devilsrenegade Posted December 30, 2018 Share Posted December 30, 2018 I found this nugget in the clark fork river in some exposed bedrock with one of my gold detectors. I always assumed it was lead, but after taking close up photographs, I'm not so sure. Any help identifying it would be appreciated. Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Herschbach Posted December 30, 2018 Share Posted December 30, 2018 Have you tried a super magnet on it? You would be looking for even the tiniest hint of magnetism. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devilsrenegade Posted December 30, 2018 Author Share Posted December 30, 2018 I'll try it right now, thank you Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanursepaul Posted December 30, 2018 Share Posted December 30, 2018 Mercury covered gold??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afreakofnature Posted December 30, 2018 Share Posted December 30, 2018 That’s what I was possibly thinking too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devilsrenegade Posted December 30, 2018 Author Share Posted December 30, 2018 I tried the super magnet and could not notice any magnetism. Heated to a low temp and it started to precipitate tiny silvery droplets, let cool and flattened with hammer, it became brittle and broke into 3 pieces. Heated again to melting temp cooled down and this is what I got. Maybe platinum? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AU_Solitude Posted December 30, 2018 Share Posted December 30, 2018 It's just lead. I was going to suggest essentially what you've already done, lead has a low melting point, put a match to it, a lighter, it will quickly become apparent what it is. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn in CO Posted December 30, 2018 Share Posted December 30, 2018 Might be Galena? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devilsrenegade Posted December 30, 2018 Author Share Posted December 30, 2018 I guess my first assumption that it was lead was correct. thank you to everyone that replied ! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldmancoyote1 Posted December 31, 2018 Share Posted December 31, 2018 There are several silvery metals that melt at low temperature including lead, antimony, and tin. That's not enough to identify it. Unless tiny fragments are REPELLED by your super magnet, it may not be lead. Lead, as well as similar metals, are diamagnetic, the opposite of iron. Tiny silver droplets indicates it is an amalgam of mercury and some other metal. Platinum does not form an amalgam and it melts at a very high temperature. I don't know what it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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