Jeff M

I love the Equinox 800 for prospecting. However, when I prospect at one location I go to at over 9,000 feet in Colorado, I prefer to take lightweight equipment that can be easily backpacked. This time of year I usually have over a mile hike into this location in rough, steep, snow and icy terrain where carrying a detector in my hands is pretty dumb and packing in lightweight equipment is a must for my 63 year old stamina or lack of stamina. So, if you have a similar need I am posting this to let you know that, flimsy as it seems, the XP ORX is an outstanding and durable nugget detector. The location I went to is not known for large gold specie or nuggets. The ORX is easy to setup with clear Iron Tone, Iron VDI and Iron Probability indications that make it easy to know when a quality non-ferrous target is under the coil. On this trip I dug everything that came close to a good signal and skipped over the screaming iron responses since much of the ground was frozen, I only had a few hours and it was COLD!!!! 2.5 grain flat nugget at 3" 1.5 gram specie at 6" Jeff

Sent you a message. Jeff

Yeah, that looks like caliche on steroids! Jeff

Looks like chrysocolla/malachite to me. Gem silica is the same as chrysocolla except it has less inclusions and is more translucent. It is harder too since it has more silica (chalcedony) than malachite. Jeff M

Please don't crack that specimen. So many newbys think that breaking a rock will reveal something inside. Usually it is the same thing that is on the outside! It is really unusual. It looks almost like it has crystal faces on the darker green part in the first and second photos. Maybe a big diopside or olivine. Cool! Also, if you could answer GeoJack's question that would be great. Be nice to it please! Jeff McClendon

Hi, will it scratch glass? What beach or area?

Beautiful nugget Tammy. Thank you and Bill for all you do for the rest of us!