Hey isnt that deal a little lopsided? He keeps 50% of what you give him, and anything he digs he only gives you 20%..?

Sign me up....

It is coming off a claim in northern ca. and is out of a sulfide ore. The trick is that it contains gold, silver copper, platinum, mercury and other things as well which is the kicker. The specific gravity will run from 10.5 to about 16 with the purist nuggets at 17 to 18 which is 20 to 22 carat but the average is about 15 or about 75% gold. The chalcopyrite runs about 30% gold and there are all different variations and combinations mixed together and a real challenge to separate but it looks good in a vial. Tom

Not if the top layer of the ground was highly oxidized and the moisture is gone much like the material in Austin Nv. and not one but two horrific forest fires burnt through the area roasting the material at up to 3000 degrees and creating free gold. Thank you American terrorist  group, usfs for letting it burn. Tom

Austin Nevada?! what claim to fame does that place have? Is there something geological different than from the other main area's of Nevada? I need to to start learning more about the ore's and identification.....cause in Nevada in the areas that I hang out....most of the rocks are coated with dirt and need close inspection and a little water to get the true look. Its easy to pass up stuff that might be worthwhile.

I am still wondering about your correlation with specific gravity and Karat....am I missing something that would benefit my understanding? 

Nevada Outback has a great article on sulfides and mentions Austin as an example . as far as the rest of nv. I don't think there is anywhere that you walk over that does not have gold but carry your pocket microscope because most is micron but there is a lot of it. 24 carat gold has a gravity of 19.3 where 14 carat gold is between 10.6 and 12 depending on which metals it is mixed with and a good example is man made black hills gold and the same with natural nuggets. Gold bars are not pure or they would not hold there shape, to soft. Tom

  That's cool, most people aren't into sulfide gold, it's a lot of work. I heard old timers mined veins of free mill gold, then they quit when the vein ends with sulfide gold. I have a 4 oz. bottle of sulfide gold, and not sure what I'm going to do with it.