If you’re interested in gold, there are some rocks that can be a good source of this precious metal. These include sedimentary rocks and metamorphic rocks.
Sedimentary rocks, such as shale and sandstone, can be a good source of gold deposits because they contain large amounts of mineral-rich sediment.
Location
Finding rocks that contain gold can be a challenge, but with some practice you can increase your chances of success. Knowing where to look can make your prospecting experience much more productive and enjoyable.
The best place to start looking for rocks that contain gold is in areas where there have been a lot of changes in water flow. These areas often have shattered bedrock or depressions that may hold rich pockets of gold. Alluvium, which is a type of eroded material that collects together in one area, can also be a good location for finding gold.
Intrusive rock, which is a hard type of rock formed by molten magma pushing between other layers of rock underground, can be another good location for finding gold. This harder rock is more difficult to move away than softer materials, so gold will likely accumulate in these areas.
Quartz is a type of rock that is commonly associated with gold deposits. This white mineral can be found as small stones in river beds or in larger seams in hillsides, and is a good indicator of potential gold-bearing areas.
These quartz veins are typically located in igneous rock, such as granite and gabbro, but can also be located in sedimentary or metamorphic rocks. These deposits can be known as mesothermal gold deposits.
In this kind of gold deposit, hydrothermal fluids that contain low sulfur minerals, like copper and zinc, are able to penetrate deep into the Earth’s crust and bind together with a host rock that contains sulfide minerals. This is usually an igneous or metamorphic rock that has been exposed to extreme heat and pressure for millions of years.
This process creates a vein system that is filled with hot fluids that have dissolved gold, copper, and other minerals. The gold particles are then deposited within the sedimentary or metamorphic rock that is the host for the vein system.
Other heavy metals and minerals that are common in gold-bearing areas include iron, lead, pyrite, and magnetite. These minerals are often associated with veins of gold that spread out from the host rock, and can be found in alluvial deposits. Pyrite, for example, is sometimes referred to as fool’s gold. It is a common mineral that has been used in movies to fool prospectors into thinking that they have found real gold.
Identifying a Rock
Rocks that contain gold can be difficult to identify. They can look similar to other rocks and may appear light in color, but they can also be surprisingly heavy. Using your eyes and a few basic tests can help you narrow down your suspects.
The first step in identifying a rock that contains gold is to determine what type of mineral is present. The mineral’s chemical composition and crystalline structure are key factors in its physical characteristics.
Most gold minerals are sulfide minerals, which are iron oxides with sulfur as the primary component. Sulfide minerals can include hematite, calaverite, and sylvanite. Some sulfide minerals are polymorphs, meaning they have the same chemical makeup but different crystal structures.
A rock that contains hematite will be red or dark brown in color, with hexagonal or rhombohedral crystals. Hematite also occurs as granular or concretionary masses.
Another common sulfide mineral is pyrite, which has the same chemical makeup as hematite but a different crystalline structure. Pyrite is often mistaken for fool’s gold because of its coloration and luster.
Streak tests are a simple way to test a rock for gold. Rub a rock against an unglazed ceramic tile or streak plate and see if it leaves a distinct gold or greenish-black streak. Genuine gold will leave a golden streak, while fool’s gold will leave a greenish-black one.
Scratching a rock against a glass or an unglazed ceramic tile can also give you an idea of whether or not it has gold in it. If a rock does have gold in it, the sand or clay from the surrounding rock will make contact with the glass and scratch it.
When it comes to testing a rock for gold, you will need a scale, an unglazed ceramic tile, and a magnet. You can use these tools to perform a series of nondestructive visual inspections and tests, or you can use destructive methods to test hardness, cleavage, or ductility, or to pulverize and pan the powder for gold particles.
If your rock is a placer deposit, you will need a metal detector to find it. This type of rock is typically found in dry creek beds, and you will want to use a detector that can be tuned to respond to only gold signals.
Testing a Rock
If you’ve got a rock that you’ve found on your property, you might be wondering if it contains gold. There are a few simple ways to test a rock for gold and determine its purity without damaging the rock.
The first thing you need to do is remove any loose dirt or other debris from the rock before running any tests on it. This will make it easier for you to see the minerals that are present.
Once you have removed the dirt, check the surface of the rock for any telltale signs that it may contain gold. A common indicator is the presence of natural cracks and lines that are caused by weathering. If you find these, the rock is probably containing gold.
Another important factor to consider is the hardness of the rock. If the rock is soft, it likely contains pyrite or another mineral that has a similar appearance.
You can use a Mohs hardness scale to compare the hardness of different rocks. This is a good way to distinguish gold from pyrite and other minerals that have a similar appearance to gold.
A more thorough and less destructive test is to scratch the rock with a piece of porcelain tile or ceramic plate. If it produces a golden streak, then you have a real gold rock. If it doesn’t produce a streak, then it probably contains pyrite or another mineral that looks like gold.
If you want to double check whether the rock is actually gold, you can try a nitric acid test. This is a common way to test for pyrite but it can be misleading because quartz doesn’t react to acids, and pyrite can be resistant to these acids.
If you’re still unsure of your rock’s purity, you can use a rare earth magnet to test it. This is a more accurate method than the nitric acid test, but it can be challenging to perform because you need a powerful magnet. You also need a testing stone for this test and you should wear protective eyewear and rubber gloves when performing it.
Extracting Gold from a Rock
The process of extracting gold from rock involves a number of steps. Some of these processes use hazardous chemicals like cyanide and mercury. However, there are also other methods that involve the application of gravity and chemical properties to isolate gold particles from rock.
The first step in the process is to crush the rock into small pebbles and then grind them into a powder. This was traditionally done with a hammer and a mortar and pestle, but modern gold processors use large machines that can do this job quickly and efficiently.
A slurry is then created, which is a mixture of crushed gold-containing rock and other minerals. The slurry is usually agitated to separate the gold from the rest of the material.
Some of these slurry processes are more expensive than others, but they can be very effective at separating gold from other materials. The most popular is the mercury amalgam method, which uses a mixture of mercury and rock dust to separate gold from other minerals.
Another popular slurry extraction process uses borax, which lowers the melting temperature of the other minerals in the slurry. This allows gold to melt more easily and sink to the bottom of the slurry.
If you want to try this at home, you will need a metal container with tiny rock pebbles in it, some mercury, and a metal rod. Next, pour some of the mercury into the metal container and let it mix.
Once the rocks are soaked with the mercury, they will start to melt and mix with the mercury. Once this happens, the gold in the rock will separate from the other mineral and will form an amalgam.
When you are ready to test your rock for gold, you can perform several tests on it. One of the easiest tests is to check the hardness of the rocks. If the rock you have is very hard, it is likely to contain gold.
You can also check for pyrite by using a gem loupe. If you see a lot of little crystals in the rock matrix, it is likely that the rock contains gold.