Tellurides/Sulfides?

[AugustMoose87]

Wondering what if any experience anyone has with detecting for/around these. Both are common in my home range, so I'm hoping/expecting to find both.

 

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[ConceptualizedNetherlandr]

Depending on which Tellurides, you should probably just mine it.

 

[AugustMoose87]

I guess I should have been more clear - I'm wondering how metal detectors handle loose tellurides and sulfides as I'm hoping to come across some in tailings

 

[arizau]

I guess I should have been more clear - I'm wondering how metal detectors handle loose tellurides and sulfides as I'm hoping to come across some in tailings

Tailings or waste rock? Tailings are usually, by definition, fine ground host rock material from which the valuable mineral has already been extracted and concentrated. Waste rock is usually or mostly non mineral bearing. From what little I know the sulfides/pyrites are not detectable and that is probably the case with tellurides too. if the waste rock contains natural free milling gold then it is probably detectable in a large enough form but any free gold in a fine ground form is not.

Good luck

 

[Ragnor]

In my experience some sulphides sound off and some do not. I don't think Ive ever had telluride sound off? That was using a GM3 and it was a long time ago. So my memory is scetchy. Next time I get to town I'll buy some batteries and test my hand samples with the GM4B.

 

[GrizzlyGremlin]

Hey August, I wouldn't bother with a detector and sulfide minerals in a traditional detecting sense.
First big problem is that sulfides are disseminated in host rock even as concentrated veins. Fine grained sulfides are usually richer than the large cubic "fools gold" pyrites. Your detector will will just go nuts when you swing it over an area with high sulfides.
The other problem is that sulfides occur as a vast array of sulfur bound base metals, which occur in association with platinum group metals.
Your detector no matter how advanced won't be able to tell you if the sulfides are worth anything.
Identification of the sulfide minerals can be very difficult, and understanding the values, and how to extract them is even more of a process.
What your detector CAN do is point out hot spots. If nuggets were not found in the area its best to just use your detector to locate mineral rich areas then bust out the mining equipment. Telluride's are a very very rare mineral by the way. People seem to think its as common as pyritic sulfides, but it not something that was left laying around. The Telluride's can be super super rich, and usually are of high grade whether gold or silver. If you do find an abandoned high grade stockpile you most likely won't need your detector.
I see you are in Longmont! Do you just detect or do you do the placer thing too?
What detector do you have? I'd love to get out with you and double whammy detect and sluice!!

 

[AugustMoose87]

Thanks for the info Griz. I got permission to check out a few mines/claims in the Jamestown area, but my initial source of info wasn't involved, and just knows in the past they have pulled gold, silver and iron. He CLAIMS that at some point the iron ore was so valuable, they were "just throwing everything else aside", including gold, and that he took a buddy up a few years ago and he just picked up 1/2 of a crown Royal bag full of gold...

I know tellurides are NOT common, but as both a rock hound and prospector, I would LOVE to find some to add to my collection.

And I do a bit of everything - rock hounding, detecting and placering. Unfortunately the few good spots I have found are a) 3 hours drive and b) for gems (garnet and barite). If you're in the area, I'd be more than happy to team up some time.

 

[ConceptualizedNetherlandr]

Thanks for the info Griz. I got permission to check out a few mines/claims in the Jamestown area, but my initial source of info wasn't involved, and just knows in the past they have pulled gold, silver and iron. He CLAIMS that at some point the iron ore was so valuable, they were "just throwing everything else aside", including gold, and that he took a buddy up a few years ago and he just picked up 1/2 of a crown Royal bag

Now there is a quantity I can relate to

full of gold...

I know tellurides are NOT common, but as both a rock hound and prospector, I would LOVE to find some to add to my collection.

And I do a bit of everything - rock hounding, detecting and placering. Unfortunately the few good spots I have found are a) 3 hours drive and b) for gems (garnet and barite). If you're in the area, I'd be more than happy to team up some time.

 

[ecmjamsit]

Tellurides are a alloy of tellurium. Tellurium burns off at 800F. If you roast the tellurides and they are rich enough, you will be left with "blebs" of gold. The tellurides will not sound off on any detector. The reason being the gold and silver in the telluride are disseminated in a way that does not change the inductance of the coil. I have studied this phenomena in depth during the reopening of mining in Cripple Creek during 1994. Here is a pic of some roasted telluride ore...

 

[diggingthe1]

Your eyes will help you most. Sometimes we dig into the old tailings piles here in the Cripple creek district with some luck. Hope you find some good samples! My detector has never found any. It does sound off on a mineral I think is Bornite.

 

[arizau]

Tellurides are a alloy of tellurium. Tellurium burns off at 800F. If you roast the tellurides and they are rich enough, you will be left with "blebs" of gold. The tellurides will not sound off on any detector. The reason being the gold and silver in the telluride are disseminated in a way that does not change the inductance of the coil. I have studied this phenomena in depth during the reopening of mining in Cripple Creek during 1994. Here is a pic of some roasted telluride ore...

View attachment 1285680

I have some very similar blebs/buttons that were given to my father many many years ago by an executive of a mining company (Idarado?) in the Ouray/Telluride/Silverton area. I have thought for years that they were fire assay buttons but now I am not so sure.