My First Gold Found With A Garrett Axiom

[GB_Amateur]

10 hours ago, Az_Ed said:

I'm planning to fill one beaker completely full of water.  Place the specimen in the beaker and capture the water over-flow.  I'll then measure the over-flowed water in graduated cylinder.

There's a more accurate way to get specific gravity (S.G.).  The problem with direct volume measurement (e.g. with graduated cylinder) is that it seldom is sufficiently accurate.

See this video for the Archimedes S.G. determination method.  There's another similar way which works for scales that have insufficient dynamic range to handle a beaker full of water.  When I get some time (gotta run right now) I'll show how to do that.

Nice find!

[Gerry in Idaho]

Fantastic is the word.  Your 1st gold has finally shown itself. 

What is most common (and it was in your desire as well) is the fact that most folks go many trips and even some a couple years or longer before they find the gold.  Heck, even myself was the 3rd year of trying and purchasing different detectors before it happened.

Now that you have a nice chunky specimen, be sure to not expect all signals to scream as loud.  Practice to find the tiny gold and listen for smaller targets...so you don't miss the majority of nuggets.

Great to see the enthusiasm and keep the swing going.

Well earned.

[MSC]

Nice find hopefully many more. 

[Arky]

Really nice find. It must be specimen week for Axiom in AZ! Yours is a lot nicer than mine, but I'm tickled anyway.

[hawkeye]

Congratulations on the first one.  My first nugget was with a new SDC 2300 also after many many hours using a number of different VLF machines.  Best thing I ever did as a detector prospector was buy the 2300.  I'm sure you will find that to be true with the Axiom.  

[Az_Ed]

Thanks for all the comments.  Arky, that is a nice clean piece of quartz with Au in it.  My specimen is not clean at all I guess due to all the mineralization.  Thanks for the suggestions regarding calculating the amount of Au in a specimen.  I'll try a couple of different ways and see if the numbers are close or agree.  Good luck detecting!

[Swegin]

Congrats on the gold.  How is grass down there? I am assuming you were in GV.

 

[Az_Ed]

Four of us went back to the find site today and searched the area.  I found some thin wire and the remains of a blasting cap near the specimen location.  There are some brecciated granite outcroppings up the hill that show hydro-thermal mineralization.  I think I found a piece of a blasted vein that ended up downhill.  Someone probably used too much dynamite and blasted the vein or visible gold into pieces.  I think I was lucky enough to find a large unretrieved piece.  There is a lot of mineralization and test prospects in area so future outings are planned.  I'm going to detect the area with a large coil and see if I can locate any hidden veins or mineralization.  Thanks for all of the comments.  Az_Ed

[Az_Ed]

Using the technique described in the earlier (actual weight, buoyancy weight) referenced article, the specimen calculates at 1.888 oz-Troy Au.  I used quartz as the host material.  Actual weight is 102.75 grams.