

[dredgernaut]

gold does not smear , gold is solid , pyrite comes apart , pic looks not yellow enough , and wrong shine to it ,

 

[winners58]

looks like Mica, take a knife try to split it with the grain
pyrite is crystalline, Mica it flaky

 

[et1955]

Just block the light going to it, if it is still bright it's gold but if it goes dark not, winner58 is right, mica, at least on the first pic.

 

[old digger]

What you have there is Mica.

 

[Goldfleks]

If it smears into flakes it's def Mica

 

[Hunt4gold]

Was working a river today and found a highly concentrated area of what appears to be gold. After some research, I still wasn't able to determine if this is actually gold or pyrite (fools gold).

Any suggestions from the pros would be great.

The first photo is a collection of the flakes in a clear plastic cup from the top angle.

Here is your photo of mica with some of my gold flakes inserted over it. The colors and textures are quite different. The tests others suggested above are good physical tested to differentiate the two.


If you have a magnifying loupe, you will see that mica has closely spaced flat planes that can be separated into thin "sheets." Close up image of gold flakes/nuggets will show pitting, folds, rounded shapes from the smoothing effects of being transported in a stream.

 

[Jeff95531]

Take it from a pro on fools gold. Yours is. California has some of the finest!

 

[pcampbell]

Unfortunately the color is not yellow enough to be gold. As others have said it looks like mica.

 

[enamel7]

Not to beat a dead horse, but it's mica. Gold is golden in the light. So is mica. Put it in the shade and gold stays golden. And like the others said, gold doesn't smear, but mica does.

 

[therobertsmith]

It says you are from Charlotte? I am in Gastonia. Which river were you in? I have a creek behind my house and the south fork in front. I am always looking for a new spot.

 

[Lanny in AB]

As others have said, and from personal experience, mica gets the heart pumpin' when you're just starting to chase the gold, but it breaks up easily and floats off easily in little bits and pieces once you break it up as well.

It's good you asked your question, as it's a puzzler when you first find it. I think everyone that was just starting out has run into it in their pan and questioned what it really was.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[lawrencesal]

Was working a river today and found a highly concentrated area of what appears to be gold. After some research, I still wasn't able to determine if this is actually gold or pyrite (fools gold).

Any suggestions from the pros would be great.

The first photo is a collection of the flakes in a clear plastic cup from the top angle.

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View attachment 1414162

Hi, it is very confusing when you're out there and you see it up close, but i wanted to also share what i found in a small bag of play sand, not sure either if it is mica, or gold any help would be appreciated

 

[Assembler]

Hi, it is very confusing when you're out there and you see it up close, but i wanted to also share what i found in a small bag of play sand, not sure either if it is mica, or gold any help would be appreciated

Try smashing with a small hammer. If it flattens out likely gold. If it shatters likely mica or fools gold. Hard to tell in the photo.

 

[lawrencesal]

Try smashing with a small hammer. If it flattens out likely gold. If it shatters likely mica or fools gold. Hard to tell in the photo.

thank you i will try

 

[lawrencesal]

thank you i will try

hi, did hammer test , i hit very hard twice, first time stuck to hammer just flat second time just flat so it is pretty good sign of gold

 

[Assembler]

hi, did hammer test , i hit very hard twice, first time stuck to hammer just flat second time just flat so it is pretty good sign of gold

Congratulations you can add this to your gold vile jar now and tell everyone you found some nice gold flakes.

Gold can be hammered out very thin as in leaf gold etc.