Gold Ore

southfork

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A little sample that was found with a metal detector. Crushed by hand then panned to wash away some of the dirt and clay? The photo is macro so real small particles, but the quartz shows and what looks like iron and free gold. I think we need a small smelter to retrieve the values trying to speed up the recovery what's your thoughts ?
 

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Assembler

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A little sample that was found with a metal detector. Crushed by hand then panned to wash away some of the dirt and clay? The photo is macro so real small particles, but the quartz shows and what looks like iron and free gold. I think we need a small smelter to retrieve the values trying to speed up the recovery what's your thoughts ?
Looking good. I think smelting is not always the best way to go. Having said that try smelting a batch and see what you think.

If the ore is crushed fine enough you may get very good returns just with gravity separation.

No two ore rocks are the same so experiment and measure the results for the time spent.
 

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southfork

southfork

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Looking good. I think smelting is not always the best way to go. Having said that try smelting a batch and see what you think.

If the ore is crushed fine enough you may get very good returns just with gravity separation.

No two ore rocks are the same so experiment and measure the results for the time spent.
I was looking at those small smelter furnaces on Amazon. And thinking I could run these small batches knock the slag off and should be clean buttons of gold. Would not take much to pay for small imported furnace waiting on chemicals is too slow for me lol. There Seem's to be a lot of iron and what look's fine clay impurity's all around some of the gold. My son used a propane torch and a Potatoe with a sample in a hole. knock the slag off and a pure BB of gold was left.
 

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southfork

southfork

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When dealing with microscopic Gold it can be complicated and expensive. There are some plans at the end of this paper to make a mill for the big boyshttps://www.911metallurgist.com/blog/mercury-amalgamation
 

arizau

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I am far from an expert but I think it would be a good idea to crush to powder and pan down to heavies/concentrates. They can be smelted or panned first for easily recoverable gold then recollected and smelted to recover any residual gold.

Good luck.
 

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Reed Lukens

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First you need to catch it. You can't pan micro-gold because you will loose half if not more with just a slight breeze. Amalgamate it, then when you get enough, make buttons.
 

WildernessAU

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I was looking at those small smelter furnaces on Amazon. And thinking I could run these small batches knock the slag off and should be clean buttons of gold. Would not take much to pay for small imported furnace waiting on chemicals is too slow for me lol. There Seem's to be a lot of iron and what look's fine clay impurity's all around some of the gold. My son used a propane torch and a Potatoe with a sample in a hole. knock the slag off and a pure BB of gold was left.


Nice finds. The small box furnaces are no good for actual smelting, you will destroy it in no time. You can however melt in those furnaces. I would suggest to crush the material much finer and try to gravity concentrate it. If you have free milling gold, you can melt that. Good luck!
 

Assembler

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Nice finds. The small box furnaces are no good for actual smelting, you will destroy it in no time. You can however melt in those furnaces. I would suggest to crush the material much finer and try to gravity concentrate it. If you have free milling gold, you can melt that. Good luck!
One can always use the fire brick out of a inexpensive small box furnace to build a better furnace that you like. Just a idea here.
Most assay books talk about crushing down to 80 mesh give or take if you can.
 

Reed Lukens

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My son ordered a propane fired top loader with the crucible and molds should work fine for our small operation.
Yup, I was just going to say, stay away from the electric, the propane sets are real nice 😀
I've been looking at them myself to start pouring into some molds for different projects.
Be sure to put some borax or something in the bottom of the crucible to keep the pour from sticking.
You can read about it here -
 

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beekbuster

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how long have you had this property south fork? You and your son sure are cleaning up some incredible amounts of gold. I recall the enormous nugget you shared a while ago that your son found. Did that come off your property? I understand if you dont want to give any inclinations.
 

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southfork

southfork

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how long have you had this property south fork? You and your son sure are cleaning up some incredible amounts of gold. I recall the enormous nugget you shared a while ago that your son found. Did that come off your property? I understand if you dont want to give any inclinations.
Thank you around 40 years and easy walking distance.
 

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southfork

southfork

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I crushed up some samples from yesterday's outing. My son was finding these little bits of black rusty mineral that was making the Nox scream. I was looking at the specimens with a loupe and could see a little quartz and black rusty matrix with a speck of gold here and there. After pounding and grinding with a mortar and pestle then panning with a little dish soap Ureka, we have Gold. The sample needs more grinding or some acid to release the rest of the gold.
 

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Reed Lukens

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Jan 1, 2013
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Yup, Eldorado County has a lot of history 😀
-
 

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southfork

southfork

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Gold and more gold this sample has been crushed and ground in a mortar/ pestle then Panned. No acids or chemicals just a little dish soap then pan again slowing pouring off the suspended oxidized red mud. I'm going to smelt this sample to try free up more gold. Look at the microscopic gold in the scratches in the pan.
 

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southfork

southfork

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Gold and more gold this sample has been crushed and ground in a mortar/ pestle then Panned. No acids or chemicals just a little dish soap then pan again slowing pouring off the suspended oxidized red mud. I'm going to smelt this sample to try free up more gold. Look at the microscopic gold in the scratches in the pan.
 

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southfork

southfork

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Even with my slow careful panning of the ground ore sample with all the sulphides it wants to escape. After tapping all the concentrates down while using a little dish soap. I slowly pour off the murky water across the small riffles in the test pan. These little micro flour gold particles are showing nothing escapes well almost nothing lol.
 

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