what is a nugget ?

[BillA]

a nugget is defined as "a native lump of precious metal", nothing as to size or weight
an upper bound would be undefined, what is a lower 'limit' at which a small nugget would be called something else ?
(ok, but what?, different question)

Wilderness medic posted a somewhat (?) sub one gramer which is nice.

my (always limited) experience extends the term's use to one gram bits
as when thin they are large, and when rotund still have a slight bit of heft
(could post photos but 1 gramers are pretty common)

when young my idea of a nugget was a lump big enough, like Tom Sawyer, to fire at a rat and kill it - obviously exaggerated

so is there a (usage) defined lower size or weight limit for the applicability of the word 'nugget' ?

edit: - and below a nugget would be a 'picker' ? (at least for placer miners)

 

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[Terry Soloman]

You are showing a Picker. A "Picker" is a small nugget you can pick up with two fingers. "Flake" gold is smaller than a picker. A "Nugget" is at least two-grams.

 

[BillA]

ok, where did the 2 gms come from ?

a picker? something you can get your fingers on? and then kinda transitions to a nugget?

so a picker is size based whereas a nugget is based on weight? (lots of overlap)

- not trying to be difficult, just exploring the limits of the words

 

[galenrog]

It is only a matter of opinion. Most of those opinions for the low end of what is considered a “nugget” range from 0.5 grams to 2.0 grams.

Time for more coffee.

 

[Goldwasher]

if it's thickness is approaching it's overall length I call it a nugget.

There are small nuggets and big flakes. I've seen 2 gram flakes.. like as thick as a piece of cardboard and the size of a quarter.

both can be pickers ..when relatively small.

 

[mendoAu]

anything that goes "thud" in the pan.....

 

[smokeythecat]

It depends. On who you talk to. A "picker" is something I can pick up which is very small. To me a nugget is anything chunky over 1/8".

 

[slink]

It depends. On who you talk to. A "picker" is something I can pick up which is very small. To me a nugget is anything chunky over 1/8".

I think ones area plays part. In my area its very rare to find anything +20 so that pic at the top would certainly be a nugget to me.

 

[Wilderness medic]

You are showing a Picker. A "Picker" is a small nugget you can pick up with two fingers. "Flake" gold is smaller than a picker. A "Nugget" is at least two-grams.

That’s a really weird number and I’m curious why 2 grams is the limit.



Nugget sounds like a shape more than a weight. I like the definition of width around the same as length. A flake that weighs multiple grams isn’t a nugget...? I wouldn’t call it one. A 1 grain piece that’s cube shaped or spherical seems more nugget like than a 3 gram flake to me. Or maybe anything that’s noticeably thick and not smooshed flat?

 

[mendoAu]

Here's a couple of "nuggets"....

» Monumental Nugget Sierra County Historical Society

https://nypost.com/2019/05/14/family-finds-gold-nugget-worth-24000-while-walking-their-dog/

I assume both would go "thud" dropped into a gold pan...HA!

 

[BillA]

the second of the links above

we return to my Tom Sawyer-ish nugget to kill a rat, 20 oz

I kind of like stc's "1/8" chunky", a bit of dimension plus a weight inference

edit: think photo is wrong

 

[BillA]

 

[mendoAu]

billA....do ya make yur own gold pans...HA!

 

[BillA]

billA....do ya make yur own gold pans...HA!

a pic from the gold museum, recovered nuggets from indigenous sites (bowl most clearly modern)

and yes, I do make pans - here is an in-process pan from the backside of the ss drum in a front-loading washing machine (MOST expensive)

 

[mendoAu]

I hope they take better care of their display than Yreka did. https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/crime/article24723961.html

 

[alaskaseeker]

Gold is gold, it could be a flyspeck, fine, ruff, coarse, heavy, etc.. According to Seinfeld a picker comes from your nose, i DONT call gold pickers and ive been fortunate enuff to have been around my share..

 

[DaveVanP]

To me, a nugget is bigger than a BB, or TicTac. A picker is smaller, like a grain of rice or a sesame seed. Poppy-seed size to salt-grain size is "grain" or "dust"... Anything smaller than that I call "flour". Flakes are flat, regardless of how big, from glitter-size to corn flakes. Any flake bigger than that is OMG!
...but that's just me...

 

[RTR]

Sweet Jesus !!! Now them there ,are Nuggets ,in post 11 & 12

 

[Bonaro]

Kind of a moving target....I consider it a nugget if I can easily pick it up with my gloves on

 

[Bodfish Mike]

In My Opinion if a snuffer bottle won't suck it up (won't fit) it's a Nugget. If it gets sucked up and makes a click it's a clicker.
Most clickers are pickers