catseye
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2017
Posts: 5 
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Post by catseye on Apr 1, 2017 18:56:36 GMT -5
I live in the very center of Texas. Hill country. I have been collecting interesting flint ,fossils and petrified wood. After cleaning a hand sized piece I found threads of gold running all through it. I have not started polishing on it. I don't want to ruin it. Any advice on what can be done. Or what should be done. I am definitely going back to where I found it.
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller 
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,492
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Post by Sabre52 on Apr 1, 2017 20:36:58 GMT -5
First off, we need to see a picture!!!! Really!!!!! Secondly, not a lot of gold in Texas, are you sure it's not marcasite which is found in wood fairly often. Marcasite can contain gold too. Where my ranch was back in Commiefornia, we had poppy jasper with gold bearing marcasite/pyrite. Polishes up real well with normal wheel methods though I'd not try to tumble it. Difference between gold bearing and non gold bearing is that with a high gold percentage doesn't rust or oxidize while the other often does if not well impregnated with silica. But again, if we don't see a pic it didn't happen *L*....Mel
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,718 
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Post by Fossilman on Apr 2, 2017 9:23:09 GMT -5
Yes as Mel said-photos please!! Sounds very interesting!!!!
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catseye
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2017
Posts: 5
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Post by catseye on Apr 2, 2017 13:00:28 GMT -5
Trying to figure out getting pics into thread. 😕
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Apr 2, 2017 13:42:06 GMT -5
My thoughts are that pyrite would commonly form in a reductive environment that would be needed for the preservation of woody debris. Silicification following to create pet wood would be likely to preserve that. Look closely to see if there is any evidence of cubic crystal structure.
I'd be very happy for you to prove me wrong. Gold? ... you never know. I wish you luck!
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catseye
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2017
Posts: 5
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Post by catseye on Apr 2, 2017 13:59:02 GMT -5
Can I email photos to anyone? Or send in a text. All I have is my cellphone for taking photos.
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catseye
off to a rocking start
Member since April 2017
Posts: 5
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Post by catseye on Apr 2, 2017 14:01:22 GMT -5
I do have a big piece full of crystals. All sizes. I want you to see it. I don't think I can get my phone pics into the forum threads.
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,492
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Post by Sabre52 on Apr 2, 2017 15:36:01 GMT -5
Don't get me wrong, there is plenty of placer gold that erodes from quartz veinlets in the Texas Hill Country. Llano River and around Enchanted Rock area, lots of creeks have placer gold in small quantities. But as metalsmith has stated, the deposition of sulfides like marcasite or pyrite is quite common in pet wood. Hard for me to think of a mechanism that would get elemental gold into the wood. I do know Lucky Strike t-eggs are said to contain contain gold but I'm not sure if it's supposed to be in the agate portion or the matrix portion. If it's in the silica portion, I don't suppose I see any reason why gold could not be in silica replaced wood....Mel
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Post by rockjunquie on Apr 2, 2017 16:58:52 GMT -5
Apparently, downloading and installing Tapatalk for your phone makes it very easy to add images and post in forums. www.tapatalk.com/ I have no experience with it, but if you are interested, I'll try to find the thread where people were talking about it. edit to add- The talk began here forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/post/909257/threadI'm also tagging melhill1659 in case you need help- she's the tapatalk guru. Hope this helps. |
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