Sailorinaz Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Anyone come across these or know what they are? They are heavy and hang out in black sands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LipCa Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 aren't they about a million times bigger than black sand? If they were the same size as BS, would it still hangout there? Try crushing some and see.maybe it's not really that heavy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredmason Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 it is always helpful to include a coin for scale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
middleforkminer2 Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Anyone come across these or know what they are? Just a wag....rocks??? That pan sure looks like a low mileage model... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sailorinaz Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 Yes, they are very heavy. They are usually on top of the black sand in the bottom of my pan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boulder dash Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 A yellow water worn garnet maybee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisski Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 I'm probably wrong on this, but I tell myself when I find these yellow rocks it is some sort of uranium ore. I never find as much as is in your picture. I only find one or two tiny pebbles like that a year. When panning the concentrates in the muddy water, I mistake those yellow rocks for gold. When I first started prospecting, I saw an ariticle about a company researching uranium mining in Yavapai county. I eventually saw some hard rock claims by the San Domingo labeled Uranium. I so think those have not been renewed. The yellow ore has a specific density of just more than or just less than black sand.Again no expert, but I researched the price once, and you'd need hundreds of pounds of it to be worth something. With hundreds of pounds of it, its probably dangerous. In the unlikely event it is some sort of uranium ore, it'd be safe to handle once in a while especially if you're not crushing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sailorinaz Posted January 20, 2015 Author Share Posted January 20, 2015 (edited) Chris, I think you may have hit the nail on the head. Perhaps I should no longer work that spot. From what I have read it appears it is safe as long as it is not ingested or absorbed through a cut, etc but I have often panned with a small cut or abrasion on my hand after a hard day of digging in the desert. Looks like people actually buy and sell this stuff. I read something about it being legal to own up to 15lbs of it. (Not enriched) Edited January 20, 2015 by Sailorinaz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reno Chris Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 The yellow looks like uranium to me as well. I do not think you have any gold - hard to tell from the photo, but not all that is yellow is gold. A number of oxidized Uranium minerals are fairly bright yellow. Autunite, Carnotite, etc;See:http://nevada-outback-gems.com/mineral_information/Autunite_mineral_info.htmhttp://nevada-outback-gems.com/mineral_information/Carnotite_mineral_info.htmMy guess is that what you have is little concretion balls of Carnotite. Uranium is dense, and carnotite would feel heavy in your hand, but its no where near as dense as gold, its not even as dense as black sand (magnetite or hematite). That's why it floats on black sand. Larger pieces of gold do not float on top of black sands, they sink in and rest on the bottom of your pan, The black sand will surround and bury the gold if there is enough back sand. That fact alone is proof enough that your stuff is not gold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzNuggetBob Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 (edited) Chris, very well said. I think its obvious why you work for ICMJ magazine. AzNuggetBob Edited January 20, 2015 by AzNuggetBob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sailorinaz Posted January 20, 2015 Author Share Posted January 20, 2015 Thanks Reno Chris. No gold in the photos. I checked with the Falcon; however there is gold in the same area/wash. Unsure of the source location. I may continue to work that area and do my best to avoid touching this ore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisski Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 I keep thinking that if you are finding enough of this, you could be close to the vein. I think it is found in veins that run similar to gold veins. If you found the vein, it may be worth staking a claim, but if its worth $65 per pound, probably a half cup worth of ore, it'd be hard to believe you could ever break even with that. May be worth something in the future if that company does go forward with their mine. I don't know exactly the area you found it in, but the little but I found was north of the San Domingo. THe companied that found it in Yavapai county did some serious drilling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reno Chris Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 The price per pound reflects a purified product not raw ore out of the ground. You might be able to sell as a curiosity on ebay, but then ebay may see it as dangerous, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sailorinaz Posted January 22, 2015 Author Share Posted January 22, 2015 I may work the spot a couple more times and when I am finsihed if anyone is interested where it is let me know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisski Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 Reno Chris--Thanks on explaining the prices. I'm always looking for something else while prospecting. Gold is easy to identify when you see it, but I only wish it was as easy as that to find it. I wish some of the other things in the area are as easy to identify. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weaver hillbille Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 (edited) My first thought was something sulfur based, maybe Orpiment.Arsenic sulfide. but the density related in the first post rules that out. I'd bring a sample to a local college that has aG/counter and a geology dept.https://www.google.com/search?q=orpiment&rlz=1C1GGGE_enUS427&es_sm=122&biw=1097&bih=582&source=lnms&sa=X&ei=6gvDVMGhKoWmgwTmuYDwDg&ved=0CAUQ_AUoAA&dpr=1.75 Edited January 24, 2015 by weaver hillbille Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sailorinaz Posted January 26, 2015 Author Share Posted January 26, 2015 Hillbillie, also a psoibiltiy and good tips. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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