Blue Clay, What Is It, Does It Contain Gold?

[tvanwho]

I was out at a creek in central Illinois where I had map dowsed for gold . We got a few specks of color but hours of hard work for not much yellow.

Then I noticed blue clay lumps in the creek gravels , looked around for the source, and eyeballed the upstream creek bank wall. It was a VEIN of blue clay like 200 feet by 15 feet up the wall from the creek.  I tried to pan some out after working it for 10 minutes in my gold pan. No Gold. Other spots in Indiana that have blue clay, it is loaded with gold, altho the gold rich blue clay is usually under creek gravels, not in a vertical wall. On Treasurenet, they say blue clay gummed up sluices in Nevada was it? Somebody had it assayed and found it was rich in silver which also gives it the bluish color supposedly? Should I go back to the spot and get some samples to send in for mineral assays? How much clay per sample, ounces, pounds? Where is a good assayer for not too much green?

Thanks,

-Tom V, now in central Indiana gold country and retired early...out of the rat race finally

[Valens Legacy]

Tom,

There is more silver here in Mid-Illinois than people think, I am about 60 miles south of Springfield and have found quite a bit of it east of Hwy. 16. There is also some gold here, but most is flour gold and a few small nuggets.

I have panned this area a lot with my grandfather for the past few years and have recovered a few ounces. Most of that has always been flour gold in these parts. There have also been diamonds found in some of our creeks near here that averaged 3 karats or more.

The blue clay that you speak of is common around here and do have a lot of silver in it, but is hard to separate it from the clay. We have always just picked the silver nuggets out and discard the rest.

It would cost more to have an assay done than what you would get out of the clay on most days.

[tvanwho]

can we get together when the weather warms up perhaps? I have a 2 inch dredge and wheeled highbanker I don't mind sharing. I'd like to see your finds and go out digging too. I am retired now , living in West Lafayette, Indiana. I am sure its a bit of a drive to you but I have no schedule anymore, just need warmer weather and hope the virus ends soon? Can you post some photos of your Illinois gold, 1st I have heard of gold nuggets in Illinois? Send me a PM please.

Thanks for the reply. Assays run about 40-100 dollars. I found gold and silver in Galena I had metal detected in SW Wisconsin some years ago. Assay revealed them. The lead was more valuable than the gold tho. 0.13 ounce a ton for the gold but 70% of the galena is lead.

[Gerry in Idaho]

Blueish gray clay is a good indicator in Eastern Oregon and when I see it, I start slowing down as some great gold has been found in these ancient traps.

I also remember detecting up in Alaska at a certain Creek and when they hit the blue/gray clays sometimes woolly mammoth tusks were discovered in them (different kind of gold).