How do you identify Minerals/Metals while panning/sluicing?

[Crazyhorse23]

Anyone know a good way to learn the different rocks or what might be of value while you hunt for gold? People always tell me in the area I sluice they find garnets, gemstones, and other valuable cool stuff but I have no clue what to look for.

That attached are some random cool looking things I found in my sluice this weekend but I can't identify any of it lol. The little grey rocks were very heavy but didn't *seem* like lead. I was almost wondering if they are some form of metal.

CH

 

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[DesertNuggets]

Some of them look like magnetite.

 

[Crazyhorse23]

Some of them look like magnetite.

Maybe, they were so heavy I couldn't pan then out at all. When I pulled them out wet they looked more grayish. I should hit them with the metal detector and see if it goes off on them.

CH

 

[goldog]

There are a lot of different heavy minerals. Most of them are in a classification called Leaverite. Black, reddish, kinda green,heck, even white or golden.

Leaverite is,a good sign. I have one pocket reserved for the nuggets that I just can't put down. One more thing. If you happen upon a particularly flat chunk of the stuff its a good idea to fling it up the creek and score your throw. # of skips or over an obstacle. I always find gold just after skipping some leaverite over a boulder 50' upstream.

Hope this is helpful. Seriously tho, You're on the trail of the gold so put the rocks aside and keep digging.

 

[Crazyhorse23]

There are a lot of different heavy minerals. Most of them are in a classification called Leaverite. Black, reddish, kinda green,heck, even white or golden.
View attachment 753038
Leaverite is,a good sign. I have one pocket reserved for the nuggets that I just can't put down. One more thing. If you happen upon a particularly flat chunk of the stuff its a good idea to fling it up the creek and score your throw. # of skips or over an obstacle. I always find gold just after skipping some leaverite over a boulder 50' upstream.

Hope this is helpful. Seriously tho, You're on the trail of the gold so put the rocks aside and keep digging.

I was about 3 feet underwater when I started hitting them unfortunately I ran low on time and the water was freezing. Only pulled out some flour. I might leave that spot till it warms up a bit more or get out a wet suit.

CH

 

[419GottaMinute]

Crazy: leaverite, as in leaverite where you found it (say it out loud if you still don't get it)

 

[Crazyhorse23]

Crazy: leaverite, as in leaverite where you found it (say it out loud if you still don't get it)

got it
Ch

 

[Oldyoungtimer]

Lol good one

 

[Fullpan]

That looks like magnetite to me also - It is mainly black sand in solid rock form. When those kind of little black/gray heavy pebbles started showing up
in my sluice box, my adrelinin always kicked in. They usually showed up within six inches of bedrock where i was dredging. Always started to keep my eyes
sharp then for lead fishing weights, iron trash bits, old nails, and blobs of mercury. Not all the time, but often enough I'd start to see gold shortly afterwards.
The magnetite was certainly an indicator where I dredged for gold.
As for other cool rocks - there are hundreds of books/pocket guides available at libraries, prospecting/rockhound shops, and amazon, etc.

 

[Aurabbit79er]

View attachment 752943

Anyone know a good way to learn the different rocks or what might be of value while you hunt for gold? People always tell me in the area I sluice they find garnets, gemstones, and other valuable cool stuff but I have no clue what to look for.

That attached are some random cool looking things I found in my sluice this weekend but I can't identify any of it lol. The little grey rocks were very heavy but didn't *seem* like lead. I was almost wondering if they are some form of metal.

CH

It could be a type of Crystal schist like the kind I find Garnett in which does have a volcanic origin.Get you one of these and take it with you in the field. I don't leave camp without it.

 

[TerryC]

23, A good geology field guide is needed. These are mine. I like the Smithsonian best because it has real rocks you would find..... not a collection of specimen quality gems we would LIKE to find. TTC

 

[Crazyhorse23]

23, A good geology field guide is needed. These are mine. I like the Smithsonian best because it has real rocks you would find..... not a collection of specimen quality gems we would LIKE to find. TTC

View attachment 753625

I'll have to check that one out. I have a bunch of books but everything I own in 30+ years old with limited photos and all almost all the photos are black and white. I went on Amazon and ordered about 5 books recently to flip through and none of them seemed to be of any real use to me.

Thanks,
CH

 

[goldenIrishman]

I've been running into the same problem. Finding things in the pan that I just don't know what the heck they are. I know I need to invest in a couple of GOOD books to I.D. them.

One thing I've noticed around here (East of Douglas, AZ) is that I'm sitting on top of a geological mish-mash. On the property (80 acres) I've found crystal outcroppings (quartz and Hemimorphite, bedrock, metamorphic rock, igneous rock, lava (we have an old cinder cone we can see from the house) and some boulders that look like mother natures version of cement. (River rocks in it but the stuff surrounding it looks just like cement and is just as hard.)

Now I've been panning and hunting for gold off and on for a long time and pretty much know what I'm doing. I used to work the BLM lands near Gower Mountain in San Diego and pulled some nice gold out of there. I've decided to get serious about prospecting again and will be gearing up for some serious desert work in the near future. My main problem is that I'll need to learn all about the methods used here since there's not any water unless the monsoons are in and I sure don't want to be in a wash when they're letting go.

 

[TerryC]

The "cement" you are seeing is probably CALICHE (ka leé chee). Calcium carbonate that is cementing the local gravel and rocks together. TTC

 

[goldenIrishman]

Makes sense Terry. I've been told that under the top soil here it's nothing but Caliche. Some of these boulders must have eroded and rolled down from College Peak. I wonder from the amount of round river rock is there would be any gold stuck in them.

 

[Indianametal]

We have a lot of these concrete boulders also. Whenever I have tested the redder ones I have always found very fine flour. I just need to get setup for rock smashing before trying any harder.

 

[goldenIrishman]

Well setting up a stamp mill is out of the question for me. the MUCH better half wouldn't go for the noise and dust. We've got plenty of dust here in AZ as it is!

 

[TerryC]

In a way, caliche can be good. If the area has potential, a covering of caliche means nobody has been snooping under it. Also, try sweeping the top of it (or vacuuming) into a plastic trash can liner. Then pan the stuff. TTC

 

[ToddB64]

Hi TerryC !

Thanks for your recommendation on the SMITHSONIAN book titled Rocks And Minerals, by Chris Pellant ! I ordered a used paperback copy in "Very Good" condition for $4.05 with FREE Shipping from a book website today.

I plan to do some prospecting for placer gold in a couple of creeks this summer and will take this book along in case I see any interesting rocks and/or minerals I want to identify.

If I find anything valuable, there is a rock shop not too far away from my home and maybe they will buy!

ToddB64

 

[goldenIrishman]

Next time I am up in the area of the property where Ive been finding the "cement" I"ll try snapping a picture with my phone. As I've been learning more about this property, I can see that I want to get up to the top of College Peak and check it out. The entire top of both the north and south peaks are up-thrusts and are tilted at about 50-55 degrees when compared to the surrounding soil.