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NATIVE GOLD QUARTZ from QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA
Ruler is 1/4" wide (6 mm). U.S. 10 cent coin is 17 mm in diameter. Specimen weight: 16.8 Gram - 259.5 Grains
Size: 39X23.7X19.7 mm A white, silicate, predominantly quartz rock plays host to high-purity gold. It's origin is a historic, underground hard-rock mine in eastern Australia, the Gympie-Eldorado located in Queensland. Gold ores mined around the globe are diverse in their mineral makeup. Here, we see a greyish, secondary mineral, possibly dolerite, alternating with and encasing the quartz. Once you've entered the metallurgical realm of gold, there's no telling what you may find. In my book, VG (visible gold) with quartz is the most interesting association of all. There's no need for a pocket lens to see the gold locked inside the rock. If you're pondering the true nature of it, all my gold quartz shows VG (visible gold), are authentic and naturally-occurring.
I just don't deal in low grade ores, period. Most are from California and the U.S., but there's a few international flavors. These high-grade beauties are expensive to obtain and even harder to find. Prices aren't based on the amount of gold, but on the authenticity, rarity and collectibility of my specimens. S & H Discounted for combined shipments.
U.S. BUYERS & INTNL.
PAYMENTS Payment must be made within 7 days from close of auction. We ship as soon as funds clear. If you have questions, please ask them before bidding.
REFUNDS
We leave no stones unturned insuring our customers get what they bargained for. If you're not satisfied with this item, contact me. Then, if the problem can't be fixed, return product within 30 days in 'as purchased' condition for a full refund
OPENING UP A
HOLE For most placer miners, excess overburden prevents easy access to the gold. Regardless of whether they're dredging underwater or running big excavators on dry land, operators find themselves confronted with similar challenges. In active rivers and creeks, the two highest specific gravity metals i.e. gold and platinum sink faster and further than any other free mineral. If sediments are submerged in moving water, any heavies being carried are subjected to a state of continuous liquefaction. Heavy metals invariably sink to bedrock or to whatever conglomerated 'false-bedrock' exists in that region. If you can't reach bedrock to run tests on the strata just above it, there's little point in wasting precious resources tackling such conditions. If, on the other hand, you already know gold is there, then fortune favors the miner who digs like a gopher - the man or woman who is relentless - the guy or gal prepared to excavate hole after hole until 'pay' is found or you come up empty-handed. That's the miner who ultimately finds success. Ask 'Chile Joe'. He'll tell you about 'true grit'. Don Leigh and Al Bigelow are two more old acquaintances. These 1980s-era miners ran big dredges by themselves. They didn't need no stinking rock-packers. Now there were some tough, determined hombres for you. Guys oblivious to the term 'quit'. One time, Joe was dredging a surface clay pack in the Trinity River. Suspended boulders were hanging all around him. A 'widow-maker' tumbled in from behind and broke his leg. Within a week, he was back in the water. When there's many feet of barren gravel to move, you gotta believe you're in the right spot before
committing to a marathon dig. Churn drills, in some environs, may reveal what's on bedrock. They're not always practical, however. Placer sampling isn't a 'one size fits all' kind of deal. Testing's always a tall order any way you cut it. A pan sample here and there won't suffice. With layer upon layer of alluvium, it can take several days to reach bedrock. Confronted with twenty feet of
overburden means terracing, clearing off a layer at a time. Once you reach your destination, there's a good chance you'll be greeted by boulders packed together on bedrock. They'll need to be moved before sampling can begin. Paystreaks inhabiting that stretch might actually be located on the far side of the river. Gold's very tight-lipped in that way. Incomplete testing can cause you to miss the lead entirely. "No one beats the elements on these Rivers of Gold". (from Rivers of Gold, by me) Boulders are often encountered at or near bedrock. In narrow creeks, you may find them layered in from top to bottom throughout. They also hang suspended from embankments waiting for local activity to jar them free from loose sand and tangled root-systems. Boulders come in all sizes, shapes, weights, and compositions. Many times, good pay lies embedded in their midst. They can be a blessing or a miner's worst nightmare. When they're suspended, gnawing at the back of consciousness is that constant reminder of just how dangerous working underwater can be. Bering Sea dredgers operate in some harsh conditions, but they rarely need to worry much about boulders caving in on them. No one ever said gold mining was easy; yet, miners are known to tackle just about any kind of adversity or obstacle to get on the gold. Many big rocks concentrated on bedrock can be nudged out of the way with a pry bar. Many can't. Using a come-a-long
or powered winch, you generally need to open up space around bigger rocks so a choker cable can be secured. Nowadays, I see they've designed giant, mechanical super-claw pinchers built to clamp onto boulders which then are high-lined or hauled away with winches. Pretty cool concept, really. With many miners, the discovery of gold sets off an instinctual shark-feeding-frenzy. You need to keep emotions in check and mine cautiously. Conditions are rarely the
same from one site to another, one dredge hole to the next. Welcome to the wild world of gold
mining! To whom it may concern, "backyard gold" was my idea. I started writing about it here on Ebay over twenty years ago. Oh well. What the heck?
Thanks for checking out our digs. Gold of Eldorado 1-14-13
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