gold in sand

[alotofquestions]

hello, this question may have already been covered if so please redirect me, gold within sand,
is it possible to find small flat flecks of ( i will say something golden ) by sieving sand? if not what have i found? i have tried to look into pyrite and mica without resolution,

the sand is on the edge of a creek meeting a river close to the ocean, 1-2 km maybe? i found it while kayaking and it appears to cover quite an area, if it is gold why isn't anyone else onto it? if its not gold what other possibilities are there?

any help appreciated
thanks

 

[AtomRat]

Most likely mica. It would be gold as gold isn't visible in the way like you are explaining what you found. Gold is very heavy and mica floats and glitters. Gold is very obvious yellowy / orange and bright. Your more than welcome to share a photo..sometimes mica is related to gold..depending where you are

 

[aussiefarmer]

if its on top theres very little chance of it being gold .
put it and the sand in any plastic bowl just enough to cover the bottom . Add 2 cm of water and swirl it around for a minute , keep swirling and tilt bowl until its all over one side , then gently rock the bowl so the water just laps over the sand gentle enough just to slowly move the sand each lap.
it should take a minute or so to wash all the lighter sand away leaving the heavies on that side of bowl and hopefully the gold . use good clean creek water and if the shiney stuff doesn't seem to lag behind on the bottom of the bowl and it seems to float or behave like sand well then its not gold.

 

[alotofquestions]

Thanks guys i will try an upload a pic shortly,
I have tried to pan it and there is some glitter that floats away and some larger pieces stay behind,
as i am new too this hobby, and honestly have no idea, except google and this forum, i may be to gentle in my panning,
i have dug into the sand away from the water as it is a larger tidal area that fills with sand washed down during the wet season,

and have found the same in the deeper sand also,

 

[alotofquestions]

sorry forgot to add something for scale

 

[Swinging & digging]

100 % certain its Mica.

There is an old saying in gold prospecting, "if you think its gold most likely its not? You will know gold when your looking at it."

 

[alotofquestions]

http://www.goldprospectingonline.co...a-beach/how-and-where-find-beach-placer-gold/

in my research things like this have come up

 

[alotofquestions]

how do i test? to be certain? as i look at some of these pieces they look quite real i know it is a low resolution image hard to look and tell, but how does one go about this?
thanks for response

 

[AtomRat]

Beach placer gold is usually very very deep and out in the bay but you may as well have a go mate as you never know.If possible a photo of the location could help even more but don't know if you would like to share this. You could pm it to me

Don't let our answers put you off. You have a chance of finding anything from gold to rubies if you look carefully

Creeks meeting rivers can hold incredible finds and searching just before it enters the river on the downstream side would be the best place to look.

Check with laws before prospecting the river and make sure your allowed to dig there. If your allowed to.. whatever is in the creek will be dropping just downstream on the river where the creek joins it..on the same side

 

[AtomRat]

If you pm me exact or roughly location where you are, I can list to you what's in your area from my books.

 

[alotofquestions]

thank you guys for the response, very helpful,
i dont know how to pm yet mate figure it out soon,
i am not greedy and do not mind sharing with repectable people my location, would like to find people more knowledgeable than i,
i understand the principal of the beach placer being deeper, but i am in a cyclone area that frequently brings new sand up the mouth of the river which was dammed recently, so with being the new the research and the field trips dont always make sense,
the river further up runs along historical gold mining towns leading my suspicion of wash down

thank you all again very helpful to get answers not generated by the voices in my head lol

 

[AtomRat]

I started with no help as well and after 3 months of panning with a base off a pot plant I finally stumbled across two blokes digging into this machine with a pump roaring..sounds of gravel shuffling and the smell of petrol in the air. My first experience of a sluice, and luckily for me they were very friendly and told me everything I was doing was all wrong. Being cocky and sceptical after thinking I knew soo much about gold before I met them.. I was confronted with the sure fact I knew absolutely nothing.

It takes a while to learn and if your lucky, you might find another digging along the way or forum member.

If theres goldfields not too far away..that's where you need to be, not the beach end imo.

You want big areas where rocks have been deposited by the water flows or crevices and cracks running through the stream. Close to the diggings is where your experience for gold should start and get straight into it and see what gold looks like with your own eyes..and how it is found in a pan.

PM link / button will be visible to you after you've made 10 posts and then you will find it near each members username saying 'Message'

 

[Hunting the yellow]

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/6419/1447915567_dsc_0045.jpg

sorry forgot to add something for scale

mica sorry to disappoint

 

[alotofquestions]

not even one piece you reckon? what colour does mica have under a cool white globe?

 

[AtomRat]

Like mentioned above, you will know when you have gold if ut doesn't look like gold ir you doubt it is..chances are high that its not gold. Certainly the stuff you have is called mica and comes from decomposing granite in hills. Gold can relate to this. Quartz is another good sign but takes up a massive percent of the worlds strata and very common to not hold gold as well

 

[GaryO]

how do i test? to be certain? as i look at some of these pieces they look quite real i know it is a low resolution image hard to look and tell, but how does one go about this?
thanks for response

Mica will break up very easily if u rub it ; ) . Thats a very quick easy test.

 

[G0lddigg@]

100% mica if you panned all that stuff and theree was gold in it the gold would stay put and the mica would slide to the other side of the pan

 

[Parko]

not even one piece you reckon? what colour does mica have under a cool white globe?

Just that. Cool, pale, cold. Gold stays gold in colour even in shade or low light: warm and yellow it picks up the light and turns it. Gleamy, glistery, shiny and sheeny. Mica looses it's sheen in shade and floats away when agitated, gold stays put, even the tiniest specks. Gold looks sexy, Mica flaccid.

 

[AtomRat]

not even one piece you reckon? what colour does mica have under a cool white globe?

Just that. Cool, pale, cold. Gold stays gold in colour even in shade or low light: warm and yellow it picks up the light and turns it. Gleamy, glistery, shiny and sheeny. Mica looses it's sheen in shade and floats away when agitated, gold stays put, even the tiniest specks. Gold looks sexy, Mica flaccid.

You leave mica alone!! 8.( 8.(

 

[blisters]

not even one piece you reckon? what colour does mica have under a cool white globe?

If you're not sure keep it and compare when you know you have a piece of gold. Go to a meet and you'll get some for sure.
Jon