New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

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nelson-goldy		Posted : Thursday, 5 July 2012 5:21:09 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 21/06/2012(UTC) Posts: 22 Location: wakefeild in nelson Thanks: 1 times Was thanked: 3 time(s) in 1 post(s)		hey guys just a few questions how often is gold found in quite clay'ey ground. the reason i ask is i live on a small farm in south nelson (wakefeild) and ther is a small but very old from what i can tell creek and there are several places that look like it could be gold bearing and the ground is also very eroded and is about 15-20 meters deep from were the creek would have started many years ago i havent put a pan in it yet but i will tamoro if it would help i can post some photos of the creek. any info on gold and were its found in this type of sedimentary ground would be much appriciated thanks mark

kiwikeith		Posted : Thursday, 5 July 2012 6:34:58 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Medals: Groups: Registered Joined: 28/06/2011(UTC) Posts: 648 Location: hector Thanks: 359 times Was thanked: 230 time(s) in 154 post(s)		gold is not normally found in clay is it clay or silt you can tell the difference by rubbing a smal piece between fingers normally if clay it will feel silky and smooth in my geolocical days to find the diff we would roll the sample in to a pencil shape then turn it in your hand into a 100mm dia circle if the worm turms with out cracking then it is clay these are only field tests back to the subject gold is found in silt because it is normally courser and more prone to flood having said all that i have seen gold on the surface of clay dont walk on it as it will drive the gold into the clay and lost forever method for getting the gold place clay in a bucket and wash or mix into a soup then drain the soup of and repeat if there is gold it will retain in the bottom very time consuming good luck let me know how you get on

mineforgold.co.nz		Posted : Friday, 6 July 2012 12:27:19 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 14/11/2011(UTC) Posts: 299 Location: Nelson Thanks: 58 times Was thanked: 38 time(s) in 35 post(s)		Gold has been found in clay locally so it is not beyond reason. If you want a second opinion I am only just up the road.
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oroplata		Posted : Friday, 6 July 2012 12:30:50 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered, Moderators Joined: 16/06/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,040 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 23 times Was thanked: 211 time(s) in 152 post(s)		Good chance you'll find gold in the clay because it's such a bugger to get out, everyone else has left it in there. :)
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simon		Posted : Friday, 6 July 2012 10:29:48 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 7/01/2011(UTC) Posts: 789 Location: Central Otago Thanks: 33 times Was thanked: 239 time(s) in 150 post(s)		i've found little pockets of grey clay in the creek bed. never found any gold in the stuff. i always thought the same thing. there's got to be gold in it as it's so bloody hard to get out of it. i presume the clay accumulated from some higher terrace sluicing decades after the rush. i always puddle the stuff away but never get jack from it. terrible stuff, as if you don't pubble it good it an pick up all your sluicebox gold if you allow it to tumble on off over the riffles. luckily the clay is only sporadic. it seems in my location that the gold can not get into the clay as it is so packed under water in certain spots (above it i guess the gravels held any gold and this gold had to first get thru all the dirty gravels.
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Lammerlaw		Posted : Friday, 6 July 2012 11:06:31 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 24/05/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,721 Thanks: 72 times Was thanked: 579 time(s) in 396 post(s)		Although I would not say a definitive 'No' to their being gold in ordinary clay as in your garden under the top layer of soil there could well be gold under it so that stripping off the clay reveals the gold below, maybe in ancient river wash or right down on the bedrock. Grey river silt often similar to some forms of potters clay can be another matter entirely...Some years ago i a certain spot on my place it was evident that a river or stream had flowed in millennia past. There were and still are layers of rusty quartz gravels, non rusty gravels and also fine silt sediment layers. My nephew and I used to clear the top layers of river gravel off the fine grey silt. On top of this fine grey silt there would be embedded pebbles, pieces and blocks of pure quartz. We would lift or prize these pieces of quartz out of the silt and under where the quartz had been we would often get good gold - It lay on top of the silt but under the quartz. When we then stripped the silt layer away we would get more on top of the bedrock itself and in the cracks and crevices within the bedrock. In your case - nothing ventured - nothing gained - try several spots - on top of the clay, in the clay and under the clay if you can bottom it. Do not give up though - take prospects throughout the length of the stream. where I described finding good gold on top of and under the grey silt (actually from memory a grey/blue) was in one particular spot and other spots within the silt layer further down stream yielded either nothing or very little so it was intermittent. Good luck and may you make millions. Edited by user Friday, 6 July 2012 7:57:10 PM(UTC) \| Reason: Not specified

Cleggie		Posted : Friday, 6 July 2012 6:05:42 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 24/03/2012(UTC) Posts: 88 Location: Christchurch Thanks: 88 times Was thanked: 59 time(s) in 31 post(s)		The first thing I would do is look at the rocks and gravels in the creek. If there is quartz present then there is likelyhood of gold also. Another indicator is the presence of magnetite (black sand). Not sure about the gold being found in clay but in silt yes. As others have mentioned, give it a go you just never know what you may find.

nelson-goldy		Posted : Sunday, 8 July 2012 10:39:56 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Flake Groups: Registered Joined: 21/06/2012(UTC) Posts: 22 Location: wakefeild in nelson Thanks: 1 times Was thanked: 3 time(s) in 1 post(s)		i had go in the creek in several spots but found nothing at all i might try digging down a few feet and try again thanks for the help any way guys : )