Nevada

[Southfork]

Started working on a sample my son brought home from a prospecting trip to Nevada. Sample was off a big boulder trip through the jaw crusher - Chain mill - panned - swept with a magnet no magnetics. What I thought was black sands is purple? sand this ore is really hard and new to us but just tried a small piece I see Gold.

 

[4metals]

Wow, rock pictures, with crushing and panning all in one post, ya think this will catch on? We can actually believe it when he says there's gold without asking for an assay. It's all in the details! Thanks, more like this please!!!!!!

 

[Martijn]

Started working on a sample my son brought home from a prospecting trip to Nevada. Sample was off a big boulder trip through the jaw crusher - Chain mill - panned - swept with a magnet no magnetics. What I thought was black sands is purple? sand this ore is really hard and new to us but just tried a small piece I see Gold.

The color makes me think of a pan with a lot of small garnets. (Dan Hurd)

 

[Southfork]

The color makes me think of a pan with a lot of small garnets. (Dan Hurd)

I checked with a loupe I don't think the color is right for garnet.

 

[goldshark]

I checked with a loupe I don't think the color is right for garnet.

Looks like purple fluorite to me. Usually some Mindat info of minerals from the area you collected them from.

 

[nickvc]

This is how all rock and ore discussions and posts should be.
Well done Southfork and good luck.

 

[Southfork]

Looks like purple fluorite to me. Usually some Mindat info of minerals from the area you collected them from.

larger pieces of the same ore for another day looks interesting.

 

[goldshark]

This picture shows clearly the right angle cleavage of the crystal structure, it is Galena, Lead sulphide. It can carry Au, but more likely to contain Ag.

 

[Martijn]

larger pieces of the same ore for another day looks interesting.

You sir, are a mineral magnet! I love reading about your finds and looking at beautiful pictures of what an ore looks like.

 

[Southfork]

This picture shows clearly the right angle cleavage of the crystal structure, it is Galena, Lead sulphide. It can carry Au, but more likely to contain Ag.

My phone did not catch the color very good it looked purple fluorite samples also. Whatever it is crushing and milling the rest soon.

 

[jobinyt]

Shine a UV light on some, then compare what you see with a table of fluorescent minerals can help narrow what may, or may not, be.

 

[goldshark]

Shine a UV light on some, then compare what you see with a table of fluorescent minerals can help narrow what may, or may not, be.

Galena does not fluoresce.

 

[Martijn]

Galena does not fluoresce.

i think he means Iridescent.

 

[Yggdrasil]

i think he means Iridescent.

No.
Iridescence is changing colors due to viewpoint/reflection like butterfly wings and such and Fluorescence is emitting colored light in response to electromagnetic radiation like UV light.

 

[Martijn]

No.
Iridescence is changing colors due to viewpoint/reflection like butterfly wings and such and Fluorescence is emitting colored light in response to electromagnetic radiation like UV light.

You're right, I based my reaction on the iridescent mineral in the picture Southfork shared, with an oily surface shine. I have not read properly.

 

[jobinyt]

"looks like purple fluorite' or "galena" - so, a simple test that distinguishes between them and a fun/useful tool in the bag of tricks searchig for and identification of minerals.

 

[goldshark]

"looks like purple fluorite' or "galena" - so, a simple test that distinguishes between them and a fun/useful tool in the bag of tricks searchig for and identification of minerals.

Southfork first posted a picture showing crushed and panned material. It is hard to discern what it was at that point, as it could only be described as purple. Upon posting a clear picture of the mineral crystal, it was very clearly Galena. Easier to know your minerals than carry a bunch of testing equipment into the field.

 

[minero74]

Apart from Probably Galena
is impressive the amount of others Sulphide
in that pan
Very Impressive for that small test.
send an example to a lab ,perhaps You will get a very good news

Northwestern Nevada is Known to have telluride with up to 30-40 % gold in it
and lot of silver.

 

[Southfork]

Apart from Probably Galena
is impressive the amount of others Sulphide
in that pan
Very Impressive for that small test.
send an example to a lab ,perhaps You will get a very good news

Northwestern Nevada is Known to have telluride with up to 30-40 % gold in it
and lot of silver.

I still have a couple of pounds to mill and pan to extract the free gold if there is any. And maybe a smelt or just melt some powdered rock then have a look. Nevada is a great place to prospect I'm just trying to get caught up on samples from Northern California and Nevada.