How Do You Clean Dirty Gold?

[Wild Bill]

I imagine some of you recover gold that is covered in iron and manganese oxide.  I’ve had people tell me I’ve tried everything I can think of including nitric acid and nothing works.  The best method I’ve found is ammo brass cleaner such as Hornady & RCBS products.  It’s a soap like clear liquid.  Use it in a plastic container with rubber cloves of course (follow directions).  I used it straight without cutting with water, then rinsed it with water.  All of the rust, black oxide crust just fell off.  The gold comes out bright clean and shiny.  I had a gold buyer complement that it was the cleanest brightest gold he had seen.  I’ve never tried it on specimen so I don’t know how rock will react.  It’s actually a mild solution.  I’ve found a few pieces of filthy gold recently but it so small that I don’t care.  I’ve used it to test detector sensitivity on a few models.  Anyway if you haven’t found anything that works to your satisfaction give it a try.  Those are the only brass cleaner products I’ve tried so I can’t speak for others.  

[Aureous]

The brass cleaner is often just citric acid. You can buy it in powder, crystal and liquid form. Most Aussies use 'Alibrite' which is an Aluminium cleaner solution with a mixture of acids. If an ultrasonic cleaner (with a drop of soap) doesn't work, then acid is the next and only step. Hydrochloric acid works (brick cleaner) as well. Both Alibrite and Hcl Acid need a few days soaking to work well enuff....and always use gloves and a sodium Bicarbonate solution to dunk your gold into. 

[Steve Herschbach]

 

 

[Caliche]

Wear goggles, rubber apron, and long gloves using Whink.  Yeah it's highly diluted HF acid, but you don't want any on your skin.  I'd wager splashing it on half of your body could kill someone, since the concentrated stuff on only a few square inches can be deadly.

[Wild Bill]

Guys thanks for covering this more thoroughly and in detailed steps.  As new members like me catch up on all things detecting, prospecting and mining…dirty filthy gold will show up.  The caution on hydrofluoric acid should be taken seriously!  Here’s a big specimen after an acid bath.  Get out there and find them!  Please share pics with us as it’s a big inspiration. 

[davsgold]

This is one of ours from quite a few years ago, Veronica found it it was 129 grams when found and cleaned up in HF acid (Hydrofluoric)

It went from this

to this after the HF

still over 3 ozs of gold in it 

[dirtman]

If any of you covering this topic come across any pieces that are just "too filthy & dirty to concern yourselves with Message me Ill give you an address to dispose of it to. 😂🤣👍👍👍🤠🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[Wild Bill]

Will do dirtman, I’m building a wash plant with a classifier for “good gold” and “filthy dirty” to save on cleanup time.  

[Clay Diggins]

4 hours ago, dirtman said:

If any of you covering this topic come across any pieces that are just "too filthy & dirty to concern yourselves with Message me Ill give you an address to dispose of it to. 😂🤣👍👍👍🤠🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Will you pay postage and insurance?