Gold Nugget and Specimen Cleaning Advice

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The best way is to start with just a soak in warm, soapy water & if needed a bit of a scrub with an old toothbrush. Don't borrow the missus's :lol: Next level up I would get an ultrasonic cleaner if you want a bit more bling or to get the dirt out even the toothbrush will miss.
You don't really need to use solutions as such on most or not that I have found anyway. Keep it simple first off. I always just soak them first & if ok leave it at that. A lot don't even make it into the ultrasonic cleaner let alone into any type of solution.

If you've got some with more stubborn inclusions like some quartz/ironstone then alibrite or brickies acid, as above, can do the trick. Read the label & play safe with acid :D
 
Not nuggets but any specimens that have most or all of the gold inside, I pop into Alibrite for a few months. I use a beetroot tuperware container with the sieve/basket inside its easy to lift up and see how the digestion process is going. In a well ventilated area, always use chemical rubber gloves and clear safety glasses at all times, wash your hands and arms after. **** Do not use a glass containers to hold Alibrite as glass is made from silica and will eventually be eaten through by the acid. Its an Aluminum mag wheel cleaner from Supercheap Auto.
Once the gold has been released from inside the rock I transfer to another container (Non silica) and heap bicarb soda with water onto whatever remains for two days. then you simply flood with water for 10 minutes. Then after months of waiting you can see what your gold looks like from inside the specimen.
Any specimens that I find that have the gold already showing I keep instead of popping into an acid bath. These look good and shouldn't be destroyed.
Please be safe when playing with any acids if in doubt , scrub or wash your self. Alibrite contains Hydroflouric acid this dissolves calcium and silica to get the gold out of the specimen. When applied to the human body it dissolves the calcium in your bones making them brittle and easily broken. A course of calcium injections for the rest of your life doesn't sound good. So play safe with all acids.
 
Brumble-Gum said:
... Alibrite contains Hydroflouric acid this dissolves calcium and silica to get the gold out of the specimen. When applied to the human body it dissolves the calcium in your bones making them brittle and easily broken. A course of calcium injections for the rest of your life doesn't sound good. So play safe with all acids.

Just to add to this, while Alibrite is not as bad as concentrated hydrofluoric, it still contains some. Hydrofluoric acid will take up the calcium in your blood and throw your blood chemistry out of balance, it can kill you much more quickly than by making your bones brittle. Still, I reckon Alibrite is safe if used carefully.
 
Anyone got tips on cleaning gold with acid, like, Hydrochloric is it? The process on how you do it.
 
Gday cecc,
When using hydrochloric acid you must be extremely careful.
First off, you must be in a very well ventilated area as the fumes are highly toxic, a carcinogenic and the fumes will suck the oxygen from out your lungs.
Make sure you where a pair of long chimical gloves and wrap around goggles, this stuff WILL burn holes directly through your skin!!!
When you use a container, make sure its clean and has not been used in holding any kind of alkaline based products such as bi-carb, baking soda or chlorine as that will cause an explosive reaction.
You really dont want to wear this stuff, be careful to test if the container is able to contain hydrochloric acid as it will melt some plastics.
I can only give you those basic safety instructions really as I have never cleaned gold with acid, but I expect that you would just place it in the acid for a few days in a well ventilated area and then carefully wash it of with water.
My daily work for the last 12 years requires me to use hydrochloric acid so I have learned to respect that evil stuff.
Happy cleaning :p
Cheers Steve
 
I would like to reinforce the safety aspect of using strong acids etc.
Having recently finished 40 years working in laboratories I can not overstate the importance of safety in handing all chemicals.
Please ensure you take time to read all safety instructions, wear eye protection, gloves and work in a well ventilated space away from kids and pets.

Diablo
 
Hi cecc
If its only for cleaning and not for removing quartz or ironstone have you given Alybright a try ?
Its a dumbed down acid but still does the trick. You can get it at Supercheap.
Cheers
ChrisM
 
Ali Brite (even at only 5% HF) is not dumbed down and must be treated with respect!
Like hydrochloric acid (HCl or brickies acid, also pool pH adjuster), it will remove ironstone, but unlike hydrochloric, the HF in Ali Brite will also slowly attack quartz.
Hydrochloric acid is dangerous but not considered carcinogenic - it's the acid in our stomachs after all. Still, must be used with caution.
 
Thanks guys for all the advice, the gold I have has a whitish color over it.
 
Thats mercury Cecc....acid wont help it..

Oh steve hows those 20pces in that test pan...?
Could help myself....lol
 
yobskin said:
Thats mercury Cecc....acid wont help it..

Oh steve hows those 20pces in that test pan...?
Could help myself....lol

looks like it's acid then Yobsy.
 
aussiefarmer said:
has anyone tried popping them in the dishwasher ?

Hahahhaah This brings back some unpleasant memories.
Not cleaning gold but old bottles.
Dishwashers hadn't been on the market long and thought what a great way this would be to clean up a swag of early bottles.
They came out very clean but all the red dirt didn't clear the washer, heavy and settled in the pump & filter.
Complete strip down of washer to clean it out.
Took years to earn back a few brownie points.
 
Whatever you do, never clean your gold with a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acid..............(so I was told)
 

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