Get a plastic concrete mixing tub and do all your work inside it to contain spills. Wear nitrile gloves and work in a well ventilated area.
Hg will not go thru a coffee filter easily and the filter will tear if you force it. I use a patch of nylon fabric like from a tent or wind jacket. Lay the fabric in a jar, pour in some hg then wring it out. Any solids like gold will be strained out.
Its messy, be prepared
Be sure to post back with what you find
Do Not Use Chamois!!! You Will Not be able to get all the micro mercury out of it and it will have to be disposed of as
Hazardous Waste!
I use "Rip-Stop" Nylon tent patching material. It is apx. 600mesh fine. You may be able to get some at a Fabric Store or at an Out Door Store as a tent patching kit.
Like Bonaro says use Nitrile Gloves and a plastic container to catch the Little Itty Bitty Tiny Beads (is this clear?) of Hg. If your Hg is clean enough it will coalesce back together into one big blob. If it doesn't then you will need to reconstitute it by placing in a stainless steel container with Distilled water and Table Salt solution over it. Then hook up a battery to one side of the bowl and place a piece of 12ga electric wire striped for 1/4" into the pool of Hg. The Sodium in the solution will combine with the Hg and it will coalesce back together into one big blob. Google this procedure to get it right.
When done place Hg into a Lab Grade Plastic container and put 1/2" of salt sol over it. This keeps the Hg from out gassing at Room temp, which it will do over time and contaminate the Air in a confined space. This will be a Low Grade contamination but over years you will get a dose like the old "Mad as a Hatter" saying! Hg was used to SET the Felt on the Hats they made.
You will have to take the amalgam and Retort it to Evaporate the Hg in a Retort and it will leave you with Au,Ag,and ?? in the Sponge in the container. This is what you will take to a Refiner/Gold Buyer. I would recommend AAA in Portland, Or. as Jason knows what to do. You will be charged a refining fee. And a Hazmat fee if they even do this anymore.
You may have to Melt the Dore into a Bar/Blob before they will take it. Ala Yukon Gold!!!
You will Still have all the Hg as an Impure Product that can't be used for anything except amalgamating Au from you black sands.
Do Not Burn the Hg off into the Air, even in an Open Area!!! When the Hg condenses back to Micro Droplets and fall to the ground in 20'+ you will have a Hazmat Situation on your hands, and if found out by the Powers That Be you will be charged a BIG Cleanup Fee.
Your best bet with this Crap would be to find an Old Timer who has all the equipment to do this process and would be willing to Charge/Split the proceeds.
If you want to Learn this for Yourself then I suggest you contact Action Mining in Sandy, Or. and either buy their literature or see if they will process this Crap for you!!!
Sincerely
Bill "Lost Adams"
PS I used this stuff back in the '70's and '80's while I was Dredging to clean up my cons.
