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How To Clean Gold Nuggets

simon		Posted : Wednesday, 19 December 2012 9:24:49 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 know this has been discussed somewhere before but i am after some tricks to clean gold. Detecting the stuff that's been buried in cemented or dirty overburden can present finds that are not only hard to spot but that need a good clean up once found. i guess i need to know what solution works best on gold. i generally just want to clean out loose debris in nuggets, plus shine up the gold a bit also?
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mygold1		Posted : Thursday, 17 January 2013 8:35:20 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Dust Groups: Registered Joined: 9/12/2012(UTC) Posts: 2 Was thanked: 1 time(s) in 1 post(s)		Hi Simon, I have found that 2 tea spoons of salt and 2 table spoons of vinegar in a small plastic container (film canister) with your nugget, shake vigorously for a few mins works well for me works on dull fine panned gold too cheers Greg

gogold		Posted : Thursday, 17 January 2013 9:07:39 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 5/01/2012(UTC) Posts: 217 Location: gore Thanks: 4 times Was thanked: 56 time(s) in 45 post(s)		you tried 1 of those small ultrasonic jewelery cleaners?

simon		Posted : Thursday, 17 January 2013 9:55:54 PM(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)		mygold1: i'll give that a go. cheers for that. Gogold: i will hold off on a jewellery cleaner for now. need to find some gold to pay for it. do they work ok?
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Lammerlaw		Posted : Friday, 1 February 2013 9:08:28 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)		I remember back in the early 1970s someone told me to clean a bottle of dirty gold I had with some Jiff in water and just roll the bottle around in my hand and gently shake it - I remember that yes I ended up with nice clean gold but the Jiff all has to be washed back out of it and somehow it looked 'too good' - since then I have never really cleaned any. I think that mygold1 suggestion sounds really good. Very inspiring - two hours from now I will be up on the tops with my detector at a secret wee spot my son and I have so time to get out of here!

simon		Posted : Friday, 1 February 2013 3:39:20 PM(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)		good luck out there graeme. you've got a great spell of weather for it at present. i will do be best to get over and visit at some point late summer/autumn to meet you. would love to see all your collections of gold fields memorabilia and if there's some detecting to be had that would be a bonus. will keep in touch. i would prefer to head out there with you guys rather than on my own if the offer still stands. one day it would be great to get you guys over this way in return. i will have to hunt out a decent spot somewhere. been pretty busy this summer with work so have only had time to get to close by spots and now the weather is so bloody hot its a bit much to climb too far in the heat. i keep meaning to do some early morning walks but something always comes up. got to get more motivated before its winter again. and thanks all for the gold cleaning advice. i never really had too much dirty gold. most simply washed up good with a bit of detergent and water. i've come across a few nuggets this last year. often in drifts rather than on or near bedrock, that has been incredibly hard to get clean. i even had a bit on the 12 mile that was mostly rock with gold around it. was just the one. perhaps off a now gone reef as its a far way to any known reefs around there today.
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goldrush boy		Posted : Sunday, 3 February 2013 9:33:30 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Dust Groups: Registered Joined: 28/01/2013(UTC) Posts: 7 Location: Nelson Thanks: 9 times		Well the best method would be using a weak solution of nitric acid. If you just want to get the gold bright maybe try coca-cola overnight. I can remember using it as a kid with silver and copper coins to try and up their grading...lol

Lammerlaw		Posted : Monday, 4 February 2013 1:54:57 PM(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)		Hi Simon I was out these last few days and it was a total 'wash out' - due partly to lack of water and partly to no gold - the yield from my place is pretty sparse now and Friday and Saturdays was so little that I threw it all into one container to give away to a kiddie as a gold sample - a bit like Shantytown! I got .5 gram yesterday and that was all. During the week I can be up at my place or in the Big Smoke (Dunedin) so if you come to my Dunedin address you can have a look at the Gold fields stuff I have here and from there if you want to try detecting on my place we can go up for a night or two...or three...or more. You are most welcome and the invitation is of course a standing one so that all you have to do is let me know. I have to go to meetings in South Canterbury one weekend per month and those weekends are out of action. As for cleaning gold - I never really did bothers and only really tried it the once - I once found a lovely quartz/gold specimen and decided to clean the quartz out of it with a hammer by walloping it - I never did that twice as the gold was mostly at the two ends and I ended up with two separate nuggets...such is life!