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Silver or platinum????
Goldnut  
Posted : Saturday, 6 August 2011 11:44:54 AM(UTC)
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Hey all,

I was going through my cons from the Coromandel/Thames area and come across what looks like a silver nugget... I was hoping that it was gold as it did not even budge in the pan... but I looked at it through a magnifying glass and it was a silvery metal with white surrounding some of it... I tried to take pictures but they are not coming out right... let me know what you think. I will try to get a picture and post it. Cheers
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rgmcbrid  
Posted : Saturday, 6 August 2011 11:54:07 AM(UTC)
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Not to dash your hopes, but could it be lead?
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kiwikeith  
Posted : Saturday, 6 August 2011 12:58:07 PM(UTC)
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could it be lead?

sorry i agree with the lead
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Goldnut  
Posted : Saturday, 6 August 2011 3:54:47 PM(UTC)
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Hey guys. I checked and it is not magnetic. here are some photos of the piece. I had to attach my 7x magnifier to my camera to get the picture... lol.
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Goldnut  
Posted : Saturday, 6 August 2011 3:58:55 PM(UTC)
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I guess I could light it on fire and see if it melts...
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kiwikeith  
Posted : Saturday, 6 August 2011 4:14:57 PM(UTC)
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down here on the coast we have mining labs coming out our ears they are very helpfull when you find things like this try one in your area could help
try melting with a butane tourch remenber once melted never returned

sorry your right dosnt look like lead
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Goldnut  
Posted : Saturday, 6 August 2011 4:31:00 PM(UTC)
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Yeah I not too sure about the auckland area. and i am not too sure about melting it... but if it is lead or zink, etc then its not worth much anyway right?
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oroplata  
Posted : Saturday, 6 August 2011 6:36:40 PM(UTC)
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Is it actually metallic or does it just LOOK metallic?

Try to pass a current through it.

Tap it with a hammer - is it malleable or does it shatter? (crystalline)
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Shilo  
Posted : Saturday, 6 August 2011 6:56:50 PM(UTC)
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I would also say its Galena - lead ore. Below is a chunk that originated from the Tui Mine in Te Aroha. I have found it right up the Thames coast until Wilsons Bay in smaller pieces. I'm not sure Galena would melt under a butane torch? It is also brittle so will shatter under a hammer. But Galena and silver do go hand in hand....

Galena
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oroplata  
Posted : Saturday, 6 August 2011 7:21:41 PM(UTC)
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Galena is a sulphide which means it's a pain the the arse to work with.

You can "roast" it ~900 deg C from memory), crushed up and mixed with carbon, to turn it into an oxide, but that produces Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S) gas which is very dangerous to your constitution. Then you turn up the heat to covert the lead oxide to lead, with a flux such as borax.

Anyone thinking of experimenting with ores should go to goldrefiningforum.com first and read and read, to make sure you know what you're doing BEFORE touching a melting torch.

I'll be bringing my forge/furnace with me in a few weeks. :)
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Goldnut  
Posted : Saturday, 6 August 2011 8:44:53 PM(UTC)
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Hey guys here is a pick of it with a ruler.

File Attachment(s):
DSCN9308.JPG
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oroplata  
Posted : Saturday, 6 August 2011 9:38:45 PM(UTC)
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If it is elemental, and you can get hold of, or make up some Schwerter's solution, that could help ID what it has in it.
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Goldnut  
Posted : Saturday, 6 August 2011 11:38:30 PM(UTC)
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Originally Posted by: oroplata Go to Quoted Post

If it is elemental, and you can get hold of, or make up some Schwerter's solution, that could help ID what it has in it.



??? What is Schwerter's solution?
Fisher F2 11DD coil, Garrett Pro-Pointer ----> My Blog: http://goldnut.blogspot.co.nz
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HaystackaH  
Posted : Saturday, 3 September 2011 7:14:21 PM(UTC)
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Originally Posted by: Goldnut Go to Quoted Post
Yeah I not too sure about the auckland area. and i am not too sure about melting it... but if it is lead or zink, etc then its not worth much anyway right?



lead dont need much heat to melt.... so if it melt's in an aluminum pot on a gas cooker then itl be lead.... leads worth nothing.... unless you made sinker's and sold them at the market!
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Goldnut  
Posted : Tuesday, 6 September 2011 3:40:21 PM(UTC)
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Lol... if i find enough maybe it would be profitable...
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NorCal  
Posted : Tuesday, 6 September 2011 4:09:14 PM(UTC)
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Originally Posted by: Goldnut Go to Quoted Post
Hey all,

I was going through my cons from the Coromandel/Thames area and come across what looks like a silver nugget... I was hoping that it was gold as it did not even budge in the pan... but I looked at it through a magnifying glass and it was a silvery metal with white surrounding some of it... I tried to take pictures but they are not coming out right... let me know what you think. I will try to get a picture and post it. Cheers








Platinum is out their , found a couple of platinum balls, its grey-ish, hard to find with out metal Detector, with a discrimanator, its says platinum. with out a discrimanator it will squilch, like iron...
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chrischch  
Posted : Tuesday, 6 September 2011 8:15:26 PM(UTC)
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Try a magnet....at least then you know if its got any iron in it. The magnet wont stick to rock or any (semi) valuable metal. And like above, if its a metal then it probably wont shatter.
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Karl McDowell  
Posted : Tuesday, 6 September 2011 8:32:14 PM(UTC)
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I found something that looked fairly similar years ago down near Greymouth – it was semi crystalline in appearance like your specimen and when I gave it a belt with the hammer it shattered rather than deformed like a malleable metal such as lead. It could be worthwhile contacting your nearest lapidary club - metals aren't necessarily their specialty but I'd be surprised if they couldn't provide some help or point you in the right direction.
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chrischch  
Posted : Tuesday, 6 September 2011 9:11:45 PM(UTC)
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Originally Posted by: Karl McDowell Go to Quoted Post
I found something that looked fairly similar years ago down near Greymouth – it was semi crystalline in appearance like your specimen and when I gave it a belt with the hammer it shattered rather than deformed like a malleable metal such as lead. It could be worthwhile contacting your nearest lapidary club - metals aren't necessarily their specialty but I'd be surprised if they couldn't provide some help or point you in the right direction.


Thats a damn good idea. There is rockhound clubs in all major cities and surely they will have an idea.
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Lammerlaw  
Posted : Tuesday, 6 September 2011 9:24:43 PM(UTC)
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Looks just like Galena with pyrites in it.
Galena is also an ore from which silver can be extracted. Galena PbS (Some AgS usually present) - It is a most important lead ore but that doesnt mean that you can readily melt it and the lead runs out. Silver is also extracted from 'Argentiferous Galena'
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