12 Weeks To Find First Gold (Persistence Pays).

Prospecting Australia

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Bjay said:
Them big bugger ants will hunt you too. I watched some the other day after digging a small hole, no where near there nest but I swear they knew were I was sat still for a moment and watched them home in on me before moving away a bit.

Thats true - they do chase you down, and if you are allergic to these buggers and many people wouldnt know if they are until they are bitten, Can cause anaphylactic reaction - their venom in their stings is also acidic - they latch on with nippers and sting multiple times. Most people instant reaction to the sharp bite and painful sting is to hit immediately and this can actually be worse if you squash the ant while their stinger is in your skin because it can push more venom in.

Treatment: Wash with light soapy water in circular motion very lightly - mix baking soda with small amount of water like a paste and gently rub into area, the sodium bicarbonate will neutralize the acid - then if symptoms persist like rash breakout and itchy etc they advise to take antihistamine for 1 to 3 days.
 
Think I would be keeping a small can of strong fly spray handy, that may change their aggressive behavior. Not sure how aeroguard would go.

Mike70.
 
Hi All,

Just wanted to touch base on some findings today - as I walked through the bush and came across a spot with visible quartz etc on top - and red clay pretty much in one section at the base of the incline - the hill area is only very small and maybe has a 15 degree incline and is only 50 or so meters in diameter

There are signs of workings only on the very top of this hill leading towards a north direction.

The area at the very top is covered in conglomerate mass - consisting of water worn quartz, reef type quartz very sharp, ironstone in reef form, I havent found any signs of an actual reef as yet but the signs tell us that there is one in this section due to the rock formation, rock types - as we know not all reefs poke out the top and can be only inches below the top surface - if you look at the rock most times you will narrow the origin down and where best to look.

As I was walking towards the base area I had a faint signal and scratched the top to see red clays - I then balanced just next to the hole - and still had this faint signal - after taking 100mm from the top the signal increased to verify that this was indeed a solid signal

I proceeded to take out another 100mm or so of red clays in clumps and noticed some signs of rock mixed in with the clay

When I had the target out - it was a nice little kinder surprise - the signal was in one clump

1. See here in the images the top soil is very light maybe 20 or so mm - then red clay - the depth of this hole was maybe 8 inches the target would have been 6 or so inches down - nice little color and very water worn - we sit back and think well there is no gully no signs of a water way but very water worn. Take notes because the gold and the rocks tell us the story, Along with other things
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2. When I continued upwards to the top of the incline - I thought to snap these pictures of previous detector holes - there were maybe 3 or four more that I seen very visible without extensive searching - I only had a small amount of time left at this spot - I really love seeing these holes in such close proximity - to find something between all of these digs is very rewarding - on the other hand

I always check other holes as well just to see how thorough the previous operators are - but one thing it told me here today was this previous operator definitely doesnt follow rules of miners right. Lots of holes not filled, beats me why people have disregard for the rules on a miners rights, if authorities see this they can simply close sections down for prospectors, when I am back there tomorrow I will just scrape the dirt back in the holes.
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This is the area with the workings - in these images we can see the conglomerate mass the miners were working - another cool thing was one of the original square holes into the conglomerate mass - this would have been an original hole before they worked around and under the base of the conglomerate
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3. In searching a relatively flat area which we can see broken conglomerate much like a mullock of big conglo - no sticks - nothing to stop me and probably one area that a majority of any prospector would look - the funny thing is it looked to be scraped maybe 50mm off the top in a rectangle shape much like a previous detector operator scrape mark - just goes to show this is why we maintain being thorough when searching - dont rule anything out

This is my dig hole after pulling out some bigger chunks of conglo - the target was still in the ground - very easy target to distinguish from above
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Finally Out came this rock or piece of conglo I should say - the signal was very solid - safe to say there was gold inside - I didnt clean it in the bush just in the pocket and off I went. I was thinking the only way it couldnt be gold is if there was some clay holding a nail or a metal piece to the conglomerate rock.
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4. When I returned home - I cleaned the rock with the trusty old toothbrush to remove the dirts, clays stuck to it. I then checked the piece with the pinpointer - while looking if there were signs of visible gold - nothing at all. But more solid sound on one side - which shows us the side that we can break off and narrow down the potential target more
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5. after breaking the rock - the target was in this section and still no visible sign of Gold - but the signal is still strong - sometimes we get the iron ore breaking away and the signal reduces - to be very loud in the headphones we can always tell if the signal is solid rather than a medium even smooth sound on each side.
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6. Again I managed to pinpoint the majority of the signal strength to one side - and cracked it in half - most times the rock or mineral will break around the gold but we need to take care if we want to preserve the gold and if it is crystalline formation we can completely destroy it - some people will use a Hydrofluoric Acid and soak or brush away quartz specimen to make it look absolutely amazing, extremely dangerous stuff though.

7. And there we are - Gold in Conglo - Poking out finally
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Its great to find gold in any way shape or form - when it adds to the excitement of first digging out a kinder surprise and breaking it open we have this second level of excitement - and then to find a piece of rock with a solid signal is also another great feeling. These area's can be very rewarding because the old miners needed to break every part to find it - so in mass conglo area's take your time swing low - dont let any other holes put you off

You may read similarities of previous post's here on the thread - with prospecting and anything for that matter having repetition increases your knowledge, like ground noise if you work a noisy area for 30 minutes or so - the sounds start to clear out and your focus becomes heightened on the more solids rather than the hots.

I hope you all enjoy the pictures - and good luck on your next adventure
 
Hi All,

Another day out in the fields - I went back to the same location as yesterday in the recent photo's/post - I wanted to comb over this same area where the second target gold came from.

Due to having 2 field group day trips coming up very soon - Group 1 on 5th November and Group 2 on the 26th November - for those lucky enough to secure a position in these groups, I will be discussing some extensive details with them all. At the moment I will post some pics and explain some basic findings

Because this was the same grounds as yesterday the post will be much similar details

1. In this image you can see a very shallow scrape and the bigger hole was a clump of very hard compressed sediments, sands and bits of quartz etc, a lot softer than some conglomerate - I didnt take a photo of the piece in its entirety only after I had broken it to narrow down on the target. The sound was solid on one side much like sitting a piece of lead on one side - screamed very close to the coil so I knew it was close to that edge.
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2. Here it is broken into pieces - you can see the colors being more yellowish - like a dull orange - this is a sediment material / clays - this material would have been closer to the top of the ground as opposed to some of the conglomerate in this area being more compressed like rock.
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3. After sorting through a couple across the coil - here is the piece with the target poking out - you can see in the second image how close to the edge the gold is - exposed outside this clump. Not attached to rock this piece is alluvial encased in clays and hardened - much like the other bits in this area very waterworn.
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4. And like always we check our holes and other material that we have pulled out just to be sure - make sure when you get your target not only to check the hole but all other material just in case you stop immediately when you pinpoint your target. When you have your target in hand always recheck the pile before filling your hole, just say you have a small 0.5 that also came out with a bigger piece and when you put your material back into the hole and the 0.5 falls to the bottom you wont pick it up from 10 inches below the surface. Even after you comb the area

Same position only deeper - I had a nice smooth sound maybe 6 to 8 inches behind the first target
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I took this photo before grabbing it out of the pile and not knowing where it actually was - looked to be central in this photo but it was the rock in the top right corner
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Nice piece of gold looked to be attached to quartz - I was hoping it was but when I cleaned it simply fell off into my hand - it was held to the quartz by soft clay.
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5. These are images after the gold was cleaned - the second piece I found - or first piece in this first photo - has signs of compression marks, when I zoomed in before I reduced the image size. Pretty cool
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I also found a few hot rocks with medium signal - one has a nice solid - no visible gold but will break and post a pic if there is

After I thoroughly searched this small section of maybe 10x10mtr - I continued to look further along the line of these very small working to see a white pipe clay area with a square shaft and maybe 3-4mtrs deep and has signs of either drive at the bottom or even possibly a big mushroomed area at the base, it also has water sitting in the bottom maybe 1/4 full or 1 foot deep.

When this water has gone and we get some nice weather I will look to inspect this because the Conglomerate Mass has been shafted through and what I would like to see is the pipe clay then another layer of water worn larger rocks - the pipe clay is very light material and can be a soft spot for gold to drop into. If I see signs of calcrete I will check the hardness of the layers and the minerals within

Its interesting as majority of all others in this area are shallow - maybe 1mtr depth at most - so this hole shows me this conglomerate mass dips down to at least 3mtrs in this section

We see a lot of times different color conglo, calcrete etc - whether it is Hydrous ferric oxides ie iron ores, basically from weathering the iron washes into other minerals - like chalk powder staining when in liquid form and when it sets hard has different colors from minerals weathering - sometimes mixing through limestone, mineral makeup within these layers can point us in the right direction for a soft pocket with hard base. Calcrete is conglomerate but more so cemented together by a calcareous material - which is a calcium carbonate - chalk limestone.

I will be sure to get pictures when I inspect this for you all and explain my findings.

Enjoy
 
G'day Minelab Gold
I was out at Harvest Home yesterday with Patrick1. We were trying to read the ground, trying to put in to practice what you have been teaching us, but soon realised that apart from quartz and ironstone we discovered we couldn't confidently identify the other rocks we came across so it was difficult to identify the ground we were on. Other than rock identification we think we did a reasonable job of reading the ground. However, didn't score anything. I'm sure readers would love to see photos of rocks with their associated name and origin, but don't want to impose.
Just a thought.
Cheers
 
Hi Dig'n-it,

Thanks for the post - I will post up some different rock types and minerals to help others see and hopefully can associate with their grounds - or at least have a better understanding.

The three main types, or classes, of rock are sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous and the differences among them have to do with how they are formed.

SEDIMENTARY ROCKS

  • Sedimentary rocks are formed from particles of sand, shells, pebbles, and other fragments of material or mineral. Together, all these particles are called sediment. [/*]
  • This sediment can include minerals, small pieces of plants and other organic matter.[/*]
  • The sediment is compressed over a long period of time before consolidating into solid layers of rock.[/*]
  • Sedimentary rocks cover the majority of the Earth's rocky surface but only make up a small percentage of the Earths crust compared to metamorphic and igneous types of rocks.[/*]
  • Examples of sedimentary rocks include limestone, sandstone, mudstone, chalk, coal, claystone and flint.[/*]
  • Limestone forms the metamorphic rock marble when subjected to extreme heat and pressure over time (metamorphism).[/*]
  • Sandstone forms the metamorphic rock quartzite.[/*]
  • Mudstone forms the metamorphic rock slate.[/*]
  • Chalk is a soft, white form of limestone.[/*]
  • Sedimentary rocks forms layers called strata which can often be seen in exposed cliffs.[/*]

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  • Sandstone (sometimes known as arenite) is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust[/*]
  • Breccia is a term most often used for clastic sedimentary rocks that are composed of large angular fragments (over two millimeters in diameter). The spaces between the large angular fragments can be filled with a matrix of smaller particles or a mineral cement that binds the rock together.[/*]
  • Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed primarily of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in the form of the mineral calcite. It most commonly forms in clear, warm, shallow marine waters. It is usually an organic sedimentary rock that forms from the accumulation of shell, coral, algal, and fecal debris. It can also be a chemical sedimentary rock formed by the precipitation of calcium carbonate from lake or ocean water.[/*]
  • Conglomerate can have a variety of compositions. As a clastic sedimentary rock, it can contain clasts of any rock material or weathering product that is washed downstream or down current. The rounded clasts of conglomerate can be mineral particles such as quartz, or they can be sedimentary, metamorphic, or igneous rock fragments. The matrix that binds the large clasts together can be a mixture of sand, mud, and chemical cement.[/*]
  • Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock that forms from the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles that we commonly call "mud." This composition places shale in a category of sedimentary rocks known as "mudstones." Shale is distinguished from other mudstones because it is fissile and laminated. "Laminated" means that the rock is made up of many thin layers. "Fissile" means that the rock readily splits into thin pieces along the laminations.[/*]
  • Ironstone is a sedimentary rock, either deposited directly as a ferruginous sediment or created by chemical replacement, that contains a substantial proportion of an iron compound[/*]

METAMORPHIC ROCKS

Metamorphic rocks have been modified by heat, pressure, and chemical processes, usually while buried deep below Earth's surface. Exposure to these extreme conditions has altered the mineralogy, texture, and chemical composition of the rocks.

There are two basic types of metamorphic rocks. Foliated metamorphic rocks such as gneiss, phyllite, schist, and slate have a layered or banded appearance that is produced by exposure to heat and directed pressure.

Non-foliated metamorphic rocks such as hornfels, marble, quartzite, and novaculite do not have a layered or banded appearance.

  • Metamorphic rocks have been changed over time by extreme pressure and heat.[/*]
  • Metamorphic rocks can be formed by pressure deep under the Earth's surface, from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.[/*]
  • Uplift and erosion help bring metamorphic rock to the Earth's surface.[/*]
  • Examples of metamorphic rocks include anthracite, quartzite, marble, slate, granulite, gneiss and schist.[/*]
  • Anthracite is a type of coal with a high carbon count, few impurities and with a high luster (meaning it looks shiny).[/*]
  • Marble is a metamorphic rock that is formed from the sedimentary rock limestone.[/*]
  • Quartzite is a metamorphic rock that is formed from the sedimentary rock sandstone.[/*]
  • Slate is a metamorphic rock that is formed from the sedimentary rock mudstone.[/*]
  • Granulite is a metamorphic rock that is formed from the igneous rock basalt.[/*]

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  • Schist is a medium-grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet-like grains in a preferred orientation (nearby grains are roughly parallel). It is defined by having more than 50% platy and elongated minerals, often finely interleaved with quartz and feldspar.[/*]
  • Slate is a fine-grained, foliated metamorphic rock that is created by the alteration of shale or mudstone by low-grade regional metamorphism. Slate is composed mainly of clay minerals or micas, depending upon the degree of metamorphism to which it has been subjected.[/*]
  • Marble is a metamorphic rock that forms when limestone is subjected to the heat and pressure of metamorphism. It is composed primarily of the mineral calcite (CaCO3) and usually contains other minerals, such as clay minerals, micas, quartz, pyrite, iron oxides, and graphite.[/*]
  • Quartzite is a nonfoliated metamorphic rock composed almost entirely of quartz. It forms when a quartz-rich sandstone is altered by the heat, pressure, and chemical activity of metamorphism. These conditions recrystallize the sand grains and the silica cement that binds them together. The result is a network of interlocking quartz grains of incredible strength.[/*]
  • Gneiss is a foliated metamorphic rock identified by its bands and lenses of varying composition, while other bands contain granular minerals with an interlocking texture. Other bands contain platy or elongate minerals with evidence of preferred orientation. It is this banded appearance and texture - rather than composition - that define a gneiss. Gneiss can form in several different ways. The most common path begins with shale, which is a sedimentary rock. Regional metamorphism can transform shale into slate, then phyllite, then schist, and finally into gneiss.[/*]

IGNEOUS ROCKS

Igneous rocks are formed from the solidification of molten rock material. There are two basic types.

Intrusive igneous rocks crystallize below Earth's surface, and the slow cooling that occurs there allows large crystals to form. Examples of intrusive igneous rocks are diorite, gabbro, granite, pegmatite, and peridotite.

Extrusive igneous rocks erupt onto the surface, where they cool quickly to form small crystals. Some cool so quickly that they form an amorphous glass. These rocks include andesite, basalt, obsidian, pumice, rhyolite, scoria, and tuff.

  • Igneous rock is formed when magma cools and solidifies, it may do this above or below the Earth's surface.[/*]
  • Magma can be forced into rocks, blown out in volcanic explosions or forced to the surface as lava.[/*]
  • The atoms and molecules of melted minerals are what make up magma.[/*]
  • These atoms and molecule rearrange themselves into mineral grains as the magma cools, forming rock as the mineral grains grow together.[/*]
  • There are over 700 different types of igneous rocks.[/*]
  • Examples of igneous rocks include basalt, granite, pumice, obsidian, tuff, diorite, gabbro and andesite.[/*]
  • Basalt forms the metamorphic rock granulite when subjected to extreme heat and pressure over time (metamorphism).[/*]
  • Granite is a common rock that contains at least 25% quartz [/*]

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  • Basalt is a dark-colored, fine-grained, igneous rock composed mainly of plagioclase and pyroxene minerals. It most commonly forms as an extrusive rock, such as a lava flow, but can also form in small intrusive bodies, such as an igneous dike or a thin sill. It has a composition similar to gabbro. The difference between basalt and gabbro is that basalt is a fine-grained rock while gabbro is a coarse-grained rock.[/*]
  • Gabbro is a coarse-grained, dark-colored, intrusive igneous rock. It is usually black or dark green in color and composed mainly of the minerals plagioclase and augite.[/*]
  • Granite is a light-colored igneous rock with grains large enough to be visible with the unaided eye. It forms from the slow crystallization of magma below Earth's surface. Granite is composed mainly of quartz and feldspar with minor amounts of mica, amphiboles, and other minerals. This mineral composition usually gives granite a red, pink, gray, or white color with dark mineral grains visible throughout the rock. Granite is the best-known igneous rock. Many people recognize granite because it is the most common igneous rock found at Earth's surface[/*]
  • Diorite is the name used for a group of coarse-grained igneous rocks with a composition between that of granite and basalt. Diorite is usually composed of sodium-rich plagioclase with lesser amounts of hornblende and biotite. It usually contains little if any quartz. This makes diorite a coarse-grained rock with a contrasting mix of black and white mineral grains. Some people often use this "salt and pepper" appearance as a clue to the identification of diorite.[/*]

MINERALS

Mineralogy is a subject of geology specializing in the scientific study of chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical) properties of minerals and mineralized artifacts. Specific studies within mineralogy include the processes of mineral origin and formation, classification of minerals, their geographical distribution, as well as their utilization.

Minerals are not equivalent to rocks. A rock is either an aggregate of one or more minerals, or not composed of minerals at all. Rocks like limestone or quartzite are composed primarily of one mineralcalcite or aragonite in the case of limestone, and quartz in the latter case. Other rocks can be defined by relative abundances of key (essential) minerals; a granite is defined by proportions of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase feldspar. The other minerals in the rock are termed accessory, and do not greatly affect the bulk composition of the rock. Rocks can also be composed entirely of non-mineral material; coal is a sedimentary rock composed primarily of organically derived carbon.

In rocks, some mineral species and groups are much more abundant than others; these are termed the rock-forming minerals. The major examples of these are quartz, the feldspars, the micas, the amphiboles, the pyroxenes, the olivines, and calcite; except the last one, all of the minerals are silicates. Overall, around 150 minerals are considered particularly important, whether in terms of their abundance or aesthetic value in terms of collecting.

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  • Feldspar - an abundant rock-forming mineral typically occurring as colourless or pale-coloured crystals and consisting of aluminosilicates of potassium, sodium, and calcium. Typically off-white or shades of red, orange and brown, occasionally green.[/*]
  • Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. Pure quartz, traditionally called rock crystal or clear quartz, is colorless and transparent or translucent, and has often been used for hardstone carvings, such as the Lothair Crystal. Common colored varieties include citrine, rose quartz, amethyst, smoky quartz, milky quartz, and others.[/*]
  • Magnetite is a mineral and one of the main iron ores. it is one of the oxides of iron. Magnetite is ferrimagnetic; it is attracted to a magnet and can be magnetized to become a permanent magnet itself. It is the most magnetic of all the naturally-occurring minerals on Earth. Naturally-magnetized pieces of magnetite, called lodestone, will attract small pieces of iron, which is how people first discovered the property of magnetism. Today it is mined as iron ore. Small grains of magnetite occur in almost all igneous and metamorphic rocks. Magnetite is black or brownish-black with a metallic luster.[/*]
  • Arsenopyrite is an iron arsenic sulfide, It is a hard metallic, opaque, steel grey to silver white mineral with a relatively high specific gravity of 6.1. Arsenopyrite also can be associated with significant amounts of gold. Consequently, it serves as an indicator of gold bearing reefs. Many arsenopyrite gold ores are refractory, i.e. the gold is not easily liberated from the mineral matrix. Arsenopyrite is found in high temperature hydrothermal veins, in pegmatites, and in areas of contact metamorphism or metasomatism.[/*]
  • Pyrite, or iron pyrite, also known as fool's gold, is an iron sulfide, This mineral's metallic luster and pale brass-yellow hue give it a superficial resemblance to gold, Pyrite is usually found associated with other sulfides or oxides in quartz veins, sedimentary rock, and metamorphic rock, as well as in coal beds and as a replacement mineral in fossils. Despite being nicknamed fool's gold, pyrite is sometimes found in association with small quantities of gold. Gold and arsenic occur as a coupled substitution in the pyrite structure. In the Carlintype gold deposits, arsenian pyrite contains up to 0.37 wt% gold. [/*]
  • Chalcopyrite is a brass-yellow mineral. It occurs in most sulfide mineral deposits throughout the world and has been the most important ore of copper for thousands of years. The surface of chalcopyrite loses its metallic luster and brass-yellow color upon weathering. It tarnishes to a dull, gray-green color, but in the presence of acids the tarnish can develop a red to blue to purple iridescence.[/*]
  • Sphalerite is a mineral that is the chief ore of zinc. It consists largely of zinc sulfide in crystalline form but almost always contains variable iron. When iron content is high it is an opaque black variety, marmatite. It is usually found in association with galena, pyrite, and other sulfides along with calcite, dolomite, and fluorite. Miners have also been known to refer to sphalerite as zinc blende, black-jack, and ruby jack.[/*]
  • Galena, also called lead glance, is the natural mineral form of lead sulfide. It is the most important ore of lead and an important source of silver.[/*]
  • Silver - The metal is found in the Earth's crust in the pure, free elemental form ("native silver"), as an alloy with gold and other metals, and in minerals such as argentite and chlorargyrite. Most silver is produced as a byproduct of copper, gold, lead, and zinc refining[/*]

Hopefully this shows some rock types for those who need a basic understanding, knowing the mineral associating the rock to the three main types. Many of us dont have a degree in geology chemistry physics mineralogy - but we have access to a large amount of literature and this can increase our knowledge considerably.

I hope you all enjoy the post - I tried to not make this a complicated explanation - but more so summarize the best I could.
 
what can I say hummmm think i need to go back to school lol but I have a lot of those rocks that I have pick up on days out in the field I will have to have a good look at them see if I can make out what they are, might make it a bit easier than trying to remember the pictures . once again another great Post .Glad you didn't complicate it lol .By the way don't you sleep this was posted at 3.12 AM . Thanks MG
 
Hi Pirate Pete,

Thanks for the post, Its good practice to pick up rocks and study them.

The host rocks - study the area you look to prospect at the geological formation - if the gold reef's host rock is sandstone slate - then we look for either these reefs or we look for alluvial signs of this rock in closer proximity or the lower sections, and we keep an eye out for any other minerals associated with, like iron which is a good indicator, and quartz mineral.

Ha yeah I sleep - when I had read Dign-It post here - I couldnt help myself and got lost with time in compiling the post.

Regards
 
G'day Minelab Gold.

Thankyou again for the fantastic post they sure do help, by putting your information to work
as best that i can,found myself 7 small ones biggest weighing .65grams total weight 1.3grams.

Once again a big thankyou

Regards Oldschool.
 
I would also like to thank you for your time in putting all that information together. I am sure it would be a great help to anyone who is searching for gold or gemstones.

Mike70.
 
Minelab Gold said:
Hi Pirate Pete,

Thanks for the post, Its good practice to pick up rocks and study them.

The host rocks - study the area you look to prospect at the geological formation - if the gold reef's host rock is sandstone slate - then we look for either these reefs or we look for alluvial signs of this rock in closer proximity or the lower sections, and we keep an eye out for any other minerals associated with, like iron which is a good indicator, and quartz mineral.

Ha yeah I sleep - when I had read Dign-It post here - I couldnt help myself and got lost with time in compiling the post.

Regards
MG. Great post on all the rock types. Feel very guilty you worked in to the wee hours of the morning to compose it.
Much appreciated. Thanks :)
 
Mine lab gold ,
Cracker of a picture post !
A few ?s

How long have you been prospecting ?
What's your back ground ?
biggest find to date ?
Probably I'll relevant but curious , it seems that you find gold every trip out ....
Do you still did every target you sound or do you disregard ones your ears deem as trash ?
Cheers

Michael
 
Hi Michael,

Thanks for the post, to answer your questions,

How long have you been prospecting? In my very early posts I mentioned that I started prospecting in 2005, as for how long if we put this into time in the field - some weeks I was out for 4 to 8 hours daily through weekdays and most weekends. There were days when we just can't make it due to rain. If the rain is light I will often use a protective cover ie plastic bag for my control box. I have spent 1000's of hours in the fields.
A person I know who is not so keen I guess the persistence and patience isn't there - again he started prospecting maybe 5 years ago - he goes out and swings for 40 minutes then gives up - he will tell you he has been prospecting for 5 to 6 years.

Some days I would find 1,2,3 even up to 10 pieces of Gold - then some days nothing for a couple of days and maybe another piece. In my good weeks I was finding Gold at least 4 days out of a week. The stories and the ways we find it is what's most exciting, I walked from my car and instantly hit gold, then the rest of the day nothing, or sometimes nothing all day and on the way back to the car hit gold. The other day I needed to leave the location for a half hour then when I returned I thought to try this area as I was walking back to where I left off and hit a 2.0 grammer, If I hadnt left the previous spot I wouldnt have found this piece.

Some days I would comb through an area then when it gets to the point that I need a change of scenery I would wander along through the bush with no real strategy in mind just a simple walk and hit gold. I like to mix it up in the fields with different strategies just to keep that feeling of moving forwards.

What's your background? To answer this question I would need a fairly big post, I will advise some details relating to prospecting. Anything that I learn is self taught and learned from experience in the fields. Asking many questions along the way and retaining valuable information. We dont always believe everything we hear or see so ensuring to take on board the valuable information. With prospecting I look at it in many ways - some people enjoy it as a hobby, I like to study the best and see what can be done to be better all the time.

Biggest find to date This is one of those things depending on your perspective, my biggest find I was walking down towards a gully moving very slowly and was starting to hit a very strong sound - I was balancing while looking forwards into the gully itself and there was an old car body pushed into the gully, my biggest GT gold find in one nugget, well its no monster it was 14.8 grams plenty of 10's 12's - total GT Gold would be over 350 pieces - I remember in my early days reading a story of a guy who had been prospecting for 2 years with no luck not even one spec, then one day in Dunolly he found a 30oz nugget.

Do you still did every target you sound or do you disregard ones your ears deem as trash ? Everyone has there own way of prospecting, to answer this question I never use discriminate and my ears cant rule out any target as trash, I always try to predict what it could be based on level depth or the type of ground I am digging through, but the most important is to verify the target, we need a visual on the target so we know. I remove all targets, the other day I came across an area with a visual sign of an old rusty can on top of the ground and looked to be broken up from weathering, my instant thought was there must be little pieces scattered and fair enough I removed small pieces of the rusty can and still combed the area. This ensures I have covered the ground thoroughly.

In saying this there is one section that is excellent gold grounds but I will tell you now there is no way I am even attempting to do this area - it is covered and I mean covered like a scrap metal yard of old cans, tins, metal objects from the old gold days pushed into a shallow wide gully which stretches about 50 mtrs in length and maybe 25mtrs in width - I have pulled out some pretty unique old bottles in this area. If I am back out that way I will snap a picture and upload it

I told this story to another member in PM - I was out detecting with a friend and others in an old gold area, when we came back to have lunch and meet up and have a break after 2 hours - we were showing our digs, old bits of steel, small relics etc - one of the operators said he was digging into good ground just over there but it was a bullet shell, I asked where the bullet shell was he said it is still in the ground, I asked well how do you know it was a bullet shell, his reply was that he knows what they sound like. I told him to go back over and dig the shell out, fair enough when he came back it was a piece of gold. This is why we dig everything gold can be shaped in many different ways and size and will throw out different sounds based on this.

Everyone has a different story and thats the joy of this profession, hobby, sport, game however you look at it - we all have to endure different terrains which add's to the level required to find them.
 
Another enjoyable and educational post; this is the part I liked the most:
Minelab Gold said:
A person I know who is not so keen I guess the persistence and patience isn't there - again he started prospecting maybe 5 years ago - he goes out and swings for 40 minutes then gives up - he will tell you he has been prospecting for 5 to 6 years.

So true!
 
Hi MG. I sure look forward to looking up this thread in the evening and reading your latest posts. Once again top notch stuff! It's so good of you to share your knowledge and pay it forward like you do. Thanks again. Lovin it! Regards Richard. [email protected]
 
Hi All,

Another few hours out - I wanted to take some photo's for Mickkat12 of that gully area that I call trash gully, dont get me wrong the entire lower section is filled with trash but have found some nice little pieces along the sides over the years.

1. This is an area that I wouldnt do just for the sake it would take a very long time to clean out the trash items. You can see all the rusty objects along the gully area scattered everywhere, when you walk through here you need to either turn your detector off or hold it a fair way above the ground. Maybe thats why I have had good finds along the sides and flat area's just away from the worked area's - people that see this must assume that the sides might also be full of this rubbish and get easily deterred.
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2. As I continued further down the gully on one side I noticed a section that has been cut in away from the main gully with various holes around, and appeared to be a shallow area. In the first photo you can see the hole that I dug along the side of this shallow area, the second image the line with the arrow is the main gully direction and the other lines are to indicate the edges and direction of the surfaced shallow gully type area. This tells us that the gold found here was shallow which is excellent for detecting. The grounds here are mostly covered in sediment clays so to get the pay dirt we hope the level isnt too deep.

The target that I came across was very soft - almost that soft the only to distinguish is to scrape the top. The signal increased and when I was removing material it was 90% clays - no signs of any other material - the material was definitely what had been removed in the upper parts of the shallow gully area when the old miners were going for the wash material.
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3. I had the target out in the pile and was roughly 8 inches below - and was somewhere in this clump of soft clay mixture
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I crushed the clump easily in my hand and look what was in the centre - nice piece of Gold
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5. After the gold was cleaned - has little pieces of Quartz within
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6. This is some other objects found while out over the last few outings, the only way to distinguish is to verify by visually looking at the target. The large round piece in the pile - this one came from a hole about 2 to 2 1/2 feet deep below red clay area, the funny thing with this is the sound was pretty much like a ground noise that we all hear too often in high mineralized red clay area's - the target had been located by another detector operator but the top only had a scrape mark of maybe 20mm deep.

The sound must have turned them away thinking it was ground noise, the issue is most people are trained or hear somewhere along their journey that you scrape the top and if it doesnt increase then it is ground noise. In Red clay high mineralized area's we can dig 100 holes and nothing just simple ground noise, after we get so far and balance away, the mineral content can be that much that even balancing still doesnt entirely take the waver away. The signal didnt increase to a noticeable solid until roughly 8 inches down. With red clay high mineralized area's this is a sign that there is a high concentration of iron oxide in the ground, the iron mineral leaches up through the ground over millions of years through the clays and basically staining them red.

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I would also like to thank Mickkat12 for the gold found today - after replying to his post I thought to stop in at that area and take some photo's - while I was there I pretty much grabbed the detector to swing away. As in the previous post we all have these stories about finding gold and this is one of them. If Mickkat12 hadnt sent that message then I would have been in a completely different area. And also the mosquitos that chased me further down the gully had something to do with me arriving at this exact point in the gully area. Along with reading the ground in this one shallow area.

Enjoy
 
Love it :D i am waiting for you to post " hi all went out few hours today and got bugger all " :lol: lol . Bloody awesome mate and you seem to be able to word it so we can follow what you mean. You are gaining a following of members reading your posts and waiting for the next installment .
Weldone and keep them coming, one day i will come to victoria and the GT and you will definently be on my people i must meet with list.
 
aussiefarmer said:
Love it :D i am waiting for you to post " hi all went out few hours today and got bugger all " :lol: lol . Bloody awesome mate and you seem to be able to word it so we can follow what you mean. You are gaining a following of members reading your posts and waiting for the next installment .
Weldone and keep them coming, one day i will come to victoria and the GT and you will definently be on my people i must meet with list.

Hi Aussie Farmer,

Thanks for the reply, every now and then thats why I also post up the amount of other targets that I dig as well. Just to show people that we also deal with the trash targets. Like the video's you see on youtube - what some people should do is video themselves digging the 100's of targets before they get the gold. Some are easy and some not so.

There was a funny youtube clip I seen of a guy digging his first nugget, I was almost in dis-belief at the size of the hole he was digging it was like 1mtr x 1mtr in width - and when he had got down maybe 400mm or so he quickly pulled out the target which was a KFC Box and he pulled out a chicken nugget and started eating it - while he was trying not to laugh. I can't believe he got thumbs down for his video clip.

If you are over this way sing out and would be more than happy to meet up.

After the group days on the 5th Nov and 26th Nov - I will be sharing some pretty in depth knowledge for those not able to make it to the groups. In field is always more of an advantage on explaining - what I will share will open up many peoples eyes

All the best
 
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