Is it Gold? How to test?

Thanks… I think I need to get a decent microscope so I can use a needle or knife to see if it shatters, I only have a cheap Loupe

Great idea - get a larger stereo one then you will find its magic - you wont look back and you will have so much fun exploring and examining everything from the girlfriends pubes to your mineral specimens.

With my stereo microscope about twenty five years ago I discovered what I claim to be the first microspherules ever found in New Zealand. Since then two off shore scientists have discovered them here. I discovered them in fine course gold and have since from just one wee area discovered about a hundred of them…actually I just got them to photograph them to put on here and Oops the whole lot spilt onto the floor - well ya gotta take the good with the bad and take a loss with a win and keep smiling so I guess it doesnt matter - I guess I might get fifty percent of them back…did that once before!

Silver in Coro is rarely found natively (pure crystals).
Gold however does show up.
It really depends on where you are in the Coro.

Generally, you won’t see gold it will be locked up in the quartz as small particles.
You will see the silver oxide/sulphides - GREY.
The quartz will be unusually heavy, white/clear quartz is generally quite light, compared to a rock.
Sand on the beach is quartz.

Electrum, a mix of native gold & silver is a rare occurance, I’ve not heard of it being found in nz.

Processing quartz:
Gold 3g per Tonne
Silver 80g per Tonne

But that is average, you can get 1g gold per tonne or even hit rich pockets that have 300g per tonne. Rich pockets are often native gold veins. And you get some of those in the Coro, as I’m sure you’ve seen down at the School of Mines.

Do you need to spend heaps on one or will a $60 Ebay 20x 40x be good enough for general use? Good luck with vacuuming up and recovering the microsperules :slight_smile:

Thanks for that info I assumed the Gold & Silver commonly mixed in nature and they separated it out when processing - So much to learn…

Yep. In the last couple of months I’ve learned knew minerals to look for from a youtuber, and found a few websites with other info I never knew.
Alos the link about extracting the silver is new to me also - mostly my research has been on finding silver & gold ores, did not know sulphides are corrosive and a few iron nails are required in the initial smelt.

Do check out the old paydirt forums - it has a wealth of info on good locations, and peoples adventures. Might see you around coro before the years out, making the shift soon.
Dunno why I never heard about gold when I grew up there, I could’ve contracted the fever sooner!

Julian - I got about half the mirospherules - such is life.

This first rock is similar to yours. It is Coromandel and contains a lot of pyrites similar to yours

The secod photo is what you will find the silver in - this is a 25kg block of Galena also from the Coromandel

The third photo shows a good stereo microscope - ex University plus the microspherules that I managed to suckymotor up. It is ten magnification I think and perfect - it makes the mirospherules look like wee cannon balls. Mine is this brand and almost the same…Hmm perhaps mine is more than ten magnification…'rushes off to perve…at the moment mine has ten magnification eye pieces which means that it can be changed.

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Its a fascinating Hobby, I got rid of my Electronics Service business in Tauranga last year so am semi retired now and spend a lot of time up the Coro in my camper van, back up there Thursday if the weather holds out, then South island for a few months after Xmas… I will have a trawl thru the old forum for some inspiration…

I love the Coromandel and wish I could get back up there to find more of the larger metal ore mineral specimens I so much like as well as some larger pieces of Coromandel petrified wood…never did find any there when I was there.

Coromandel to me is one of New Zealands greatest places - for scenery and minerals both…the other places are the top of the South Island with fantastic Native Copper in nugget form near Nelson and parts of Central otago - at Waipori once were found New Zealands best Cinnabar, Scheelite, Manganese Ore, Antimony, Chalcopyrite and Gold.

I’ll try to keep an eye out for you, for some of those specimens.

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I found a few pieces petrified wood a couple of weeks ago in a stream near Tairua the large piece is about 6" across

The Stereo Microscope I was looking at looks similar but they all do… the prices vary from $40 to $2000, most seem to come with both 10x and 20x changeable lense and a 2x Objective lens making for a total magnification of 20x and 40x - I think i will get one of the sub $100 ones to have a play with the feedback on them is good and if it’s not suitable I will give it to the grandkids for Xmas lol

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Don’t buy a cheapy. I have a cheaply and it is not a fraction as good as a really good one…remember that you get what you pay for. Be patient but troll Trade me, frequent second hand shops and keep your eye open and get a really good quality second hand one because you might get it really cheap.
I paid $60 for my first one and its punk. I fluked both my high quality ones for nothing…you will get a really good one if your patient but keep your eye open for one.

You got the petrified wood in a stream near Tuarua…wish I had known…I was there a few months ago and stayed a week at Hahei…love there. Best fish and chips in the whole world are Taurua and Manuka at Glenfield, North shore…dammit I might book next flight up just for a feed of GOOD fish and chips…down in Dunedin its not fish and chips…its stale fish and shit!

The long black piece was in the Tairua harbour and the other two were in the upper reaches of the Tairua river half way to Thames along the Tairua Hikui RD. Once I find space to set up the Diamond Saw I acquired from my father I will cut them and see what’s inside. I will keep an eye on TM for a Microscope I will also see if my friend who is a science teacher at the local college can come up with anything, Yep those South Island fish and chips ain’t as good as ours up North LOL

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You are inspiring me!
Last time we were at Tairua we parked right in front of the Fish and Chip shop and almost immediately a young lad rushed out onto the footpath and held out a package of Fish and Chips and said "Here are your Fish and Chips"
Well that sure is service for you!
We had not even gone in to order them though we did half an hour later.
It is times like that when I hate being a straight up and honest guy because I had to tell the young lad that they weren’t ours! Bugger!
If I had known about the petrified wood there I would have lingered longer…much longer!

Can’t recommend any places in Thames.
Waihi Fish & Chip shop though OMG stop in if you’re passing through!

The one on the Wharf at Thames wasn’t bad when I went there a couple of weeks ago nice Gurnard

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Well guess I missed the one good place, thanks I’ll try them soon.

Hi again,
Try Pacific Fish Supply in Hillside Road. Not only is their fish extremely fresh, but second time you visit they will ask your name and how you like your order cooked. Third visit, the entire Cambodian family, greet you by name, ask if you wish the usual order, and you will get it, as you like it from who ever in the family serves you. Last week the son in law was working first time in a year, and he greeted me by name very friendly, asked if I wanted usual? I teased him by asking does he even remember my order, and he said " Sure Neil, one fish, one onion sausage, $5.00 chips, very well done, very well drained. I corrected him, by stating that one of my old dogs had to be put down, so I now only need $3.00 chips. I bet he will remember that in 12 months time. I have never had such service and consistency. Lovely family Takeaway shop.

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