Gold from bagged Paydirt turns Grey?

[Butcher78]

I started getting bagged Paydirt back in 2019 - 2022.
I saved the bright yellow candy in a small glass vial and when I pulled it out today to see my saved gold it has turned grey in the bottle. Does anyone know why and how to bring back the shiny?

 

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[southfork]

I started getting bagged Paydirt back in 2019 - 2022.
I saved the bright yellow candy in a small glass vial and when I pulled it out today to see my saved gold it has turned grey in the bottle. Does anyone know why and how to bring back the shiny?

If it turned grey, it might not be Gold. A little Nitric acid would be a good test.

 

[Butcher78]

If it turned grey, it might not be Gold. A little Nitric acid would be a good test.

The profile pic is the B4 it went into the glass vial. The uploaded is now. I bought from 2 different company's. One based in Alaska and the other was from Arizona. The gold got mixed together but both changed color.

 

[pete61]

Might be mercury contamination, although I'd expect it to look a lot more silvery.
You could heat up a small section to see if it becomes gold colored again.
Look up cleaning mercury contam with a water retort on YT to see whats needed.

 

[Chilli]

I started getting bagged Paydirt back in 2019 - 2022.
I saved the bright yellow candy in a small glass vial and when I pulled it out today to see my saved gold it has turned grey in the bottle. Does anyone know why and how to bring back the shiny?

First step id contact the sellers and ask why.

 

[Butcher78]

Might be mercury contamination, although I'd expect it to look a lot more silvery.
You could heat up a small section to see if it becomes gold colored again.
Look up cleaning mercury contam with a water retort on YT to see whats needed.

I did look up that video. And I will have to give that a try. Nice thinking.

 

[AU Seeker]

I agree that it very well could be mercury, and it would most likely be a gray color and not necessarily silver, it would only take 1 or 3 little pieces to have had mercury on them and it would spread to all the other pieces, it takes very little mercury for that to happen, however you try to remove the mercury, do it outside and AVOID you or anyone else breathing any of the fumes, this includes your pets as well!!

 

[Terry Soloman]

As I said in your other thread, it could be Electrum, with a high copper content that has oxidized.. ?

 

[Tesorodeoro]

It’s almost certainly mercury.

Personally, I’d go outside where it’s well ventilated and put that gold in a large metal spoon (perhaps over a baking pan in case you drop something).

Focus a propane torch under the bottom of the spoon until it glows red. that should heat the gold up enough to burn off the mercury that’s coating the gold and return it to its pretty color without melting it. maybe dump it in a pan, then back into the spoon and repeat one more time.

then put it in a clean glass vial after it cools. But that’s just what I would do if I had dirty gold. Well ventilated with the breeze blowing away from the face is the key point. I would not want to breath the fumes that burn off.

 

[Chilli]

I did look up that video. And I will have to give that a try. Nice thinking.

No reply from those you purchased it from? Curious as to why you haven't asked them.

 

[pete61]

No reply from those you purchased it from? Curious as to why you haven't asked them.

Perhaps he wants to check his facts before going full Karen on them? 😂

 

[Tesorodeoro]

Perhaps he wants to check his facts before going full Karen on them? 😂

Remember that mercury is naturally occurring in certain places and that gold and mercury are bedfellows.

As mentioned by someone else, it only takes one contaminated piece to coat everything else. Not really a big deal.

 

[Chilli]

I get he is asking here.
But what on earth reason is he not asking those he got them from why the gold is discoloured?
Im calling utter bs here him stirring this up.
What sane person would not, first port of call ask the person they purchased anything from say "hey I have an issue" and instead go elsewhere?
Total crap stir up.

 

[Tpmetal]

I get he is asking here.
But what on earth reason is he not asking those he got them from why the gold is discoloured?
Im calling utter bs here him stirring this up.
What sane person would not, first port of call ask the person they purchased anything from say "hey I have an issue" and instead go elsewhere?
Total crap stir up.

This is an odd take by you. There was no malicious wording or intent in the origional post or the follow up post. He observed something he didn't understand and asked a question.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

I get he is asking here.
But what on earth reason is he not asking those he got them from why the gold is discoloured?
Im calling utter bs here him stirring this up.
What sane person would not, first port of call ask the person they purchased anything from say "hey I have an issue" and instead go elsewhere?
Total crap stir up.

Well, I’d think it would be absurd for someone to call and complain about gold that was recovered from a sample bag. Mercury was used along the rivers during the gold rush. It collects in the cracks of the bedrock along with the gold and black sand.

Sounds like the OP got a legit bag of river concentrates. He got to pan them out and now it’s their turn to clean up, just like any other miner.

If you want pure untarnished gold, buy a refined bar and keep it away from mining concentrates.

I’ve spent 3 times the amount of time it would take to clean that gold, just typing these couple posts.

Burn it off and dump it in some jewelry cleaning solution.

 

[AU Seeker]

I get he is asking here.
But what on earth reason is he not asking those he got them from why the gold is discoloured?
Im calling utter bs here him stirring this up.
What sane person would not, first port of call ask the person they purchased anything from say "hey I have an issue" and instead go elsewhere?
Total crap stir up.

He's not stirring crap, he stated he starting buying the cons 2 to 5 years ago and put the gold all in the same vial, there's know way for him to know which gold/cons is the cause of the mercury contamination, so who does he call(?) and the sellers wouldn't be able to tell him anything since it's been so long, other than what we here have advised him to do.

I see no foul on this member part for posting his question here.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

He's not stirring crap, he stated he starting buying the cons 2 to 5 years ago and put the gold all in the same vial, there's know way for him to know which gold/cons is the cause of the mercury contamination, so who does he call(?) and the sellers wouldn't be able to tell him anything since it's been so long, other than what we here have advised him to do.

I see no foul on this member part for posting his question here.

If you start putting certain expectations on this type of product, you will no longer have an opportunity to buy it. You will get barren river gravel with a bit of purchased or cleaned up gold thrown in. I’m not saying that’s not what’s happening here, but if you want cleaned specimen nuggets buy from a reseller.

Butcher are you still here?