Black or Discoloured Nugget?

Currently I'm down in Victoria near Maryborough (from Sydney). It is first gold prospecting trip, so I'm a newbie.

I "think" I found my first ever nugget today, but it is kind of black in appearance. It feels heavy for its size and is not metallic. It's not lead, as there is small sections where the gold colour is visible.

Is this normal?

Do I clean it, or leave it?

I don't have a set of scales, but I'd imagine it would be 5 or 6 grams in weight. It won't fit into the plastic jar that came with a panning kit I bought.

I hired a Minelabs SDC 2300 from Coiltek Gold Centre in Maryborough, as they said my Gold Monster 1000 would struggle in Victorian conditions.

:| I think it might be oop: Dude

Doesn't look like gold to me, sometimes gold does come coated in near black ironstone though.

I'd scratch it on a rock or a file to see what's underneath the black stuff.

If it is gold you can soak it in either hydrchloric acid or Alibrite to get the coating off.

dam it said:

:| I think it might be oop: Dude

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I always thought gold had to be all shiny. I'd be happier if it was shiny

Anyway, only a couple of hours of sunlight left. Back to it why I have energy left.... ower:

Heatho said:

Doesn't look like gold to me, sometimes gold does come coated in near black ironstone though.

I'd scratch it on a rock or a file to see what's underneath the black stuff.

If it is gold you can soak it in either hydrchloric acid or Alibrite to get the coating off.

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I might scratch it later tonight. Just wanted a few opinions first incase I screw it up in some way.

Anyway not long until sunset. I'm of to dig more holes and find it a shiny companion. :goldnugget: ickshovel:

Dam it knows his gold, so I'm going to be calling it a butt nugget also.

I should be up Marlborough way over the weekend , Give you a yell tomorrow arvo :Y:
We will see if we cant get a :goldnugget: or 2 in ya jar

HippyProspecting said:

Dam it knows his gold, so I'm going to calling it a butt nugget also.

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:lol: :lol: :lol: 8.( 8.( :lol: :lol: A Butt Nugget :lol: :lol: :lol: That cracked me up :lol: :lol:

Looks like a hot rock.

I.e highly mineralised piece of rock.

Never throw that stuff out when you 1st start out.

I put them on a rock and smack them with the flat part of my pick straight down vertically to be sure to be sure

dam it will know if he gets a look at it.

RS

dam it said:

:| I think it might be oop: Dude

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Dam it, if you're calling oop: then please explain the absence of Dunny Budgies?

dam it said:

I should be up Marlborough way over the weekend , Give you a yell tomorrow arvo :Y:
We will see if we cant get a :goldnugget: or 2 in ya jar

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No Gold Here mate.....move along. :lol:

Allthatshines said:

Currently I'm down in Victoria near Maryborough (from Sydney). It is first gold prospecting trip, so I'm a newbie.

I "think" I found my first ever nugget today, but it is kind of black in appearance. It feels heavy for its size and is not metallic. It's not lead, as there is small sections where the gold colour is visible.
Is this normal?
Do I clean it, or leave it?
I don't have a set of scales, but I'd imagine it would be 5 or 6 grams in weight. It won't fit into the plastic jar that came with a panning kit I bought.

Click to expand...

It's possibly gold, although I would have expected the black stuff to be shinier. Here's my own Sheep sh1t nugget which is from the same area, for comparison (the white line across the bottom is a matchstick):

Be careful with any cleaning you try other than with water and a toothbrush - if it's like mine, the actual gold is spongy rather than solid and crumbles after a week or two in hydrochloric acid.

grubstake, you give me hope

I've heard over the years if you put various objects in coke (the drink) it will dissolved the crudd and clean the object. I don't have any coke with me, but I have some Woodstock bourbon and cola. I sacrificed a little and now have it soaking to see what happens. Things you have to do :goldnugget:

Dude i found my first gold in a hot rock, get a cheap jewellers loop and look closely at the small gold bits as it might be a speci

Allthatshines said:

grubstake, you give me hope

I've heard over the years if you put various objects in coke (the drink) it will dissolved the crudd and clean the object. I don't have any coke with me, but I have some Woodstock bourbon and cola. I sacrificed a little and now have it soaking to see what happens. Things you have to do :goldnugget:

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I'm in Maryborough if you'd like me to have a look at it tomorrow.

No worries. I will let you know how the coke experiment goes. If it is inconclusive, an experienced opinion would be appreciated.

Tonight I parked up in the bush in a huge motorhome out at Craigie on (I think it is called) white horse track. I've been here most of the day and have not seen another person.

I will be heading back into Maryborough sometime in the morning to hand back the rented detector.

Does anyone see the irony, allthatshines has a black nugget! :8

I wondered if anyone would pick up on that conundrum. Good pick up :trophy:

It is very simple to determine (if you consider most of that lump to be gold). You don't have to damage it to do so - determine its specific gravity (gold is three times heavier than lead). Very simple, very rapid.

Black coated nuggets occur in a few places in Victoria, the coating usually being manganese oxide.

I'm a bit doubtful though - you say "It feels heavy for its size" - if you had said "bloody heavy" it would be more promising.

goldierocks said:

It is very simple to determine (if you consider most of that lump to be gold). You don't have to damage it to do so - determine its specific gravity (gold is three times heavier than lead). Very simple, very rapid.

Black coated nuggets occur in a few places in Victoria, the coating usually being manganese oxide.

I'm a bit doubtful though - you say "It feels heavy for its size" - if you had said "bloody heavy" it would be more promising.

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I'm now thinking it must be lead. I scratched it with a screwdriver and it is silver underneath. Story of my life, I wanted gold but got lead... :/

I tried scanning it with my gold monster 1000 and it screams gold, but apparently no detector can tell the difference between lead and gold.