Do You Know Why Nuggets Are Smooth And Rounded?

[mn90403]

Many believe that the nugget gets rounded by it tumbling about.  I have a large specimen that is flat on one side and I've always believed that it is that way because other objects passed over it as it stayed in place.  This article confirms that for Blackwood, Australia and says:

‘A feature of many of the goldfields of Victoria was the finding of large masses of gold nuggets.  They varied in size, and were not confined to any particular class of washdirt, nor with any regularity as to depth, but, from their disposition in restricted areas, certain belts can be regarded as typically nugget bearing.  On account of the soft character of gold, nuggets of any size are always well rounded.  This is due to the attrition of material passing over the nugget rather than rounded by rolling action.  Many of the large nuggets had one side relatively flat, while the other was well rounded.  Some of the nuggets were coated with oxides of manganese and iron; several had quartz attached to them, while a few were of ragged and roughly crystalline appearance.’

 

http://www.blackwoodpublishing.com/blackwood-eagle-nugget-found-1931/

[Northeast]

3 minutes ago, mn90403 said:

‘A feature of many of the goldfields of Victoria was the finding of large masses of gold nuggets

These sorts of descriptions are so hard to fathom.  It must have been an amazing thing to see.  

[Guest AussieDigs]

11 hours ago, Northeast said:

These sorts of descriptions are so hard to fathom.  It must have been an amazing thing to see.  

Just seeing what Reg was plucking out of the ground back when was hard to fathom! Not only a Porche 911 but two!