Gold ?

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Oct 28, 2017
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Hi there, found this little stone in an old walking track we are restoring in mt lofty sa. It sat there gleaming at me. Are they flecks of gold or is it just fooling me ? :lol:
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As hAyyoUinAU said, gold can be locked up in sulphides in pyrite (iron sulphide) or be close buy as free gold. Looks like pyrite to me too, if you can scratch a bit out with a screwdriver or something then pyrite will usually crumble where as gold will not crumble, gold is very malleable.
 
Hi heatho :) I tried scratching it out wont budge so Ill give it a go smashing it out, because Im curious more than anything lol
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That pic looks more like gold than the others , you probably already know gold is soft and pyrites are hard and brittle , so a pointy punch or screw driver would kinda dig into gold or at least dent it and pyrite should chip and shatter.
 
G'Day

Hard to tell from the photos but it is not gold. A triangular crossection on one bit so could well be arsenopyrite. Hit it and if it has a strong almond like smell straight after it is hit then it is arsenopyrite.

Araluen
 
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