SHB111

Nice. All kinds of nice surprises. Multi-layered entertainment.

Gotta figure out what this is in this thumb scraper now. See attached.

Sounds like a good plan, hate needing a tool/equip and having to wait on it, may as well buy a setup like that and be prepared. Appreciate the info. Since testing kits for gold/silver/platinum are inexpensive, and so are diamond testers, might as well grab that as well. Maybe a spectrometer too, few hundred bucks possibly well spent.

I can see this hobby taking up a lot of my time, lol. But I’m game. Any certain equipment specifications I should be aware of - type/brand scale, etc or anything else I should get to mitigate error as much as humanly possible?

Graduated cylinder filled it with water to a depth taller than the spearhead. Took a reading. Dropped the spearhead in. Took another reading. Did subtraction. then to double check myself I weighed the difference in volume on a scale. Since 1 gram of water displaces 1 cubic centimeter of volume I figured it was a good way to check to make sure I didn’t read wrong.

Few other points I was looking at including my Clovis point.

I know you guys are probably getting tired of my questions, but I was inspecting this little thumb scraper, see photos, and noticed this:

Well since my spearhead turned out to be a reproduction, it kinda seems case closed, right? However there’s still something that’s bothering me. See calculations: Displacement of specimen = 25.44cc or 25.44 grams of water Dry Weight of specimen = 77.77g Dry weight of specimen divided by volumetric displacement of specimen equals density of specimen 77.77/25.44 = Density of specimen = 3.06 ^^^^^THIS^^^^^ The SG of chert is 2.6 The SG of the specimen is 3.06 This indicates within the specimen is something with a much higher density than chert - something equivalent to 11 grams of gold. Calculations continued below: Avg. Density of chert per reference guide = 2.6 3.06 > 2.6 - higher density of specimen indicates specimen contains heavy minerals - such as gold if visible indication and other non-destructive testing measures are positive. How to calculate gold weight: Density x Displacement Volume of specimen (chert) = weight of chert in specimen in grams (g) 2.6x25.44cc = 66.14 So a chunk of pure red chert that displaces 25.44 cc (or grams) of water should weigh 66.14 grams. Dry weight of specimen minus weight of RS calculated for specimen = potential gold weight contained within specimen: 77.77g - 66.14g = 11.63g gold 1g gold = $61.79 Potential Gold Content Value: 11.63g x $61.79/g = $718.62 i wrote the little “go-by” myself so I could have an error or made an erroneous assumption but I think that’s correct. Thoughts?

Thank you Jeff, I came here to learn from you guys, not teach. Real or not the points did get me thinking and stirred up some old interests that had kinda gotten buried over the years - I’m ready to get out and hunt some rocks! I’ve gotten into drones and thinking now how that’s great tech to employ. Plus the testing is fun too, im a lab work and experiment geek by nature so that part fits my personality perfectly. I appreciate everyone’s input and willingness to help and to encourage.

Well, at least the reproductions are technically authentic - since they’re made in India by Indians.

of course you took long enough to answer you could have went back to my photos from earlier posts and played the process of elimination game….. But giving you the benefit of the doubt: In number 3 what is this dark spot?

Well damn. Lol. That’s exactly right. I lied, there were only 3 found arrowheads in the batch of 10. My hat off to you sir.

5 I found myself in the wild, 5 I bought as part of collection(s). which are which?

Interesting. Which ones are reproductions? if I take a pic of 10 points - 5 I found in the field at the hunting club and 5 I picked up from a collection, can you tell me which 5 I found and which 5 I bought?

But I agree with a spectrometry test. Be the next step

It’s not dust, it smeared like a thin sheet, to me indicating malleability.

Now there’s gold on my cell phone screen and all over the blunt end of that pick. Feel pretty confident since it smeared it’s indeed gold.

Better pic

I crushed and rubbed with the blunt end of a pick. See photo results no dust- just smeared yellow stuff

And thanks to everyone for all the advice, suggestions, and useful info. I’ve initiated contact with my local university, museum and geology department. I took geology (1 course) as part of my engineering degree, I’m civil, from UAB if there are any alumni in here speak up! Lol. but I’m waiting to hear back from those folks before anything else. If this turns out to be hugely significant and should be part of a museum collection I’ll make sure that’s where it ends up.

Passes the needle test. Photo doesn’t show that but I pressed the flake in second photo proximal to the tip of point. It sunk in there and I felt some resistance, almost tackiness, like it was gummy, pulling the pick out. On the other hand when I press again anywhere else I don’t see gold I get zero penetration. Also, I rubbed the gold in a couple spots with the pick where it just looked “yellow” to reveal a fine brand new gold shine beneath. And accidentally flaked a piece off as seen in the 3rd photo.

If it does turn out to be gold, here’s the calculations I used to determine the approximate gold content: Displacement of specimen = 25.44cc or 25.44 grams of water Dry Weight of specimen = 77.77g Dry weight of specimen divided by volumetric displacement of specimen equals density of specimen 77.77/25.44 = Density of specimen = 3.06 Avg. Density of chert per reference guide = 2.6 3.06 > 2.6 - higher density of specimen indicates specimen contains heavy minerals - such as gold if visible indication and other non-destructive testing measures are positive. How to calculate gold weight: Density x Displacement Volume of specimen (chert) = weight of chert in specimen in grams (g) 2.6x25.44cc = 66.14 So a chunk of pure red chert that displaces 25.44 cc (or grams) of water should weigh 66.14 grams. Dry weight of specimen minus weight of RS calculated for specimen = potential gold weight contained within specimen: 77.77g - 66.14g = 11.63g gold 1g gold = $61.79 Potential Gold Content Value: 11.63g x $61.79/g = $718.62

Have you ever been through the process of museum identification?

Here’s all the points I got in the collection for 40 bucks. My wife put them in the little cases with black sand - very cool.

I’m pretty sure chert is correct vs my initial red sandstone statement. Glad I came here, learning already.