An interesting specimen of ribbon gold in volcanic rock - this is the sample or one of the samples which was sent to England to encourage tempt and entice investors and speculators to invest int he Gold Mines in Fiji over a hundred years ago. Very rich sample full of ribbon gold.
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Is that fiji sample from near Tuidraki ?
I have no idea - I was given it by one of my gold mining partners who got it from I believe his grandfather - now my gold mining partner would be about 116 years old today and his grandfather died in 1890 - this sample will predate 1890 therefore so where exactly in Fiji it came from I have no idea. All I know is that the old fellow was one of New Zealands best known and successful miners and mining speculators.
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CALCULATING THE APPROXIMATE WEIGHT OF GOLD IN QUARTZ REEF ROCK.
The Formula:
I. Dry weight of the quartz and gold specimen =[A]
II. Weight of the displaced water =[B]
III. s.g.[specific gravity] of quartz = 2.65
IV. Weight of the displaced water x the s.g. =[C] assumed weight of the specimen if it was 100% quartz
V. A – C = approx. weight of the gold in the specimen
Do it:
- Tare [zero] your scales, weigh the DRY, clean specimen rock [record this = A]
- Put sufficient water in a container [glass, or clear plastic] that would cover the rock. …. Or use a fancy graduated laboratory beaker.
- Use a permanent thin line marker on the outside of the container to mark the water level.
- Put the specimen in the water
- Mark the new water level on the container where the water level is displaced to
- Take the specimen out of the water, and let as much water drip off the specimen back into the water container as this can make a significant result to your calculation.
- Put the container of water on your sales and THEN TARE the scales [check the readout of the scales reads 0.00]
- Now add water up to the marked displacement line.
- Record the weight of the water [ the weight of the displaced water = B]
- Calculate: C = (B x 2.65)
- Calculate A – C = approximate weight of gold in the specimen.
The calculation becomes less accurate with the mass of other materials in a specimen. The only true measure is by dollying the rock.
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This is a gold in Quartz sample found after a flood on my property - there is a lot of quartz around this spot but this is an indicator of what is out there. The gold in this piece which I have had for many years would weigh in at around two grams if I monstered the rock which I have no intention of doing.!
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That’s a lovely specimen.
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It is nice but it brings back memories - I found it in a special place my nephew used to come to with me and he was killed just before I found it and the day I did find it was my mothers last trip up to my place so sadness all around. Its pretty special to me not for the gold but for the people who shared those good times with me.
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This was my first trip with my Gold monster - found on my place. Theres no gold on my place apparently according to one expert so presumably its fools gold but it looks nice all the same. Gold is pretty sparse but now and again you do get good spots after floods…this was one such spot. About half of what I actually found as I gave the rest away.
One troy ounce or thereabouts here.
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Thats a holigram as theres no gold on your place
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Yes sir that so right and its best everyone agrees!
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I like the big piece of fools gold on the right hand side 
Do you have any ideas about what created that holey and hollow hokeypokeyish texture?
It’s a stunning piece, that’s for sure.
the piece of fools gold is 4.00 grams and I guess that over millennia the quartz has been beaten out of it as it worked its way down stream although that particular stream is only one mile long.
The other larger piece is a bit heavier at 4.28 grams and the whole lot washed out after floods from one small corner 25 metres from where I parked the car on my place.
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very very nice mate love specimens like that …!!!wow!!!
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Once you find a bit of gold you loose interest really in taking photos so I never ever took any photos of my very best days after this particular day. this is no where near my best day but it was a good one.
Three handfuls of dirt in half a minute - I kid you not. There was a brilliant thunderstorm, a bit scary really considering i was in the river. It was right on nightfall and i had to get back to the Big Smoke (city) so I scooped up there handfuls, panned it and then headed home. .
I actually got more than this but tipped some out into a small bottle before I left the river and gave at least an ounce away. This is what I had when I got home after giving some away. Next weekend I went back and got nearly the same again. This is the only photograph I took.
About 195 grams.
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Amazing to think that there were days better than this! You guys were lucky back then!
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Still there - not so much lucky as knew how to go about it and used skin diving suits. However with detectors there is still a good chance of finding good gold. Lots and lots of unworked areas.
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I know, I know buddy - Im bored so here I am. Still I am dreaming of whats to come when the weather comes right…oh I need a rock drill!
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And a digger, & some explosives, & a helicopter would be handy. 
JW 
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Explosives bust things they shouldnt be allowed - a digger? I thought I had one - its got a wooden handle…I was offered a free loan of one for the summer months but didnt want the responsibility and I had to get it down from and return it to Wanaka. As for the helicopter - I have thought about that - particularly this Trade Me