Went out on the weekend - not sure what this is?

Hi All! long time no post I took the detector out on the weekend for the first time in ages. I went on a four wheel drive trip with a mate up through the McAlister Gorge. Was a great trip, and has a lot of spots that wouldn't have been worked over much. The ground seemed to have a fairly high iron content, as the detector kept pinging over spots, then finding nothing after stopping and sweeping again for a few minutes. However, I did find the below 'nugget'. It's clearly not gold or iron, but not entirely sure what it is. I've read that I could heat it up and if it melts, it's just lead. Assuming it doesn't melt, I'll need to find a way to identify it

Were you in Qld. Vic, Tas, NSW, WA,NT,SA.???

in Vic Jaros, up near Walhalla/Licola

From what I can make out of the colour, wouldn't it be native copper?

Google Image search "native copper nugget": http://tinyurl.com/qyuyuou

It's actually a lot more silvery than the pic shows grubstake. I'll clean it up tonight and see if I can get a bit of shine on it, to bring out the colour. but will heat it up first. If it melts away and is just lead, then it's not very exciting.

Edit - I'll put a ruler alongside it too. its about 4 cm long at the longest point.

Looks like a chunk of lead to me. The edges at the top corner appear soft and malleable and the colour looks right to me.

If it's lead you should be able to scratch it with your fingernail.

I did try scratching it, but couldn't - it was harder than that. Interestingly, I've been on the Australian Mines Atlas website and the platinum group of metals has been found near the Thomson River and Walhalla, which is near where I was.

Timmah, if you suspect Platinum an XRF analysis will most likely be needed as Native Platinum is never pure, it is always alloyed with other Platinum Group Metals (PGM's) or other metals such as Gold, Silver, Iron, copper etc. Most Gold buyers and big pawn shops should have an analyser and be able to do it for you I would think. It would be extremely rare also but not impossible.

A streak test and specific gravity test could be helpful in identifying it but not likely. Follow link for SG test. Streak test is simply scratching it on the rough side of a ceramic tile and noting the colour.
http://www.johnbetts-fineminerals.com/jhbnyc/articles/specific_gravity.htm

I'm not aware of Platinum nuggets in Vic but they can be found in NSW in ancient alluvial gravels and are being mined at the moment, other PGM's can be found in other states of Aus also.

Timmah said:

I did try scratching it, but couldn't - it was harder than that. Interestingly, I've been on the Australian Mines Atlas website and the platinum group of metals has been found near the Thomson River and Walhalla, which is near where I was.

Click to expand...

From the Australian Minerals Council factsheet 'Copper' (http://www.minerals.org.au/file_upl...ct_sheets/Minerals_-_Fact_Sheets_-_Copper.pdf):
"Other ore deposits that have been mined in the past include a copper-silver-gold-platinum deposit at Thomson River near Walhalla"

If it's lead or gold or platinum or silver (or a mixture of the last three), it will feel distinctly heavy for its size, as compared with a native copper nugget.

At east Walhalla, there is a copper mine that had platinum as the by product
There has also been platinum nuggets found in the area
last one I was only a few years ago! If it is, great find
believe it or not, the old timers use to through them away, thinking it was just lead

Timmah said:

I did try scratching it, but couldn't - it was harder than that.

Click to expand...

Lead is easily scratched, as are gold and silver; copper is harder but still quite scratchable.

Ok, so did some work. Weighed it, and it really isn't that Heavy. Measured it up, about three centimetres long. When I tried to scratch it, the top broke off so I took the smaller part outside and toasted it with my torch. It crumbled after that, so my suspicion is that it's aluminium...

Looks like a melted alluminium drink can to me. Found plenty on the beach.

Yeah agreed Prooz. Ah well, it's all a learning experience! Thanks for the input and advice everyone

Thought you were onto it then mate, Heatho had me all excited for ya :lol:

bugger! You have a perfect test nugget though

Hi, just registered with site.

I have found the same in Vic too, it has got me baffeled but after a year of research the nuggets/flake keep coming back to Platinum, it only goes soft @ 3000 degrees & then crumbles after cooling, if it was Aluminium it would go up in smoke, it also incandesces at approx 3000 degrees but wont melt or boil.

P.s. it could be Native Platinum my next step is an XRF test.

Also Native Platinum is about as heavy as Alluminium due to impurities/contamination/aeratition.