Gippsland newbie

[bumdags]

Hi all. Im new to prospecting and would like some advice. I bought a pan and went to a local creek. After a while i found some shiny little sparkels. I think they might be gold but so tiny i cant be sure. I have panned it down to fine sand with black Sands and sparkles. How do I tell if its gold? And if so how do I get it out of the sand?

 

[Shane89]

Hi,

Im also a newbie. I learnt that gold will still look golden even in the shade. if you have it out in the sun and hold your hand over and shade it and it tarnishes its not gold.

Also give it a swirl, its heavier then water so should not move around a great deal.

Im sure there are better ways though lol

 

[bumdags]

Thanks i will try the shade thing. The flecks are so small they are like the size of pinheads

 

[Rusty_G]

Hi there Bumdags, where abouts in Gippsland are you? West, central or east?
You have a few questions there.
1). How to tell of it's Gold?
One of the best ways to identify Gold is look at it's form and colour.
Form: Gold is a metal and most often found as rounded grains or smooth flakes. It is very rarely found, especially in placer deposits in it's crystaline form. It is ductile and maleable (when compressed it flattens and doesn't break).
Nothing truly has the shine and colour of Gold, it is a buttery golden yellow colour.

Things that can look similar is Iron Pyrites (ussually found in it's cubic form, more silvery in colour, a lot lighter and is brittle and easily fractured and broken up under pressure (hammer test).
Also sometimes you can get Mica flakes in a golden colour. Mica is a metamorphic rock that ussually fractures in sheets and is very light.

2). How do I seperate Gold from Black Sand?
I'll let someone else answer this.

You'll find online videos helpful in your learning proccess...but you can't beat the books for bulk of your research and learning. :Y:

 

[BigWave]

If the black sands can be separated by careful panning. Using a snuffer bottle can help.
Alternatively if the black sands are iron based, you could try a magnet.

 

[bumdags]

Rusty im from west gippsland. And the `gold` i found is so tiny you cant really see a colour yet and i dont have much collected yet as i have only done a few pans from different spots on the creek.
Bigwave. Thanks i will try the magnet. As i said im still very new and im sure my panning technique leaves a lot to be desired :Y:

 

[RM Outback]

Welcome to PA bumdags, I'm not a wet gold person but the above advice is good advice :Y:. All the best when your next out there.

 

[bumdags]

Thanks outback

 

[bumdags]

Went out this morning and found more tiny little flakes. They seem to glimmer in the shade. So tiny i cant handle them or collect them. I haven't dug very deep yet. Is it likely to get bigger flakes the deeper i dig? Or is it likely to be all this size?

 

[Rusty_G]

A lot depends on where you are in regards to geology and hydrology. For instance; the further away from the original source of the Gold you are, the longer distance the Gold has travelled.
Because Gold is very heavy in relation to the other objects it often takes fast flowing water to move it (flood). In a flood though you also have large cobbles to boulders rolling and grinding there way down the stream bed and this is where the Gold also flows. So eventually after some distance the Gold typically is ground down and flattened into small flakes.

 

[bumdags]

Thanks rusty. That's what I was thinking. So i should look further up stream to see if size increasing at all?

 

[Rusty_G]

Yep you could, or just do some online research...you'll be surprised what you can turn up that might help you in your search of that area.

 

[bumdags]

I know there was gold found in the area just not sure exactly where.

 

[bumdags]

Hi all found my first couple of "definitel"y gold flakes. Very excited. Also finding a silver color metal in good size flakes. Seems to be fairly heavy. Any ideas on what it is?

 

[Rusty_G]

It could be Mercury coated Gold...can't be certain...but if there was old stampers (hard rock mining) going in the area then it's a possibility.
Mercury is very toxic and shold not be handled, be sure to do some research on it! If you are not sure what to do best thing is to keep it in water and seperate it from the Gold as it 'sticks' to clean Gold...all stuff you will learn with a research paper on Mercury.

Edit: Not the best article but it covers the basics:
https://www.thebalance.com/gold-mining-mercury-usage-2367340
Especially note what the WHO has to say about it's affect on the body.
Not wanting to be an alarmist, but better to be informed...knowledge is power etc.
:Y:

 

[bumdags]

Thanks i will look into that. I was wondering if it could be silver or possibly tin. Any thoughts? Does silver or tin occur in similar areas?

 

[Swinging & digging]

Tin occurs in black sands, it does not look like shiny silver or grey metal.
I am sure you have mercury coated gold.

 

[bumdags]

There was quartz crushing in the area. but i didn't think they did it on the creek im in. If it is mercury coated gold What do i do about this? Do i leave the creek? Do i collect it in a container without handling? Do i have to report it? Please help

I will try to get a pic of it tomorrow but my phone camera isn't great

 

[Rusty_G]

As far as I know the methods of gold recovery using Mercury still involved washing away tailings which could allow a small amount of mercury to escape. As Mercury is also a heavy metal it can work it's way down in heavy rains into the creek.
In mu opinion I steer clear of the Mercury...I figure my health is more important and I'm too lazy/ spooked lol :lol: to bother doing all the risk managment associated with Gold recovery from Mercury. Whether to keep it or not depends on how much Gold covered in Mercury your finding...if your finding a lot then it may be worth having it retorted to get the Gold from it....but either way if you remove it from the creek your doing the environment a favour and increases our hobbies 'greeny profile' hahaa. Keeping it in water is the best bet and using rubber, latex or nitrile gloves is important if touching it....best use a snuffer bottle or pipet to suck it up to put in seperate (not with Gold!) Vile.
I have a small amount of Mercury myself that I got from Walhalla...I keep it in a seperate plastic vile with a tight sealing lid.

 

[bumdags]

Thanks rusty for your advice much appreciated . I will take appropriate precautions. Sorry for some silly questions.