What does gold look like with mercury on it???

[pulltab hatr]

Does anyone have pics of this Today I headed back to the river and found a few more flakes of gold and I keep finding these flakes that are bendable and don't break. They are around the size of the gold I am finding but they are grey. Can anyone please help me out

 

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[bigfish31]

Does anyone have pics of this Today I headed back to the river and found a few more flakes of gold and I keep finding these flakes that are bendable and don't break. They are around the size of the gold I am finding but they are grey. Can anyone please help me out

I've got lots! Here.

 

[pulltab hatr]

Thanks for the pics. What I have are flakes that you can bend and bend and they won't break. They are a dull grey color. No idea what they are but I am finding them in the same place I am finding gold and where panning they stay in place just like gold.

 

[kuger]

Might be lead.

 

[boogeyman]

Sounds like you've got some lead from bullets. Do you find shotgun shot with it? You can always break out the madnifying glass and take a look after you break a piece in two. If you're not sure a gold test kit should pretty well answer it for sure. Or try heating it with a flame. Lead melts at a lower temp than gold. If you're finding lead keep a good eye out for the goodies.

 

[pulltab hatr]

Yeah I think I am finding a lot of shotgun shot. There are little round balls in about every pan of dirt after I pan it out. Lots of them.

 

[boogeyman]

Yeah I think I am finding a lot of shotgun shot. There are little round balls in about every pan of dirt after I pan it out. Lots of them.

Well, if that's the deal then I think if there is any color to be had you should be in it! Also, now that I think of it if you have a drop or two of nitric acid you can take it outside and put a drop of nitric on it. Being VERY CAREFUL to stay up wind of the fumes! If it disappears it's more than likely lead if not it'll disolve the mercury off. But my guess is it's part of a bullet slug. Hope that helps you! BTW I could be wrong, you'll never see expert and my name together

 

[DanB]

If the mercury is amalgamated to the gold....simply use heat.....IE a propane torch, heat the subject matter with a torch for a few minutes. if it is lead it will melt at 600 plus degrees and regroup when cool. if the mercury is on the gold the torch will vaporize the mercury off of the gold and leave the gold very HOT, the gold will retain its natural color. Trust me......I love to melt the stuff.

All ways do this in a well vented area or outside and use the proper eye and body protection.


db

 

[Hoser John]

Push down in a wet pan very hard on the item and lead will usually leave a whitish/greyish streak. Nitric will answer the question in seconds too-Tons a au 2 u2 -John

 

[kuger]

If the mercury is amalgamated to the gold....simply use heat.....IE a propane torch, heat the subject matter with a torch for a few minutes. if it is lead it will melt at 600 plus degrees and regroup when cool. if the mercury is on the gold the torch will vaporize the mercury off of the gold and leave the gold very HOT, the gold will retain its natural color. Trust me......I love to melt the stuff.

All ways do this in a well vented area or outside and use the proper eye and body protection.


db

Yeah thats all fine and dandy if you know what you are doing.If you dont I would not recommend it at all,it isnt worth losing your life.Its no joke vaporized mercury will kill you.

 

[cali209]

We are working an old hydraulic mining area with lots of mercury...

The lead and mercury look the same so we save it all to sort out later.

There is also mercury balls that are the size of shotgun bb's and look the same sometimes.

 

[eathan]

Lead oxidizes a whitish grey (almost powdery looking), so I usually streak the stuff across the bottom of my pan like John suggests above. If it leaves whitish grey streak, it's lead, if not, I look closer...

Happy hunting!