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Post by loki258 on Apr 10, 2014 20:54:20 GMT -5
Here's the scenario: We have a v shaped trough that we are working. Both top halves of the v are quartz in nature on top of bedrock. We are busting and prying apart the quartz type layers. The are coming apart in large mostly flat heavy slabs. We clean these slabs into the v trough and then shovel out that material. My thinking is that the larger pieces are coming from the cracks of the existing faults... On the backside after clearing more overburden the old river bed is there with conglomerated rust encrusted rocks. Then a flat solid wall after about another 2'
I've tested the overburden time and time again and the small gold is all in this. Its mostly a deep rich brown soil then a 8inch grey clay/soil layer then the quartz about 2 feet below the quartz is the bedrock. We have leveled off a whole 8' section to the bedrock/quartz fusion area.. the slabs all 9"-16" thick and a couple feet round/long... Is the gold in the cracks and when we clean the slabs off we get it(placer trapped)... or is it in the rock and appearing where the rock crumbles into pieces and breaks apart into many pieces(free milling source)...
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Post by loki258 on Apr 10, 2014 22:25:31 GMT -5
We've already cleaned out the trough several times, and all the brown coated quartz on top is gone now and the overburden pushed back a couple more feet...
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Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2014 23:07:47 GMT -5
so every time ya pull a slab out, it gets deposited in the trough?
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Post by loki258 on Apr 11, 2014 5:51:44 GMT -5
because of size and weight we clean them in the trough. and then move on out of the way.
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Post by cabarrusgold on Apr 11, 2014 6:08:22 GMT -5
Have you crushed any rock yet?
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Post by loki258 on Apr 11, 2014 6:55:29 GMT -5
Not yet...
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Post by cabarrusgold on Apr 11, 2014 7:04:43 GMT -5
Crushing rock can be a very good indicator of what is going on in that area. At least try and look real hard at some of it or use loupe.
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Post by loki258 on Apr 11, 2014 7:11:53 GMT -5
I visually inspect each piece and the crumbs lots oh big half dollar size biotite, garnets, quartz and the bedrock has pyrite visible the material encasing all this is a milky white stone..
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Post by cabarrusgold on Apr 11, 2014 7:50:42 GMT -5
Does the milky white stone crumble and is somewhat hard packed?
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Post by loki258 on Apr 11, 2014 8:05:34 GMT -5
Does the milky white stone crumble and is somewhat hard packed? its part of the slabs composition. and crumbles off... but the pieces that don't crumble are hard as rock. Say I split a slab in half down the middle the main rock is milky white with quartz cube type growths in it plus large biotite and small garnets. the outside is like an orange/brown. It shears of somewhat easily at faults and pages peel right off. the rest is as solid as it gets.
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Post by RWH on Apr 11, 2014 16:07:17 GMT -5
Is the milky rock, sandstone? I'd be trying to work the cracks. The mixed garnet is a good sign. Try and get a good sample of the hard stuff and smash it up then check that. If nothing shows up, you will know you can disregard that and concentrate on the other material.
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Post by cabarrusgold on Apr 11, 2014 17:14:19 GMT -5
I think that slab stuff is''' Schist Schist specimen showing the characteristic "scaly" schistose texture, caused by platy micas Schist is a medium-grade metamorphic rock[1] with medium to large, flat, sheet-like grains in a preferred orientation (nearby grains are roughly parallel). It is defined by having more than 50% platy and elongated minerals,[2] often finely interleaved with quartz and feldspar.[3] These lamellar (flat, planar) minerals include micas, chlorite, talc, hornblende, graphite, and others. Quartz often occurs in drawn-out grains to such an extent that a particular form called quartz schist is produced. Schist is often garnetiferous. Schist forms at a higher temperature and has larger grains than phyllite.[4] Geological foliation (metamorphic arrangement in layers) with medium to large grained flakes in a preferred sheetlike orientation is called schistosity.[4] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schist
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