Colorado "ore" Bust

[AnnaMountain]

Hey y'all - thought I would officially join after lurking the last couple months reading through all the good nuggets in here! What a great forum and great group of people to be in the woods with...

I own a patented mine out here in the high country of Colorado - didn't buy it for the gold - bought it for the beauty! But alas, the gold came calling and I couldn't just let'r sit there lookin' pretty...and...that's where all of our stories begin

Thought I'd share some pics of what our ore looks like out here...each location is unique - so a good one for the catalog.

Cheers and hope you all are enjoying some hunting through the snow this winter!

 

[Barton]

As I recall from when I studied fire assaying--visible free milling gold--implies your samples are running over 100 ounces to the ton.

I like your samples, Barton

 

[Clay Diggins]

Interesting samples. Was your patent a gold mine? Have you assayed any of the ore?

Heavy Pans

 

[AnnaMountain]

As I recall from when I studied fire assaying--visible free milling gold--implies your samples are running over 100 ounces to the ton.

I like your samples, Barton

Excellent assumption m8!

 

[AnnaMountain]

Interesting samples. Was your patent a gold mine? Have you assayed any of the ore?

Heavy Pans

Yep, it was/is a gold mine - and yes, I have several assays spanning lots of years

 

[AnnaMountain]

Couple more for your "before Monday hits" viewing pleasure:

 

[rockbar]

Thanks for sharing! I love prowling Colorado's high country for high grade. Usually bring a few buckets home every Summer.

Ok, you did get some assays. Well, what did those run if you can tell us?

Over 100 oz/t "macroscopic" free milling gold ore would be rare to find and would show gobs of color if crushed and panned... and when cut with a lapidary saw, you would see heavy gold concentrations which reflect like a bright yellow mirror in the sunlight.

Have fun!

After watching excellent new Period Six video on free mill gold, I had to add the word macroscopic as that is what I mean when referring to free milling gold.

 

[Clay Diggins]

Yep, it was/is a gold mine - and yes, I have several assays spanning lots of years

Is this the material from Creede? Around the area of the Commodore? Your specimens look like the Sphalerite/Pyrite/Galena ore found in that region.

Old assays don't mean much now but they are a good look into what used to be in the mine. If you ever choose to have your samples fire assayed it would be interesting to know the results.

Thanks for sharing.

Heavy Pans

 

[AnnaMountain]

Thanks for sharing! I love prowling Colorado's high country for high grade. Usually bring a few buckets home every Summer.

Ok, you did get some assays. Well, what did those run if you can tell us?

Over 100 oz/t free milling gold ore would be rare to find and would show gobs of color if crushed and panned... and when cut with a lapidary saw, you would see heavy gold concentrations which reflect like a bright yellow mirror in the sunlight.

Have fun!

My last assay was in 2007 and was in the 30oz+ range, high enough the assayer was a bit aghast at the findings. I need to send in for another as my garage has gotten quite a bit more packed with samples since then The area I’m in is INCREDIBLY mineralized and crushing/panning is interesting...especially with Coloradoite in the mix, and lots of it. I end up having to roast most everything before I can truly separate it from the pan, and even then oftentimes it’s the paper and blow lightly trick. Anybody ever had the pleasure of panning with lots of Coloradoite in the area?

 

[AnnaMountain]

Is this the material from Creede? Around the area of the Commodore? Your specimens look like the Sphalerite/Pyrite/Galena ore found in that region.

Old assays don't mean much now but they are a good look into what used to be in the mine. If you ever choose to have your samples fire assayed it would be interesting to know the results.

Thanks for sharing.

Heavy Pans

Sounds like you’re farther south and west from me - had to look up Creede as I’d forgotten where it was

Definitely lots of Sphalerite/Pyrite/Galena - in my particular mine at one point they found a 40 1/2 foot wide vein of pyrite between walls of granite.

 

[SaltwaterServr]

As I recall from when I studied fire assaying--visible free milling gold--implies your samples are running over 100 ounces to the ton.

I like your samples, Barton

You've got a pair of zeros that hitched along for the ride. Visible samples indicate around 1 opt, not 100. Jeff Williams mentions it in one of his old videos, and I've read it in an old mining book or two.

 

[Johnnybravo300]

Welcome Anna fellow Coloradoan here. I've crushed ore to see what's in it but I don't have any intention in working inside the ground. Id like to find a vein anyway and other guys that know what they are doing can take it from there as far as I'm concerned haha. I'll stick to prospecting and digging in the creeks.
Placers can be nice with the pleasant creek sounds as deer stroll by and birds chirp but everyone knows the real money is in the veins.
If I could find just one nice fatty hehe. That's my entire bucket list at this point.

 

[Johnnybravo300]

This third pic isn't about mining..

 

[rockbar]

Back to thread topic -
AnnaMtn, would like to see a pic of the high grade stuff. If you have a piece that has a cut face, that would be a bonus.

 

[AnnaMountain]

Welcome Anna fellow Coloradoan here. I've crushed ore to see what's in it but I don't have any intention in working inside the ground. Id like to find a vein anyway and other guys that know what they are doing can take it from there as far as I'm concerned haha. I'll stick to prospecting and digging in the creeks.
Placers can be nice with the pleasant creek sounds as deer stroll by and birds chirp but everyone knows the real money is in the veins.
If I could find just one nice fatty hehe. That's my entire bucket list at this point.

Get to know the geology in your area and I’m sure you’ll be able to strike it rich at some point 👍 - look for the outcroppings and follow them along ridges and inspect all of their exposed areas for mineralized quartz. Plenty to be had in this great state!

 

[AnnaMountain]

Yes, third pic maybe inappropriate... and I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.

Back to thread topic -
AnnaMtn, would like to see a pic of the high grade stuff. If you have a piece that has a cut face, that would be a bonus.

The pics in this thread are about as high grade as they get mang - my diamond saw blade is toast but at some point I will snag another and cut some clean samples for ya. I’ve got a ton of other high grade raw samples that are uncut I’ll break into tonight and post some pics of to give you an idea of what all it can run in. Both silver and gold. If silver was at the price of gold I’d most likely have already beat Musk to Mars!!

 

[Johnnybravo300]

I've got some pretty good prospects up near Taylor Park but access is the problem. I need an extended stay up there so I can maximize my time. Takes so long to get up there and hike in, then the day is almost over hehe.
Even if there is good ore up there it would take alot of mules to get it out. I haven't crushed anything up there yet but next summer I want to focus on it more and put some work in on that.

 

[Assembler]

Are the rock samples from the walls of the mine? Spot the rock samples with your eyes or some other method? Time for some crushing and panning. Thanks for the pictures AnnaMountian.

 

[AnnaMountain]

Are the rock samples from the walls of the mine? Spot the rock samples with your eyes or some other method? Time for some crushing and panning. Thanks for the pictures AnnaMountian.

Originally they were from the walls...but this was basically sifting through high grade in organized tailings piles. I sit with my mini sledge hammer...and CRACK...CRACK...CRACK...move 5 feet...move some rock...CRACK...CRACK!

Over time gravity has done her work so the farther *down* the tailings pile you go, the better the samples.

 

[AnnaMountain]

Yes, third pic maybe inappropriate... and I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.

Back to thread topic -
AnnaMtn, would like to see a pic of the high grade stuff. If you have a piece that has a cut face, that would be a bonus.

Here’s some more high grade to peruse. These and the previous - one word for ya: Calaverite