Can you help ID this? Google keeps telling me its crab or shellfish!!!!

[GieTM]

Absolutely a lovely looking rock. I would be curious how well it would cut and polish.

Time for more coffee.

me too. I'm tempted to build it a stand and shelf as is, but you know how that goes.
I'm sure it would be oddly geometric and colorful.
It is SO fragile!

 

[Alchemy]

Anecdotally a MBMMLLC video I watched today the host said good pockets of gold are often where multiple faults intersect.

As for myself in my location in southern Ontario, I find my gold in jewellery form, mostly in the water using a metal detector.

I truly envy those that are in actual gold bearing areas, as I would for sure be a full time gold sleuthing hobo. There is some lingering rumors of traces of wild gold here and there, within a reasonable driving distance, but nothing serious that is actually documented. I would have to go a few hours north and most of that type of gold is locked up in the rock, not placer. (Due to glaciers)

That being said I am going to give it a go, I feel like there has to be a personal sized find somewhere, whether it be in the glacial till that my town sits on, or perhaps in a bedrock granite cracks just to the north of here. It would be nice to find a random isolated room full of gold like what was discovered in Eldorado. The geology is extremely complex just north of here, so there is certainly a chance,. Also I don't believe all the "old timers" were capable properly assessing things, just based of the fact of how easily things are hidden just out of site, or is too small to be visually obvious.

Best of luck with your ores. I am fortunate that the people I sell my gold to will use their XRF machine on other bits and pieces that I come across. I have been able to somewhat verify really old silver by it's higher-than-sterling purity. Maybe you can find someone local to you with an XRF, it's quick and easy for them to do. I don't know how well it would work of something like that, where the metals would be dispersed in small quantities rather than a homogeneous surface that jewelry has.

I have had a mild interest in ewaste over the years, but it wasn't until I saw someone using gold processing machinery recently to process e waste into copper pellets that it finally kicked into a mild obsession. That is what lead me here, the potential of gold recovery as a byproduct of circuit board shredding. It's still mining, just using a different kind of ore lol.

 

[Shark]

Rocks with Gold are one thing, but now we are getting into the geology and formation subjects. Soon we will be hypothesizing how the astrophysics of the universe may or may not have a certain effect on Gold deposits, and their formation on Earth, or other celestial bodies. Just wondering where, and if, there is a line to draw.

Just my opinion, but carry it as far as you feel is relevant to the thread. Maybe some others, such as myself, can learn a bit more as well.

 

[Alondro]

Rocks with Gold are one thing, but now we are getting into the geology and formation subjects. Soon we will be hypothesizing how the astrophysics of the universe may or may not have a certain effect on Gold deposits, and their formation on Earth, or other celestial bodies. Just wondering where, and if, there is a line to draw.

Well, we also have to consider how the gods' spilling their nectar and ambrosia altered the thaumatic structure of the leylines that makes gold form from the ether! ;D

 

[GieTM]

Anecdotally a MBMMLLC video I watched today the host said good pockets of gold are often where multiple faults intersect.

As for myself in my location in southern Ontario, I find my gold in jewellery form, mostly in the water using a metal detector.

I truly envy those that are in actual gold bearing areas, as I would for sure be a full time gold sleuthing hobo. There is some lingering rumors of traces of wild gold here and there, within a reasonable driving distance, but nothing serious that is actually documented. I would have to go a few hours north and most of that type of gold is locked up in the rock, not placer. (Due to glaciers)

That being said I am going to give it a go, I feel like there has to be a personal sized find somewhere, whether it be in the glacial till that my town sits on, or perhaps in a bedrock granite cracks just to the north of here. It would be nice to find a random isolated room full of gold like what was discovered in Eldorado. The geology is extremely complex just north of here, so there is certainly a chance,. Also I don't believe all the "old timers" were capable properly assessing things, just based of the fact of how easily things are hidden just out of site, or is too small to be visually obvious.

Best of luck with your ores. I am fortunate that the people I sell my gold to will use their XRF machine on other bits and pieces that I come across. I have been able to somewhat verify really old silver by it's higher-than-sterling purity. Maybe you can find someone local to you with an XRF, it's quick and easy for them to do. I don't know how well it would work of something like that, where the metals would be dispersed in small quantities rather than a homogeneous surface that jewelry has.

I have had a mild interest in ewaste over the years, but it wasn't until I saw someone using gold processing machinery recently to process e waste into copper pellets that it finally kicked into a mild obsession. That is what lead me here, the potential of gold recovery as a byproduct of circuit board shredding. It's still mining, just using a different kind of ore lol.

So great for you!

I hope that you do go because you will really enjoy it. Try not to get discouraged when you first set out. If you have seen me saying I'm following a trail, I'm sure you understand but ill mention my hunting process.

1st: Youtube is a great learning spot. However if you understand the process well you can identify that some of the "big" ones don't know crap. Regurgitators of wildly complicated processes, equipment and regurgitators. I could name them and you would ALL know them, they have good info, but they are less than accurate with the process and involvement. It is not in ALL of their best interest to tell you the whole truth. The complaints I hear most is the time to filter, the time to let settle, and how you can dissolve 7 lbs of silver plate with 200ml of HNO3. You will know them by their stupid answers they give to their followers. Regurgitators have no clue why they are doing what they do. Youtube IS a job.

Stick with intelligence not the fanciest youtube presentation. The fancy stuff is for profit even though one of them constantly says they are not here for profit. LOL. To be pain top dollar on youtube you must gain followers, and reply to EVERY email in any form. positive, negative or stupid. All acceptable to youtube.

2nd: Since I'm new I don't know people here, but as you are reading in my post for ID that there is some significant intelligence here and what I will refer to as some of the veterans in various categories keep saying the same things. One that sticks out to me is NOT TO OVER COMPLICATE THINGS. None of this is all that difficult, you just need to protect yourself from taking everything outright from Youtube, because you'll get your heart broken, things won't work out quite right and you may never go hunting again. That would be sad.

3rd: I am new here and have been criticized for 2 things in 1 day. I didn't know but the Mod's stepped in and reassured I am ok with my post. If they are ok, than the members are just confused.

First, don't talk about geology? I will refrain from further comment on that. Those are people that don't want you outside looking for their gold, or they don't know how and will never go get free gold, or they think gold is almost extinct and should be left where it is. Worst of all they decide on their own that YOU DO NOT DESERVE TO LEARN. Hogwash! The idea of not discussing geology in the pursuit of gold is..... bizzare!
Like, I paid for the whole year for this site! Can I get a refund please!
These comments are counter productive and would otherwise have discouraged you from taking part in this discussion and losing the opportunity to learn because of cyber bullies. You know which finger I'm holding up don't you? LOL. A stagnant forum is a result of poor mannered members. Rise above Alchemy.

Second I was sent a private email which I don't understand how to do, that I am not allowed to endorse a book! WTF! 1st I explained that I read a section on ore in a book called Fist Full of Gold by Chris Ralph. Already knowing a lot I like to support our community and the people that act as ambassadors to it. I learned from this book, I have no relation to him, I'm sponsored by nobody, EVER! So if this is a book burning club and the only book that can be mentioned is Holks book, than again, I want a REFUND!

ok. my method of hunting was refined by 2 people that have been in this community for a really long time. One is Chris Ralphs videos on youtube and that other guy that always screaming with the skeleton. they both have outstanding technical processes to finding new and old gold. I highly suggest examining their presentations. I have to warn you, these guys have been doing this their whole lives. I believe they are both at least second generation and are well educated and practiced. The know. you mentioned MBMMLLC, he's great! and a nice guy.

Basically pick a spot that you did some research on. Don't like research? ok, then just look up old mines, don;t worry what the "primary" mineral is because often times gold will be listed 2nd or 3rd or not at all. that's just a thing people do to keep others away. Lot's of prospectors will post and say discouraging things because they REALLY think you are after their gold.

For example: OHHH don;'t worry about fools gold, it's fake, a waste of time, BTW, where EXACTLY did you find the fools gold? Like EXACT GPS coordinates please. Can you take me there, but after that you just forget about fools gold.

Look for gold where other have found it, to start. There is lots there, you are 100% correct on that.

Get a few 1 gallon bags and a backpack. look for the geologic signs they describe in the videos around the mines you visit. Soon you will see with new eyes. Pick a good spot, put an amount of ground material, dig down a bit for you're sample and put it in your bag and capture your GPS location and write it on the bag. Follow the trail to another location near but not too near (necessarily) and take an appropriate sample and mark it. Basically follow the GEOLOGY and sample all the while documenting your location. next go home and learn how to identify your material yourself, EVERYONE here knows how to do that. process each bag on it's own and check if precious metals are contained, which. Hopefully one will be richer than the others and that would be your clue to the direction you are hunting. Don't be afraid to stop and meditate to the various celestial bodies of gold formation. Hum vibrate, whatever. That lesson is forthcoming. Eventually your hunt will take you up that mountain that you didn't want to go up. The far away one. Because a bunch a thousand years ago that mountain was bigger, scarier, and closer. Today, you are standing on it's erosion.

Learn about bedrock, That's where you prefer to sample from but isn't always immediately available. But areas that act as bedrock (traps) work too.

GEOLOGY IS EVERYTHING in the hunt for gold. Nothing less. So fricken strange.

If you have questions please ask, I don't give dumb answers, I won't criticise you, and I have NO secrets. I know what I know, and I don't know what I don't know. Yet. I do disappear for days at a time when I need something to process, but I aim to be here. I'm sure i won't win any popularity contests, but I shoot straight. Behind a computer or not. (I HATE COMPUTERS!) I will do what I can to be supportive. You WILL get discouraged, you JUST need to learn the rules. Not even that many. Just youtube "the geology of gold" as a SUBJECT.
IF there is a video called "The Geology of Gold" that's not what I'm talking about. It sounds right though. Type it in and watch every single video on youtube. Then go back to the good ones and watch them 7 or 12 more times.
Ohh, Google maps! The biggest tool.
Geology videos for 2 weeks solid. NOTHING but GEOLOGY. That way, you have gold in your pocket every time you follow your trail up that mountain really far away. Unless you get lazy and don't check where ELSE it could be coming from along the route. Very easy to get that kind of lazy. The benefit is 1 bad read and you only check 1 spot you can get skunked pretty easy. I suggest always trying hard if your in the field or it's just a waste of gas in terms of profit margin.

I regularly have to drive 3 to 7 hours to my spots. Luckily I can also drive to some spots in just 15 min.

Many others here are very well informed, far more than me.
Sometimes you have to knock hard to get the generals to acknowledge a rookie to the site. Ahhhh, the proving grounds in life are funny.
I hear there is learning that wants to take place here but questions are not asked out of fear of ridicule. How ABSOLUTLY stupid.

Imagine showing up for high school and you ask a question and your teacher says in their own words: YOU STUPID FRICKEN IDIOT! GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE AND NEVER RETURN!
Unaccecptable.

Oh yeah. I do this on my own. I didn't know there were places like this to discuss. this is a first for me. Again Chris Ralph told me about this place. He also told me to google prospecting clubs near me. I had no idea there was such a thing. I did google it and they are some near me. I haven't been to a meeting or whatever it's called but I have emailed and both clubs seem really cool. People are typically less stupid and cowardly when they are looking you in the eye. Also people that have to make an effort to get to a prospecting club during a weekday evening are generally much more interested in community and not taking a protected authoritarian editorial stance of shame on their friends. Perhaps you would benefit from a club too. Infact, I'll be sure to go to one of the clubs this month.

....hmmm I wonder if you can join 2 clubs. I know you CAN, but can you do so and still hold true the integrity of the rules of the club? They tell me they have secret claims and you can't talk about it. So would it be seen as a conflict of interest? Good question. I'll need to ask.

You are right Alchemy, your gold IS out there. Spend a bit of time understanding where gold came from before ebay. If profit is your game. Then go out. Maybe don't even worry about finding gold the first time, just go to your spot and walk around and get comfortable there. Look around, have fun first and foremost. This is the kind of work that is NOT stressful in ANY way. Unless your high strung.
Cough.

Go GET it Alchemy!

Ok. That's it for now.
I'm made out of pure grit. Bring it people. I love having to stand corrected. It makes me better by refining my understandings and knowledge.

 

[Yggdrasil]

So great for you!

I hope that you do go because you will really enjoy it. Try not to get discouraged when you first set out. If you have seen me saying I'm following a trail, I'm sure you understand but ill mention my hunting process.

1st: Youtube is a great learning spot. However if you understand the process well you can identify that some of the "big" ones don't know crap. Regurgitators of wildly complicated processes, equipment and regurgitators. I could name them and you would ALL know them, they have good info, but they are less than accurate with the process and involvement. It is not in ALL of their best interest to tell you the whole truth. The complaints I hear most is the time to filter, the time to let settle, and how you can dissolve 7 lbs of silver plate with 200ml of HNO3. You will know them by their stupid answers they give to their followers. Regurgitators have no clue why they are doing what they do. Youtube IS a job.
Youtube is not a good learning spot unless you have the knowledge to filter out the crap. And to disregard the false claims in many almost Ok videos.

Stick with intelligence not the fanciest youtube presentation. The fancy stuff is for profit even though one of them constantly says they are not here for profit. LOL. To be pain top dollar on youtube you must gain followers, and reply to EVERY email in any form. positive, negative or stupid. All acceptable to youtube.

2nd: Since I'm new I don't know people here, but as you are reading in my post for ID that there is some significant intelligence here and what I will refer to as some of the veterans in various categories keep saying the same things. One that sticks out to me is NOT TO OVER COMPLICATE THINGS. None of this is all that difficult, you just need to protect yourself from taking everything outright from Youtube, because you'll get your heart broken, things won't work out quite right and you may never go hunting again. That would be sad.

3rd: I am new here and have been criticized for 2 things in 1 day. I didn't know but the Mod's stepped in and reassured I am ok with my post. If they are ok, than the members are just confused.
I assume the reason for that is that you do not follow your own advice nr 2, way too much elaboration and speculation caused the poster to step in.
We try not to write books when it is not needed.

First, don't talk about geology? I will refrain from further comment on that. Those are people that don't want you outside looking for their gold, or they don't know how and will never go get free gold, or they think gold is almost extinct and should be left where it is. Worst of all they decide on their own that YOU DO NOT DESERVE TO LEARN. Hogwash! The idea of not discussing geology in the pursuit of gold is..... bizzare!
Like, I paid for the whole year for this site! Can I get a refund please!
These comments are counter productive and would otherwise have discouraged you from taking part in this discussion and losing the opportunity to learn because of cyber bullies. You know which finger I'm holding up don't you? LOL. A stagnant forum is a result of poor mannered members. Rise above Alchemy.
The reason for that comment is that most of those discussions belong in a Mining and geology forum.
Our main focus is reclaiming and refining Gold, we often do discuss geology as well but that is not our main focus

Second I was sent a private email which I don't understand how to do, that I am not allowed to endorse a book! WTF! 1st I explained that I read a section on ore in a book called Fist Full of Gold by Chris Ralph. Already knowing a lot I like to support our community and the people that act as ambassadors to it. I learned from this book, I have no relation to him, I'm sponsored by nobody, EVER! So if this is a book burning club and the only book that can be mentioned is Holks book, than again, I want a REFUND!
We have a Video section and I believe we have some of his videos there, anyway he is a member here by another name.
We have no issues about books as long as you do not post the actual book and it is copyrighted.

ok. my method of hunting was refined by 2 people that have been in this community for a really long time. One is Chris Ralphs videos on youtube and that other guy that always screaming with the skeleton. they both have outstanding technical processes to finding new and old gold. I highly suggest examining their presentations. I have to warn you, these guys have been doing this their whole lives. I believe they are both at least second generation and are well educated and practiced. The know. you mentioned MBMMLLC, he's great! and a nice guy.

Basically pick a spot that you did some research on. Don't like research? ok, then just look up old mines, don;t worry what the "primary" mineral is because often times gold will be listed 2nd or 3rd or not at all. that's just a thing people do to keep others away. Lot's of prospectors will post and say discouraging things because they REALLY think you are after their gold.

For example: OHHH don;'t worry about fools gold, it's fake, a waste of time, BTW, where EXACTLY did you find the fools gold? Like EXACT GPS coordinates please. Can you take me there, but after that you just forget about fools gold.

Look for gold where other have found it, to start. There is lots there, you are 100% correct on that.

Get a few 1 gallon bags and a backpack. look for the geologic signs they describe in the videos around the mines you visit. Soon you will see with new eyes. Pick a good spot, put an amount of ground material, dig down a bit for you're sample and put it in your bag and capture your GPS location and write it on the bag. Follow the trail to another location near but not too near (necessarily) and take an appropriate sample and mark it. Basically follow the GEOLOGY and sample all the while documenting your location. next go home and learn how to identify your material yourself, EVERYONE here knows how to do that. process each bag on it's own and check if precious metals are contained, which. Hopefully one will be richer than the others and that would be your clue to the direction you are hunting. Don't be afraid to stop and meditate to the various celestial bodies of gold formation. Hum vibrate, whatever. That lesson is forthcoming. Eventually your hunt will take you up that mountain that you didn't want to go up. The far away one. Because a bunch a thousand years ago that mountain was bigger, scarier, and closer. Today, you are standing on it's erosion.

Learn about bedrock, That's where you prefer to sample from but isn't always immediately available. But areas that act as bedrock (traps) work too.

GEOLOGY IS EVERYTHING in the hunt for gold. Nothing less. So fricken strange.

If you have questions please ask, I don't give dumb answers, I won't criticise you, and I have NO secrets. I know what I know, and I don't know what I don't know. Yet. I do disappear for days at a time when I need something to process, but I aim to be here. I'm sure i won't win any popularity contests, but I shoot straight. Behind a computer or not. (I HATE COMPUTERS!) I will do what I can to be supportive. You WILL get discouraged, you JUST need to learn the rules. Not even that many. Just youtube "the geology of gold" as a SUBJECT.
IF there is a video called "The Geology of Gold" that's not what I'm talking about. It sounds right though. Type it in and watch every single video on youtube. Then go back to the good ones and watch them 7 or 12 more times.
Ohh, Google maps! The biggest tool.
Geology videos for 2 weeks solid. NOTHING but GEOLOGY. That way, you have gold in your pocket every time you follow your trail up that mountain really far away. Unless you get lazy and don't check where ELSE it could be coming from along the route. Very easy to get that kind of lazy. The benefit is 1 bad read and you only check 1 spot you can get skunked pretty easy. I suggest always trying hard if your in the field or it's just a waste of gas in terms of profit margin.

I regularly have to drive 3 to 7 hours to my spots. Luckily I can also drive to some spots in just 15 min.

Many others here are very well informed, far more than me.
Sometimes you have to knock hard to get the generals to acknowledge a rookie to the site. Ahhhh, the proving grounds in life are funny.
I hear there is learning that wants to take place here but questions are not asked out of fear of ridicule. How ABSOLUTLY stupid.

Imagine showing up for high school and you ask a question and your teacher says in their own words: YOU STUPID FRICKEN IDIOT! GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE AND NEVER RETURN!
Unaccecptable.

Oh yeah. I do this on my own. I didn't know there were places like this to discuss. this is a first for me. Again Chris Ralph told me about this place. He also told me to google prospecting clubs near me. I had no idea there was such a thing. I did google it and they are some near me. I haven't been to a meeting or whatever it's called but I have emailed and both clubs seem really cool. People are typically less stupid and cowardly when they are looking you in the eye. Also people that have to make an effort to get to a prospecting club during a weekday evening are generally much more interested in community and not taking a protected authoritarian editorial stance of shame on their friends. Perhaps you would benefit from a club too. Infact, I'll be sure to go to one of the clubs this month.

....hmmm I wonder if you can join 2 clubs. I know you CAN, but can you do so and still hold true the integrity of the rules of the club? They tell me they have secret claims and you can't talk about it. So would it be seen as a conflict of interest? Good question. I'll need to ask.

You are right Alchemy, your gold IS out there. Spend a bit of time understanding where gold came from before ebay. If profit is your game. Then go out. Maybe don't even worry about finding gold the first time, just go to your spot and walk around and get comfortable there. Look around, have fun first and foremost. This is the kind of work that is NOT stressful in ANY way. Unless your high strung.
Cough.

Go GET it Alchemy!

Ok. That's it for now.
I'm made out of pure grit. Bring it people. I love having to stand corrected. It makes me better by refining my understandings and knowledge.

Due to the length of this post I will comment in bold inside the quote:

 

[Martijn]

Imagine showing up for high school and you ask a question and your teacher says in their own words: YOU STUPID FRICKEN IDIOT! GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE AND NEVER RETURN!
Unaccecptable.

Unless you walk in a kids bakery school and ask for instructions how to use a space rocket to dive under water. Then the given response would be very appropriate and more than acceptable...

Look, some of us are a bit fed up with questions that do not really involve refining or recovering of gold.
Some even make a clear picture of their face holding a rock that is a gray blur, and then expect an answer of how much ppm of what pm is in there.
You're prospecting and there are forums with a lot more knowledge out there.

But there are no stupid questions, you can always ask. I would check first where the question is asked. It may seem the best place for now, but you've gotten suggestions for an even better place! That does not mean you're not welcome here. You are.

We can try to refine the answers given but a real answer lies in the info given in this post:

https://goldrefiningforum.com/threa...le-read-this-before-you-post-about-ore.33333/

Once you know which minerals are in the rock, and if the amounts present make it an 'ore', we can help you recover and refine them.

No one can assay a picture. If one could, he would be very rich.

 

[Alchemy]

I personally don't care how fed up you are about anything, do you really think this is an inappropriate response?

I'm getting out of here, seems this place is full of miserable boomers who can't wait to spread their hate.

Please delete my account and posts. What a bunch of asssholes.