Anyone ever see a gold nugget that looks like this.?

Smittys · March 10, 2011 3:05AM

Was given to shareholders from a Canadian mine.
I filed into it and it tested 17K, however it only weighs 2.5 grams, which seems light given it's size.
What do you think?

Baley · March 10, 2011 3:07AM

looks like pyrite

gecko109 · March 10, 2011 3:08AM

Not gold. Gold does not fracture like the piece you show.....notice all the cleavage lines? Looks like specimen quality pyrite to me, but cant be if it tested out at 17K. All I can tell you for sure is that gold does NOT form cleavage lines.

Smittys · March 10, 2011 3:12AM

I filed into it, my gold tester tested it 17k and acid sat there on it ???

gecko109 · March 10, 2011 3:15AM

<< I filed into it, my gold tester tested it 17k and acid sat there on it ???

>>

In that case, you and I will be doing multi-billion dollar "gold" deals in the very near future. Just give me a few days to locate a steady supply of pyrite!

Smittys · March 10, 2011 3:22AM

broke the piece and it test 22k
Now how do they gold plate inside a chunk??

GXL-24 gold tester

gecko109 · March 10, 2011 3:24AM

broke the piece and it test 22k
Now how do they gold plate inside a chunk?? >>

Ok Smitty, theres your problem right there! Gold does not "break". If you took a hammer to that chunk I can guarantee you would have powdered iron sulfate.....more commonly known as pyrite.

Smittys · March 10, 2011 3:26AM

<< broke the piece and it test 22k
Now how do they gold plate inside a chunk?? >>

Ok Smitty, theres your problem right there! Gold does not "break". If you took a hammer to that chunk I can guarantee you would have powdered iron sulfate.....more commonly known as pyrite.

>>

I did hit it with a hammer and it broke off a chunk, but inside the break the broken area tested 22k with my tester

gecko109 · March 10, 2011 3:28AM

<< 

<< broke the piece and it test 22k
Now how do they gold plate inside a chunk?? >>

Ok Smitty, theres your problem right there! Gold does not "break". If you took a hammer to that chunk I can guarantee you would have powdered iron sulfate.....more commonly known as pyrite.

>>

I did hit it with a hammer and it broke off a chunk, but inside the break the broken area tested 22k with my tester >>

Can you "isolate" the chunk that tested 22K? If so, place it on a hard surface and give it a couple good whacks. Gold with "squish", pyrite will shatter. Report back with your findings.

BigRick · March 10, 2011 3:30AM

Not gold. Pyrite.

CaptHenway · March 10, 2011 3:47AM

I question the veracity of your tester.

TomB · March 10, 2011 3:48AM

That appears to be iron pyrite aka "fool's gold".

Steve27 · March 10, 2011 3:50AM

Looks similar to pyrite, but not quite the same.

gecko109 · March 10, 2011 4:24AM

<< Looks similar to pyrite, but not quite the same.

>>

Notice the brassy look, and distinct cleavage lines of both your picture and the OP's? Those are 2 dead giveaways in distinguishing gold from pyrite. Gold is not brittle....it will not crumble, or shatter when struck. It will not split into pieces when hit with a hammer. It does not cleave. In fact, one of the most basic of all field tests to differentiate gold from pyrite is the "knife test". Place the specimen on a hard surface, and take a large blade, and push down hard on the material. If it cleaves, crumbles, or shatters its definately not gold. Actual gold will simply show an indentation of where the blade was pressed into it.

ttown · March 10, 2011 4:51AM

Pyrite is usually found associated with other sulfides or oxides in quartz veins, sedimentary rock, and metamorphic rock, as well as in coal beds, and as a replacement mineral in fossils. Despite being nicknamed fool's gold, pyrite is sometimes found in association with small quantities of gold. Gold and arsenic occur as a coupled substitution in the pyrite structure. In the Carlin, Nevada, gold deposit, arsenian pyrite contains up to 0.37 wt% gold.[9]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrite

Pokermandude · March 10, 2011 5:21AM

<< looks like pyrite >>

^ The exact 3 words I was about to post.

Steve27 · March 10, 2011 5:34AM

I agree, this doesn't look like gold, but it appears to cleave more like obsidian, than pyrite.

AUandAG · March 10, 2011 5:50AM

Fools gold. Some pyrite does contain gold. But gold does not exhibit sharp edges and fractures
such as the one pictured. If held in hand and rotated like a coin does it display color changes from
gold to black and back to gold? If so, definitive test for pyrite.

bob

renman95 · March 10, 2011 5:54AM

Is the tester from Goldline?

derryb · March 10, 2011 8:03AM

Oh, no.

Now their counterfeiting nuggets as well?

66Tbird · March 10, 2011 12:03PM

Fools gold all the way. I used to deal in the stuff, (not that it makes me an expert). There are lots of trace elements in pieces that don't fracture at right angles. The real good stuff is almost perfectly true. At one time I had a piece the size of a grapefruit but a perfect cube. I bought it with my grandfather when I was like 9 or so and that started my whole pyrite trip. As the AZ rock and mineral show grew bigger so did my little business using gramps contacts. Till finally I had a stupid money offer and almost all were sold. (Hello silver, gold and coins)

Neat little piece. Make me look up on my wall at my fist size chunk

watercrest · March 10, 2011 1:03PM

Cool little piece.

PinkFloyd · March 10, 2011 3:59PM

<< I agree, this doesn't look like gold, but it appears to cleave more like obsidian, than pyrite.

>>

I agree. It does kind of look like obsidian. Very glassy.

Geotovore · March 10, 2011 7:15PM

<< I agree. It does kind of look like obsidian. Very glassy. >>

Ah, obsidian. Fool's pyrite.

jsf · March 10, 2011 8:45PM

"Was given to shareholders from a Canadian mine."

wow, due diligence be damned.

so sad.

DoubleEagle59 · March 10, 2011 9:38PM

Doesn't look like gold from the pics.

Pyrite would be my choice.

Acid tests, done properly don't lie, so I don't know what to say?

In regards to the 'cleavage lines'....

I would say that these 'lines' exhibit 'fracture' rather than 'cleavage' (two distinct and separate properties of all Minerals).

These 'lines' indicate to me a "Conchoidal Fracture" and Gold does not exhibit this as a physical property.

Therefore I would conclude that it is not Gold.

PerryHall · March 10, 2011 11:52PM

Smitty---I hope you didn't pay too much for that "gold".

CaptHenway · March 10, 2011 11:53PM

Ah, so it's Canadian!
,
Beaver Cleavage!!!!
.

tydye · March 11, 2011 12:16AM

Gecko is 100% right

I am surprised you even bothered to test it. Wow

pakasmom · March 11, 2011 8:58AM

Smitty, I've got some gold I'd like to sell ya.... Just PM for details.

RGJohn · March 11, 2011 11:58AM

<< I agree, this doesn't look like gold, but it appears to cleave more like obsidian, than pyrite.

>>

Sorry Smitty but I have to agree. Nuggets don't cleave, they flatten under the hammer. And they sure as heck don't exhibit conchoidal fracture. Pyrite smashes to dust. That's some kind of glass, natural obsidian or otherwise coated in gold.
The test results may be due to contamination by the gold coating.
As owner of several mines I can honestly state that the gold is more often to be found in the stock than in the rock.

carew4me · March 12, 2011 12:52PM

<< "Was given to shareholders from a Canadian mine." >>

Common shareholders!

edmundfitzgerald · March 12, 2011 10:19PM

Common shareholders got the common gold. Prefered shareholders got the prefered gold.

CaptHenway · March 13, 2011 2:31AM

.....and the miners get the shaft........

goingbroke · March 13, 2011 2:35AM

<< looks like pyrite >>

I agree!

goingbroke · March 13, 2011 2:37AM

<< Oh, no.

Now their counterfeiting nuggets as well? >>

We will soon see these for sale on E Bay!

Mission16 · March 15, 2011 1:31AM

Anything new on this...?

I think it looks like obsidian.

Anyone ever see a gold nugget that looks like this.?

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