New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

Someone mentioned access to an XRF... my ICP is out of service and I could not get anything positive with the RDE... probably because I could not grind it down to less than 4 µ

It is regularly found in my dredge clean up.

The longest piece is 12mm.. and are roughly 1 mm diameter
It is non ferrous,
The piece bent in the middle by hand easy enough, but did not bend over the length as lead would do
It will squash flat with a pair of pliers.
Seems to be about the same density as lead.
Sometimes appears as two pieces siamesed together or occasionally in a "tee" shape.
Some times with a white oxidized coating.

I am thinking zinc or tungsten/wolfram

Anyone have any ideas what it is?

Edited by user Sunday, 21 June 2015 9:02:10 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Hi All

Well LBD. Im the bloke that used to have the claim down at Berlins. Of course you are at the upper Buller Gorge. Looked at that years back, but a prick of a place to get into. So I flagged it. The earthquake slip didn't help, slowed the upper gorge down. But sand build up was astronomical.
Do like your rig tho. Easy in, easy out. Gotta be that way with the Buller, cause as you know one day she is tame, the next a raging torrent.

Best day on my claim was 6 ozs for six hours work. It was very rich ground indeed and lasted for quite some time. 36 ounces in 10 days was our best effort. I quit the claim when it got down to 5 dwt a day. But that took quite a few years. Average was an ounce to half an ounce a day. But that was back in the days when gold was $600.00 an ounce, and for a while it was only $480.00 an ounce. My partner and my mate still have the claim. And now struggle for a few weight a day. I just remember the golden days. And the golden showers, we were in fast water. Two weight belts. Break open a golden crack, and the gold was flying over our heads, hence the golden shower. Just drop back and suck it up.

Dredge and nozzle were all on anchor points with an adjustable pulley. It was hang on for dear life, or take a tumble.

My experience is where you find the bbs (shotgun pellets) give it hell. Gold and bbs run together. So if you are getting that stuff stick with that place. It may be leaveright, leave it right there. But its a dropping point.

But I tink you are a pretty astute suction dredger from what I see. So probably don't need to tell you that.

I dredged for around about 30 years more or less.


Cheers Trev aka " The Hatter"

I get the exact same stuff were I dredge always just presumed it was lead of some sort but that said I tend to toss everything out pretty quick that's not gold with little inspection ...I guess the question should be is it worth anything !! ? if so il start keeping it :))
How about you try and melt it ? if its lead you'll soon find out

Edited by user Tuesday, 23 June 2015 12:50:12 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Mostly the same areas I get the shotgun pellets ...on the bottom in faster water zone,s I don't really recall finding any in the hard pac it self...like I said always presumed it was lead looks man made to me.

Mostly looks man made to me as well... except when it is siamesed or has a tee shape... yes I do find a bit of lead shot as well.

I am wondering if some of the shot deforms when shot from the gun...?

Cool - Get that puppy out in the field bipping quartz veins!

That mix of metals suggests a natural occurrence to me.

Maybe this stuff is in veins and breaks out as a short length which is then 'hammered' as it tumbles to draw it out, and malleable enough to support the thin dia.?