Gold Nugget and Specimen Cleaning Advice

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Say if you found a lump of quartz that was giving a strong signal with a detector, but no visible gold showing, does anyone know a reputable lab that you could send it to for cleaning with hydroflouric acid to get the quartz off? Has anyone ever done this? Done a bit of research and it just seems like this acid is too dangerous.
 
How big a piece are you talking?
I have found brick size bits but I just wrap them in rag & break up with a hammer. You don't have to whale into it just some stern taps usually does it. Being quartz with gold in it there will probably be ironstone or other intrusions + natural faults that will break open fairly easily. I find a lot of the time it will break up nicely right where the gold is but you do get the odd stubborn bit. :lol: Pass the bits over you coil again & discard the bits that don't signal. Repeat until you can see gold then put in brickies acid, alibrite or just keep as specimens. With careful tapping you can break/chip away quartz in key spots to reveal the gold too once the bits are smaller. If you not concerned with how it looks but just want the gold content you can dolly it up once its small enough for a dolly pot.
If really keen you could also dolly up the other bits & pan any gold off. Lot of work for little return though.
 
Thanks mbasko. Nowhere near brick size, about 2.5"x 2"x an inch thick. Cracking it up is the other option, I'm sure it would break up easily but I don't want to wreck it if there's something good inside. Might look really nice if done with acid? Just thought I'd see what everyone else does. Cheers.
 
Before brick acid
1426583784_image.jpg

and after repeated soaking, the acid penetrated the joints and blocks of Quartz can be prized away. The gold is strong and follows the cracks, so if it is hiding in there you should be able to find it and hopefully produce something you can show off. :D
1426583822_image.jpg

Ironstone will dissolve, if the signal disappears and you see no yellow, bad luck :(
 
Thanks Wally, about the same size but mine is white quartz. By brick acid I assume you mean hydrochloric acid. I've found it does a good job on ironstone, but heard it doesn't get quartz. Guess it can't really hurt to give hydrochloric acid a go? Got a good felling there's something in it but if not well yeah, bad luck! :)
 
Yes mate, hydrochloric acid.

My success was due to cracks in the Quartz which debonded following soaking and some iron oxides around some of the gold that was able to be scrubbed away with a toothbrush once the acid had reacted with it.

If it was uncracked I imagine it would have soaked for a month of Sundays with little reduction in size.

Got a before photo ? It would be good to gauge your efforts on whiter Quartz.
 
Before I give it a soak and a tap, just for fun I thought I'd try and get an idea of how much gold is in it. Using the formula (wet weight x 3.1)-(dry weight x 1.9) = gold weight. Came up with 3.36 grams. A different method gave 4.17 grams. Obviously there are a few variables such as the specific gravity of quartz and if there are any impurities in it, so it's only an estimate.
 
It should yeild a spectacular result if that is the case.

A little gold goes a long way when weaved through host rock.

Soak....soak....soak...soak.....soak; hope that is enough peer group pressure to get the ball rolling.
 
Chuky boy said:
Hi all just wondering how long should I let my nuggets soak in bricky's cleaner?

Need to give them a scrub with a toothbrush in fresh water every 24 hrs Chucky then back in the acid until all the ironstone is gone seems to give the best results

Cheers
 
Bacchus said:
Chuky boy said:
Hi all just wondering how long should I let my nuggets soak in bricky's cleaner?

Need to give them a scrub with a toothbrush in fresh water every 24 hrs Chucky then back in the acid until all the ironstone is gone seems to give the best results

Cheers
Thanks Bacchus I'll give it a go.
 

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