mmasters89 1 Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 Hello everyone! Could you guy's spare some experince and knowledge and tell me if in fact this is sugarloaf quartz and gold?I've done all of the home tests. It goes off under a metal detector, not magnetic , leaves a gold streak, sinks fast when put in water and is really soft.The boulders fit the description of sugarloaf quartz when smashed. Some of them have a rusty iron stain colour. Looking forward to your responses 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mmasters89 1 Posted September 6, 2013 Author Share Posted September 6, 2013 Picture Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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frank c 969 Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 What happens when you take the very tip of your knife and pick it into the metallic looking areas ??? does it sink in or scratch or flake off some of it ???Looks like salt an pepper to me, and it looks like maybe electrum an some gold too Let us know how you make out with it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
boulder dash 1,244 Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 Fools gold sorry. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mmasters89 1 Posted September 6, 2013 Author Share Posted September 6, 2013 Frank c- when I stick my metal pick into a piece it goes directly into the matter. On the really thin flakes when I stick the pick into it an indentation is made and on the other side a nipple forms. Boulder dash- what makes you say that? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
grubstake 679 Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 Looks like Granite and fools gold to me. Grubstake Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hoser John 1,240 Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 looks like some a that thar Leaverite as leave it right there-sorry-John Quote Link to post Share on other sites
The Found Dutchman 37 Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 That looks a coarse granite composed of quartz, tourmaline and mica. Am stumped as to why it would sound off on a detector so its my opinion only based on what I see. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bedrock Bob 4,161 Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 I have no idea what "sugarloaf quartz" is, but you have granite... With mica in it.Does sugarloaf come from the big rock candy mountain? I hear that is the highest peak in tbe land of milk and honey! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mmasters89 1 Posted September 6, 2013 Author Share Posted September 6, 2013 Here's some small thin flakes and dust with black sands.The 2nd photo is right after I added water and the 3rd photo is all of it collected one second after swirling the water. Isn't mica much less dense and wouldn't act In such way? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bedrock Bob 4,161 Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 The fracture is hackly. Gold is amorphous without fracture. The pices are obviously brittle...they are broken! Gold is malleable. The material is brassy and shiny. Gold is mellow yellow.Sorry, it is not gold. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mmasters89 1 Posted September 6, 2013 Author Share Posted September 6, 2013 Some of the rocks have iron stains. The little pockets of metalic matter all had a slight black iron oxide but when hit with some heat it came right off. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bedrock Bob 4,161 Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 Classic granite. Quartz, hornblende and mica.Good material for REE's. I don't see any gold in it at all. Sorry. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
David Wiseman 19 Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 It's arsenopyrite..... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sawmill 69 Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 Dave is right, it is pyrite ,alias, fools gold. Smack it with a hammer and it will shatter.Some of the other stuff that bends is mica. Five drops of acid and a test tube will savea lot of wasted time,when you are not sure. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
boulder dash 1,244 Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 Mmaster89 I'm a fool for gold!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sawmill 69 Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 Mmaster 89 I was in kind of a hurry when I made my previous post. Your rock is pegmatite with someiron pyrite . Iron pyrite is more brass or gold colored than arsenopyrite. It will also make agreyish yellow streak with a streak test. There could also be some mica in your rocks too. Photos are a tough way to make a positive identification ,but your photos sure look likepyrite in pegmatite. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mmasters89 1 Posted September 7, 2013 Author Share Posted September 7, 2013 Sawmill-You're right I did some reading on pegamite and I'm pretty sure that's what I have here.I will post more pictures here in a bit that are more clear. I was reading that they are possible hosts for other rare earths.I found some little red and yellow possible gemstones I think?I'm new to all this sorry for the rookie questions!When I post the pictures could help me identify what I have.Thanks! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sawmill 69 Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 Mmaster89 I have a dike of that same stuff on one of my claims. Don't feel bad ,all of us has beenfooled a time or three ourselves. Look for where that pegmatite intersects or makes acontact with another dike and you might be looking at some real gold. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mmasters89 1 Posted September 8, 2013 Author Share Posted September 8, 2013 Sawmill-With very light pressure I'm able to scratch off little slivers of the material with my fingernail. So that would rule out the pyrite right? I know you said mica can bend but would you be able to scratch at it and with a pen, poke it to where it makes a dent on the other side? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sawmill 69 Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 Mmasters89 Yes mica is very flexible,and will scratch or dent with a pin. It will peel off in thin layers,or pieces. Mica can be stained or coated with other minerals in several colors. Pegmatiteis a host rock for mica too. No that doesn't rule out some pyrite or arsonopyrite as in acoating or stain. Most likely the coating or stain is from iron oxides. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sawmill 69 Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Mmasters 89 I need to correct something from a previous post,since I can't get a rise from Dave. Pyrite makes a greenish black streak not yellow. There is several types of mica yourmica looks like biotite. Here is the kicker ,mica leaves a clear streak ,if your sample islarge enough . A small sample would crumble in bits in the pores of your streak plate andgive a false streak,as it would be just bits of the colored sample as in rust. Gold would smear and actually stick to the streak plate. Biotite can form rounded edges and looks just like a clump of metal in a rock. It can besilver white to gold colored depending on the mineral content. Biotite is real soft and flexibleand will dent with a pin if the flake is thin. It can also look like pyrite,or arsonopyrite in a rock. If you want to test for gold ,it is real easy,but you need a little hydrochloric and nitric acid, aa couple test tubes ,spot plate or filter paper and a bit of tin solder. Since you are in CaliforniaI know a place there where you can get the acid. If you don't want to mess with acid and stillwant to do a test,just send a small sample and I will test it for you. I have all the stuff and itwould only take a few minutes. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
alabama 0 Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 (edited) Getting into this discussion a bit late but hadn't logged on in a while. I know some folks are saying typical granite but those photos look like it may be more likely what is called a diorite which would be mostly feldspar (and the feldspar can be fine grained not the typical blocky crystals), biotite, hornblende and pyroxene and actually very little quartz. Diorite sometimes does contain sulfides. IMHO. As we all know it is always tough to do geology by pictures. Edited October 11, 2013 by alabama Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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