Thursday, August 16, 2012

East Coast Gold

East Coast Gold


Geological map of North America   USGS

This book is like none other, because it deals with gold found on the East Coast of North America.  The scope of the book takes us all the way from Greenland, through Eastern Canada and the United States all the way to Alabama.  This includes chapters on each of the individual areas whether they are states or provinces.  It also includes chapters explaining the technical aspects of hunting for gold in this area.

It does not include places where to hunt for gold because if I knew the places I’d be there first.  It does explain where to hunt for gold and the geological reasons behind the hunt.  It also explains the geological terrain where gold is most likely to be found.

The book will be published initially as an E-book costing US$29.99

We aren’t ready to take orders, but the book will be ready by Christmas; we hope to have it by Halloween.

If the demand is enough we will publish this book later in hard copy.   If you want to reserve a hard copy go <HERE>

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Some Handy Gear for the Prospector

Hardrock miner
Photo by Norbert Schnitzler


There are several items that over the years we have found to be handy added to our exploration kit.  Probably one of the handiest and incidentally the heaviest is a steel anvil 3 inches in diameter by 1 inch thick.  This is used for a simple test for gold.  Gold is malleable and can be flattened with repeated blows with a hammer.  So-called fools gold is brittle breaking up into several fragments, and if reduced to powder turns black.  Gold will retain its true color everything else turns black or in the case of mica turns white.

A hat to shield your punkin head from the hot sun is one of the most valuable things you can have during a prospecting expedition.  A hat also keeps the rain off your head if it starts raining. A simple bill cap will help, but a broad brimmed hat like the cowboy’s wear is even better.  The best one is a hard hat to protect your head from falling objects.

Gloves are another thing you shouldn’t be without because after a day of shoveling or hammering you are likely to find that one of the things you’ve got is a good set of blisters among other things.  The best work gloves for the prospector are leather work gloves.

If you are hunting for gold anywhere there are snakes, and there are always plenty of snakes wherever there is gold you need a pair of snake proof boots.  A rattlesnake can strike so hard that even with snake boots you can still be bruised through your boots.  A snake bite can ruin your day.  If you are messing around in streams one of the most handiest things you can have is a pair of rubber boots, preferably hip boots.

One of the handiest things you can have on a prospecting expedition is a good jeweler’s 10X loup.  Why a 10X because it has a depth of field that is deep enough to bring things into focus.  Loupes larger then a magnification of 10x have a much shorter depth od field to render them virtually useless.  In the same vein a pad and pencil also comes in handy for making notes.  A surveyor’s pad works best because they have water-proof paper.  You could also include a ball point pen.

The really most handy things to have is a good handheld GPS unit.  You can set it at your base station so you will always be able to return.  It is also handy for finding other places where you have been.  Another use for one of these is using it for laying out claims.

Friday, August 3, 2012

Using the Mineral Identification Chart for Identifying Gold in the Field

Gold Nugget
Photo by Rob Lavinsky


Sample No.
100
101
102
103
Color
Gold
Brass-Yellow
Pale Brass/Yellow
Brownish/Gold weathered
Luster
Metallic
Metallic
Metallic
Glassy
Crystal System
Isometric
Tetragonal
Isometric
Monoclinic
Composition
Au +Ag
FeCuS2
FeS2
X2Y4–6Z8O20(OH,F)4
Form
Nugget
Crystalline
Crystalline
Crystalline
Hardness
2.76
3.75 Avg.
6.25 Avg.
2.25
Streak
Gold
Greenish-Black
Greenish-Black
White
Sp. Gravity
17.8 Avg.
4.18 Avg.
4.9 Avg.
2.8
Cleavage
No
Poor/Indistinct
Poor/Indistinct
Perfect
Fracture
Hackly
Uneven
Concoidal
Micaeous
Florescent
No
No
No
No
Phosphorescent
No
No
No
No
Sectile
Yes
No
No
No
Malleable
Yes
No
No
No
Brittle
No
Yes
Yes
Elastic
Ferro-Magnetic
No
No
No
No
Para-Magnetic.
No
Yes
Yes
No
Non-Magnetic
Yes
No
No
Yes
Transparent
No
No
No
Yes
Translucent
No
No
No
No
Opaque
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Mineral
Gold
Chalcopyrite
Iron Pyrite
Weathered Mica

As you can see from the chart gold has entirely different characteristics then “fools gold.”

According to Mindat.org gold has a specific gravity ranging from 16 to 19 depending on how pure it is.

Hardness is 2.5 to 3.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Mineral Identification Work Chart


You can print this out and use it for your mineral identification needs:

Mineral Identification Work Chart

Sample No.




Color




Luster




Crystal System




Composition




Form




Hardness




Streak




Sp. Gravity




Cleavage




Fracture




Florescence




Phosphorescent




Sectile




Malleable




Brittle




Ferro-Magnetic




Para-Magnetic.




Non-Magnetic




Transparent




Translucent




Opaque




Mineral





This is enough to identify four minerals.  Most of the questions can be answered by a simple yes or no.  By answering these questions you will be able to identify most minerals from a simple handbook of minerals that are available at any bookstore.  Mineral identification is done by a process of elimination. What doesn’t match the description of your mineral is not what you have found.