@@ChrisRalph its possible I've found an actual gold mine, or platinum with copper, or could be what's called a, Kalgoorieite tunneled under ground !?!? Which I'm not quite sure what too do since I'm not sure the properties owner... However
Truly amazingly enough, "I've the same axact rocks you've shown in pictures here in here inside my bedroom looming at them now." Truly amazing, simply beautiful what mother nature can do !!" By,KdJ
Chris, you really run some great master classes in recognising various ores in the field. Close ups are so interesting! So much to know. Thanks for the great info!
Thank you for further explanation on epithermal type deposits! This is exactly the type of system i have found so this information is very helpful. I have found where the warm water comes out of the ground then mixes with another small stream of cold water then crosses iron oxides where the gold is dropping out.. beautiful and coarse gold placers!
Chris Ralph, I won't try to describe the pleasure and calm peace I get from your videos, but along with encouragement, knowledge, insight, and more, I do get the pleasurable calm peace. I don't know enough yet to ask questions. I've found some interesting stones. oars, some old rusty cans. And a bit of cement when angled in a certain way, can resemble, the face of a dog. The oars I think I've found, might or might not be containing anything. The videos upcoming showing extraction , will 'see my attempt to copy and
Thnx Chris for this good vid. I have been prospecting for a short time now 6years. Starting my journey , i realized that geology is very important to be a successful miner. Living in north western Arizona I am forever changed staring at rock formations. Just amazed at the wealth of information you give us. My first lesson plan was a must, reading Fistful of Gold. Well worth the money. It will be interesting to see you crush rock and extract gold and silver. Learned alot from the detecting videos which is another technology I am trying to learn and master. Thnx again its alot of fun
I can't wait for better weather so I can get out there and look first hand. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and I love your enthusiasm for finding these minerals.
Hey Chris, thank you for making these fun and insightful videos to help bring the next generation of miners along. I enjoy them very much. Question .. when we find the acid bleached rocks and signs that there may be an epithermal deposit, where is a good place to look for gold in relation to the altered material?
As usual, another good video. Got into a good native silver deposit in western N.M. when I was in my late teens. Ran 22+- oz.p/t. Was fun and for a beginner was exciteing.Often have wondered if anybody ever found it.
I'm going to put money into my PayPal when I get home and order your book! I'm super excited to start reading and learning more! I never stop learning! I don't want to be one of the guy that can't be taught new tricks! I want to always learn and be better then the day before!
Very interesting! All the different specimens you are showing so we might be able to identify different ones if we were kicking around a possible area where gold and silver have been located, Thanks for the information. Very educational.
You showed some really good examples, ty. It would be nice if you indicated exactly what type of rock was in each sample with the section tagged or numbered. I can ID silver ores, but fail when identifying rocks accompanying the different silver ore.
@@ChrisRalph maybe a rating score from beginning, moderately knowledgeable and why the heck are you watching information you know 😆 but thank you for all the time you take
Thank you for this very informative and practical video. Showing us what to look for, and what representative ore samples look like is about as helpful a tip as anyone could ask for.
@@ChrisRalph I found a site I'm pretty sure is a hydrothermal. Green and black banded quartz. 30 ft deep depression with a tuft ring with secondary vent sites. Quartz everywhere. One side is a greenstone the other side a serpentine zone with evidence of faulting in between. Close to where a 17 lb nugget was found. I'll be prospecting that ridge for a while. Thank you for all your efforts.
Before u even said it I knew that was Virginia city. Loveeeee that town. Just went to the red dog today for lunch! Got some azurite from the rock shop. Love that place! I’m just maybe 30 minutes from up there
Thank you so much for this very important and interesting video, I found a beautiful gold rock with son white on it, and all through the rock, it's so much silver can be seen shining inside of it, even in the cracks, it can be seen, just sparkling deep inside and through the hard covering. Thanks so much I've enjoyed watching this whole video. 😊♥️♥️👍👍
Richard vitovsky. You're vedo s on gold silver bonasa help me out alot I been doing some video back yard prospecting for about 3years now thanks 4-the video s
My name is Dennis, I live in port orchard washinton. I think your videos are great , they guide me with excellent advice and helpful information. I look forward to learn from you and your videos . I'm just starting out in the gaining knowledge about geology . Collected rocks and minerals for about 22 years , it's been slow going to actually find understanding in the science, rather than to just collecting a kool rock . Which I have found some quite interesting finds , I've just not found to correctly I identify some . I am sending a couple pictures if you could maybe take a look ? I am greatly appreciative of any information. Thank you .
I get so many, many requests for personal help, advice, training, review, mineral ID, etc. - every day - I simply cannot get involved with all the requests. I have plenty of my own projects to work on. Watch my videos on how to identify minerals for yourself. Start with - th-cam.com/video/MpkW58ZeQlc/w-d-xo.html Best of luck to you.
Chris I look forward to this video every year right around Thanksgiving! Could you do a video and a write up in the ICMJ on zonation of these porphyry and high sulfide gold deposits? Thxs, Buzz...
I did an detailed 2 part article in the ICMJ on the geology of Goldfield, a classic example of this type of deposit in the June and July issues of 2017. Check you back issues.
Ralph! The Gold Bug 2 actually does react to chalcopyrite, and I've read that galena is a conductor too. They often run together out here, as I have found quite a bit. My galena/pyrite samples only assayed out at 28 ounces of silver per ton. Pretty low. Just mine dump stuff.
Awesome Video Chris. Thanks for Teaching us so much. I am going to look for more of this on my next outing… I am down here in Colombia, South America!!! We don't make much of money here so your instruction is very helpful!!!
Found this video extremely helpful! I've spent some time this year prospecting a few districts in Utah reported to host these types of deposits. Around the goldstrike and mineral mountain districts in particular being they are lower in elevation and not currently covered in snow haha. This video answered a lot of questions I had and really helped me make sense of what I was looking at, great info! Thank you!
Mr Chris .IS the XRF portable sol analyzer good in prospection .? Or just a game toy value 35000 $ . From Olympus made in UK. Some made in china .less value .
It it poor for gold because it only is able to see high concentrations of gold. It is better for silver or copper as it can see lower concentrations. I talk about this device in my book. As far as Chinese versions, some Chinese technology is good, others is bad. I hate to risk large amounts of money on what may be a bad device.
Thank you this is a great helpful video. My brother and I are just starting out in the hills of Donegal so we’re just learning what mineral formations to look for and where.
you answered my question at the end, I was going to ask how you would separate the silver and gold in the same rock not the 2 mixed together the 2 laying separate on the same piece. after crushing it and you mention going to show in another video. I have ore with silver and gold sprinkled through it but would become individual after crushed.
This has been a life long dream to go to the mountains of San deigo and look over the tailings of the old stone wall mine .lgot an old metal detector and learning how to use it.
Great slides - thanks. - I'm not sure what the silver ore situation is where I am in Australia, but I have found some cool ore samples from rocks with a strong surfer smell and plenty on pyrite.
I appreciate your instruction and attitude. I live here locally (Carson City) and am now, after a few years of instructive bumbling around, finding some gold and good looking ore. Can you recommend a shop up in Reno that does assays at a fair price.?
How do you tell Manganese from sulfide silver in the Comstock deposit. And do you know what the best reagent is for the Comstock silver sulfides? Where can I get some? Thank you love your videos.
Thank you for the reply. I've watched I think all your videos and know I have watch the identification of minerals more than once not to mention have had a couple of classes in geology. I was hoping you know a trick to use when out in the field using a loop. When the black soot looking mineral is embedded in the quartz it hard to tell. What it is. I own the mouth of gold canyon, of you are ever in the neighborhood stop on in.
Gorgeous specimens! t would have been fun to watch the reaction of that old timer when the Grass Valley assayer told him that the troublesome gunk that had been bogging down his gold mining was actually a treasure trove of silver. I will be arriving up in Auburn by the 22nd and have nothing except Mother Lode prospecting adventures planned between then and mid May. Hope to do some digging with you sometime soon. Thanks for another great video with a lot of interesting information. Aloha.
Hey Ralph... i remember seeing huge nuggets on display in Cabins in Coloma. This was around 1975. when i went back around 2012 it was gone. any idea where it was taken? some huge at least 100 nugggets.
@@ChrisRalph What a shame it had dome Big nuggets there. the biggest was maybe the size of a small loaf of bread, but there were many there ..maybe a 100 altogether. I took my family there to show them and it was nowhere to be seen.
Some of the specimens shown would be worth lots, while others of the specimens showed would be worth only a little, they are not all the same. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
this video is super informative. I found several rocks a few summers ago that look like some of the ore rocks you showed can you tell me how to find out if it is?
Chris, just curious, if a vein like that weathered, what would the silver look like? Would it appear like black sand? Or does the minerals present morph it into something different?
Usually gold is found as metallic gold, but silver is present as silver bearing minerals. Which minerals depends on the host rock and geology of the deposit.
Hello, thank your videos, I found an ore of Argentine solid solution with gold and some pyrite, how can we separate the gold from silver without using any fusion process. And thank you
Hunt those "fringe" areas....seems to hold true for prospecting just as it does for other types of treasure hunting! Only difference is the fringe areas related to prospecting usually cover more ground. Love these videos where you show examples of what to look for in the field :>)
Your videos are great. I would love to have your book especially if it were in color. Have you ever thought of putting it on Kindle as an e-book? You might make a few more dollars and let us have a great color edition as well. Thanks for the great information!
E-books are designed for books with very few or no illustrations - like novels. That is why you dont see "How To" type books in the form of an e-book - and mine is a "How To" type. Color printing of small runs is extremely expensive, and the book would have retained for $150 in color. I long ago decided far more people would be willing to pay $30 for a B&W version than $150 for color. There really is not that much in there that you would benefit from if it were in color.
@@ChrisRalph I appreciate your feedback. I have several Gun Digest, Shooters Bibles and other e-books that have a ton of illustrations. Not sure how long ago you looked into the platform. Maybe things have changed. Maybe it's not worth your time. Just a thought and I will get your book in any case. Maybe in the future if the e-book platform is compatible with your/our needs you may offer us the option. I retire in 2022 and plan to metal detect and prospect as a hobby. Thanks for all you do to provide information for those of us that are interested.
First, Thank you for being So Very informative! I’m fairly new to prospecting and thoroughly enjoying the knowledge that you are sharing. I’m curious about a sooty, black, inclusion I found in a quartz vein that I’m sampling. There’s flaky layers of pyrite all throughout the quartz. The surface layers of quartz are highly fractured and the pyrite has filled the cracks. The black sooty inclusion has angular sides, and I would love to send you a video of the sample to see what you think? It seems to fit the description of silver ore that you have laid out here. Maybe, I could send a piece to you? New fan, Tony
Chris, I figured as much, but I had to ask... As a fairly new prospector, I’m just happy that you answered, and I hope to develop a mutually beneficial friendship. Of course, right now I need to learn as much as possible. How about a recommendation? I live in Apple Valley, CA; Southern California, High Desert. Do you know a good, affordable Assayer in my area? Thanks, Tony
Hello Chris! What was the geological name of that rock that you refer to as "blue-black stuff" which they found and which later turned out to be very rich in precious metals? Was that quartzite, or was that a schist? I am dealing with a similar kind of "nasty blue-black stuff" right now in an epithermal deposit in Japan, and I am trying to figure out the geology of this outcrop for my education. My "blue-black stuff" looks very similar to what you showed in the video, in some areas of the mine it's still hard as a rock, in some areas (where the hot spring is close) it has turned to blue clay. Both contain fine gold and tons of pyrite, which also contains really good gold (I did a trial smelting yesterday). Thank you very much in advance!!!
Really all that stuff was is weathered Acanthite / Naumanite vein material with clay. The surface was loose and easily processed to recover the gold in the vein matter as if it were a placer, but as they dug down it got less and less weathered and harder and harder until it was solid vein matter that had to be blasted and crushed to recover the values.
@@ChrisRalph Thank you very much Chris, this information is priceless! I checked the pictures and chemical composition of Naumanite, it's exactly the rock I am dealing with right now. At last the puzzle is solved, thank you very much again!!
Awesome !!! Thank you !!!👍 now how do u find a good assayer ? Can u sometime do a video on what to do where to go when u cant sample a bunch of ore yourself or turn it to the silver & gold urself? What do u call these ppl? Northern to Central Arizona area if anyone can get me info…
Another great video! Chris, do you think there are undiscovered deposits still out there? It’s unbelievable how these old timers found these deposits in the middle of nowhere but just as unbelievable that they walked every inch of the US and Canada.
Sir, I want to ask you, I have found a place where there are many surface gold nuggets and many many quartz veins that are very close to each other. How do I determine the right place for the rich quartz veins from all these contiguous veins ???
@@ChrisRalph Sir, I found the nuggets in advance. I ask how I know which veins of gold the nuggets come from, because they are close, many and very close to the nuggets.
Hi Chris. Great video. In your video at the 29 minute mark, I happy to notice a layer of rock embedded in the hillside just over your left shoulder. Do you think that it is an ancient river bed. If so, would it be worth detecting... Thank you, Daniel...
Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Its not river gravel - just rock and gravel perched on a hillside as it works its way down by erosion. Unlikely to have much gold.
I'm trying to understand why they have such common, extensive Au-Ag epithermal deposits in the southern segment of the Ancestral Cascades Arc, but not so much up here in the northern ("Western Cascades") segment -- maybe the underlying crust is too thin and dense in the north, relative to that more continental-ish crust down there, such that you don't get the right sort of shallow magma chambers in the north for really big deposits? Or -- seeing as there are copper porphyry systems in Washington and northern Oregon -- did much epithermal gold just erode away already up here, because higher erosion rates? I suppose we do have the Bohemia district here in the Western Cascades -- like a teeny-tiny little baby Comstock, but without any silver.
Western Cascades - Klamath region (NW Calif and SW Oregon) is not epithermal and gold is of a type called orogenic. Much of the northern part of Oregon is just buried in young unmineralized volcanic basalt flows.
@@ChrisRalph I wasn't thinking including Klamath mountains as that's a whole different thing -- not part of the Ancestral Cascades -- more like an extension of the northern Sierra Nevada (Blue mountains in Oregon are related to both also). I'm thinking the terrane basement rock in the southern segment of the Ancestral Cascades -- south of the probable slab tear that separates the segments -- must be quite different than up here. Are some of the accreted terranes down there rifted continental slabs rather than just volcanic island arcs and (in the case of Siletzia) a large igneous province? Or maybe the basement is just more granitic down there, what with the Sierra Nevada batholith. ... or, hmm, are parts of the southern AC considered to be on the deformed perimeter of the craton? _Something_ must account for major epithermal deposits being so common in the southern segment of the AC, and so rare in the northern. And it's also interesting that you have copper porphyry systems in the northern segment of the AC, but not so much in the southern. But ... I shall go looking for journal articles discussing the matter as the topic is a bit too big-picture geology for a discussion here, I suppose. As a general matter regarding any sort of precious metal deposits up here, there would be a lot more of it accessible in Oregon and Washington if it weren't for all the basalt and pyroclastics that got dumped all over the dang place in relatively recent times, indeed.
Tenho rochas muito parecidas com cor escura e regem a peróxido de hidrogênio e a cor preta chega a manchar a pele e nas p parte pretas pequenas piritas prateadas e douradas sou do Brasil se puder me dar uma dica agradeço.
I am finding some interesting ore outside Fernley, Nevada. Chris, you have a website that I can forward pics to right? Your book is arriving later this week, FF. Of D. Will most likely have your Email address listed in your book. I plan on sending you photos soon. Great video sir.
Yes, my email is at the back of the book, and I do answer questions. However, I do not do ore evaluations because it is just not possible. I get quite a few people every day who want me to ID their ore rock and mineral photos. I do not offer either an ore or mineral ID service, mostly because it’s not as easy as you think. Usually, minerals cannot be identified from just a picture. Ores cannot be valued just based on a photo unless there is gobs of visible gold in them - and you would already see that. Ores must be tested by assay. Luckily, there are several assay labs in Reno.
Hi Chris, First comment. You said that one would not get a hit from a detector from silver ore??? Am I mistaken?? Are there any of these types of deposits around Pahrump, I have an uncle there that I can visit & do some exploring, lol. Thxs, Jerry
just when i thought that the winter would cure me of this,, now i got the fever again,, thank you for the video,, be blessed and safe
Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed the video
@@ChrisRalph its possible I've found an actual gold mine, or platinum with copper, or could be what's called a, Kalgoorieite tunneled under ground !?!? Which I'm not quite sure what too do since I'm not sure the properties owner... However
Truly amazingly enough, "I've the same axact rocks you've shown in pictures here in here inside my bedroom looming at them now." Truly amazing, simply beautiful what mother nature can do !!"
By,KdJ
Super good video !!!! Great history lesson!!!! I love going there and riding the train and checking out all the cool places
Thanks. Hope you are finding some gold.
Chris Ralph, Professional Prospector a little been busy with Basketball and Baseball
Thank you so much!
You have taught me a lot
I'm in Maine
I have this ore on my property and am quite inquisitive
Blessed be
Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
I’m glad I found this video, rookie prospecting is very difficult. Thanks for all your info,good stuff!!
Glad it was helpful.
Chris, you really run some great master classes in recognising various ores in the field. Close ups are so interesting! So much to know. Thanks for the great info!
Thanks! Glad you like them!
Thanks Chris! Always a pleasure!
Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
Chris, thank you for the very informative and educational videos and photos! Awesome!
Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed the video
Thank you for further explanation on epithermal type deposits! This is exactly the type of system i have found so this information is very helpful. I have found where the warm water comes out of the ground then mixes with another small stream of cold water then crosses iron oxides where the gold is dropping out.. beautiful and coarse gold placers!
Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed the video
excellent video Chris, thanks for sharing. I wish you share some videos on porphry and high sulphidation epithermal deposits
I did do a video on the Goldfield, Nevada high sulfidation epithermal district - see: th-cam.com/video/mZO86NA22T8/w-d-xo.html
@ thanks for sharing Chris. ❤️❤️
Very nice! Full of information unlike most you-tuber gold channels where they are so protective about locations and knowledge. Cheers!
I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
Chris Ralph, I won't try to describe the pleasure and calm peace I get from your videos, but along with encouragement, knowledge, insight, and more, I do get the pleasurable calm peace.
I don't know enough yet to ask questions. I've found some interesting stones. oars, some old rusty cans. And a bit of cement when angled in a certain way, can resemble, the face of a dog.
The oars I think I've found, might or might not be containing anything.
The videos upcoming showing extraction , will 'see my attempt to copy and
Just keep watching and you will keep learning.
Thnx Chris for this good vid. I have been prospecting for a short time now 6years. Starting my journey , i realized that geology is very important to be a successful miner. Living in north western Arizona I am forever changed staring at rock formations. Just amazed at the wealth of information you give us. My first lesson plan was a must, reading Fistful of Gold. Well worth the money. It will be interesting to see you crush rock and extract gold and silver. Learned alot from the detecting videos which is another technology I am trying to learn and master. Thnx again its alot of fun
Thanks for the kind words. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
EXTREMELY USEFUL INFO, WELL EXPLAINED, CHRIS. THANKS MUCH FOR ALL THE WORK.
I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
You must be the best teacher out. I’m in Australia and would love to know of any spots that you might recommend in Queensland Thanks.
The Palmer river country has loads of gold. There are books on the gold deposits of QLD that you can download - do some searching with google.....
These videos never let me down
Glad you enjoyed the video.
Interesting video and some very impressive gold specimens. thank you
Glad you enjoyed it
First time on your site and what a great video. Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it.I have lots more!
I can't wait for better weather so I can get out there and look first hand. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and I love your enthusiasm for finding these minerals.
Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed the video
@@ChrisRalph I have lots possible but I live in western ND how do I get them check
Hey Chris, thank you for making these fun and insightful videos to help bring the next generation of miners along. I enjoy them very much.
Question .. when we find the acid bleached rocks and signs that there may be an epithermal deposit, where is a good place to look for gold in relation to the altered material?
As usual, another good video. Got into a good native silver deposit in western N.M. when I was in my late teens. Ran 22+- oz.p/t. Was fun and for a beginner was exciteing.Often have wondered if anybody ever found it.
Excellent - That really sounds great!
Great presentation! I feel like I learn so much with every new video you share with us! Beautiful specimens, and so varied! Thank you!
Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
I'm going to put money into my PayPal when I get home and order your book!
I'm super excited to start reading and learning more!
I never stop learning!
I don't want to be one of the guy that can't be taught new tricks!
I want to always learn and be better then the day before!
Awesome! Thank you! I think you will enjoy the book.
Very interesting! All the different specimens you are showing so we might be able to identify different ones if we were kicking around a possible area where gold and silver have been located, Thanks for the information. Very educational.
I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
You showed some really good examples, ty. It would be nice if you indicated exactly what type of rock was in each sample with the section tagged or numbered. I can ID silver ores, but fail when identifying rocks accompanying the different silver ore.
I agree, but I get complaints both that I give not enough info and also that I give too much info. Its difficult to determine what is best.
@@ChrisRalph maybe a rating score from beginning, moderately knowledgeable and why the heck are you watching information you know 😆 but thank you for all the time you take
Thank you for this very informative and practical video. Showing us what to look for, and what representative ore samples look like is about as helpful a tip as anyone could ask for.
I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
Freaking loved the video. Especially the focus on the silver sulfides! Subscribed!!!!
Thanks for the sub! More to come...
@@ChrisRalph I found a site I'm pretty sure is a hydrothermal. Green and black banded quartz. 30 ft deep depression with a tuft ring with secondary vent sites. Quartz everywhere. One side is a greenstone the other side a serpentine zone with evidence of faulting in between.
Close to where a 17 lb nugget was found. I'll be prospecting that ridge for a while. Thank you for all your efforts.
Before u even said it I knew that was Virginia city. Loveeeee that town. Just went to the red dog today for lunch! Got some azurite from the rock shop. Love that place! I’m just maybe 30 minutes from up there
It's a very interesting place that has produced a whole lot of gold and silver.
Thank you chris.i very helpfull vidéo .i rewatch it 3 Times .
Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
Chris, thanks for the informative video and taking the time to share your video.
Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
great video. I've actually searched quite a few mine dumps but never really knew what to look for.
Each district has its own distinctive ore, you need to learn what to look for in that area. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
You are a great teacher, I really enjoy your videos. Thank you so much for your time and effort to educate others, very interesting!!!
Glad you liked it.
Thank you so much for this very important and interesting video, I found a beautiful gold rock with son white on it, and all through the rock, it's so much silver can be seen shining inside of it, even in the cracks, it can be seen, just sparkling deep inside and through the hard covering. Thanks so much I've enjoyed watching this whole video. 😊♥️♥️👍👍
That sounds very cool.
Richard vitovsky. You're vedo s on gold silver bonasa help me out alot I been doing some video back yard prospecting for about 3years now thanks 4-the video s
Glad to help
My name is Dennis, I live in port orchard washinton. I think your videos are great , they guide me with excellent advice and helpful information. I look forward to learn from you and your videos . I'm just starting out in the gaining knowledge about geology . Collected rocks and minerals for about 22 years , it's been slow going to actually find understanding in the science, rather than to just collecting a kool rock . Which I have found some quite interesting finds , I've just not found to correctly I identify some . I am sending a couple pictures if you could maybe take a look ? I am greatly appreciative of any information. Thank you .
I get so many, many requests for personal help, advice, training, review, mineral ID, etc. - every day - I simply cannot get involved with all the requests. I have plenty of my own projects to work on. Watch my videos on how to identify minerals for yourself. Start with - th-cam.com/video/MpkW58ZeQlc/w-d-xo.html Best of luck to you.
Can geothermal/epithermal deposits be found online through USGS minerals maps?
with work and research, yes. It is not necessarily super easy however.
@@ChrisRalph ..well i hope super fun. Great video Chris
Chris I look forward to this video every year right around Thanksgiving!
Could you do a video and a write up in the ICMJ on zonation of these porphyry and high sulfide gold deposits? Thxs, Buzz...
I did an detailed 2 part article in the ICMJ on the geology of Goldfield, a classic example of this type of deposit in the June and July issues of 2017. Check you back issues.
Waiting for more videos from u sir, very informative videos thanx for sharing ur valueable knowlege with us. God bless u.
Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
Thank you. Enjoyed this video and looking forward to learning more
Thanks for watching, I'm glad you enjoyed the video. More to come!
Ralph! The Gold Bug 2 actually does react to chalcopyrite, and I've read that galena is a conductor too. They often run together out here, as I have found quite a bit. My galena/pyrite samples only assayed out at 28 ounces of silver per ton. Pretty low. Just mine dump stuff.
Some galena reacts, while other specimens do not. Same with Chalcopyrite. Some regular pyrite will react, but most does not.
@26:50 Wouldn't that be claim jumping? Collecting specimens on a mill site.
If there was a claim there but often there is not.
Awesome Video Chris. Thanks for Teaching us so much. I am going to look for more of this on my next outing… I am down here in Colombia, South America!!! We don't make much of money here so your instruction is very helpful!!!
I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
Found this video extremely helpful! I've spent some time this year prospecting a few districts in Utah reported to host these types of deposits. Around the goldstrike and mineral mountain districts in particular being they are lower in elevation and not currently covered in snow haha. This video answered a lot of questions I had and really helped me make sense of what I was looking at, great info! Thank you!
I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
Another great video Chris! Thank you for creating such great educational videos.
👍🏼👍🏼
Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed the video
Very educational video Chris, thanks!
Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
Mr Chris .IS the XRF portable sol analyzer good in prospection .?
Or just a game toy value 35000 $ .
From Olympus made in UK.
Some made in china .less value .
It it poor for gold because it only is able to see high concentrations of gold. It is better for silver or copper as it can see lower concentrations. I talk about this device in my book. As far as Chinese versions, some Chinese technology is good, others is bad. I hate to risk large amounts of money on what may be a bad device.
@@ChrisRalph
Thank you so much
Thank you this is a great helpful video. My brother and I are just starting out in the hills of Donegal so we’re just learning what mineral formations to look for and where.
I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
very good this vedio according Epithermal high gold grade...Thanks mate
Glad you liked it, I have lots more videos you might be interested in.
you answered my question at the end, I was going to ask how you would separate the silver and gold in the same rock not the 2 mixed together the 2 laying separate on the same piece. after crushing it and you mention going to show in another video. I have ore with silver and gold sprinkled through it but would become individual after crushed.
Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
Mr Chris please an other question .about Mercury amalgame. Cinnabar deposites .
Can gold be amalgamed naturaly .?
Can it be in thé area?
There is natural amalgam. It is rare. Gold sometimes but not always be in the same area as mercury.
@@ChrisRalph
Thank you sir.
I see the fiberous shale you spoke of, on the waste pile behind you!
Yep.
This has been a life long dream to go to the mountains of San deigo and look over the tailings of the old stone wall mine .lgot an old metal detector and learning how to use it.
Glad you enjoyed the video. Hope you soon find some good gold.
Thank you for the video and information. Looking forward to more. 👍🏻
Glad you enjoyed the video.
Thank you for your time
Glad my videos are helpful!
Great slides - thanks. - I'm not sure what the silver ore situation is where I am in Australia, but I have found some cool ore samples from rocks with a strong surfer smell and plenty on pyrite.
I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
I appreciate your instruction and attitude. I live here locally (Carson City) and am now, after a few years of instructive bumbling around, finding some gold and good looking ore. Can you recommend a shop up in Reno that does assays at a fair price.?
I use ALS Minerals in Reno for my assays. Look them up on Google. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
I found the same looking stuff in Nelson bc, I'm going to take it to a prospector on Monday!
Good luck to you.
How do you tell Manganese from sulfide silver in the Comstock deposit. And do you know what the best reagent is for the Comstock silver sulfides? Where can I get some? Thank you love your videos.
telling the difference is a matter of mineral Identification. See my videos on mineral identification - th-cam.com/video/MpkW58ZeQlc/w-d-xo.html
Thank you for the reply. I've watched I think all your videos and know I have watch the identification of minerals more than once not to mention have had a couple of classes in geology. I was hoping you know a trick to use when out in the field using a loop. When the black soot looking mineral is embedded in the quartz it hard to tell. What it is. I own the mouth of gold canyon, of you are ever in the neighborhood stop on in.
The Mouth of Gold Canyon at the Carson river? That is a large area.
No not at the river closer to where the canyon comes into the valley. I'm .30 miles from the river to the mouth of the canyon.
Thanks Chris.
Your website is amazing.
Question: I'll be out mostly for gold but here in Northern Nevada is the silver ore always found in quartz?
Not always but most of the time. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
@Chooch Marin....Calcite, Quatz. I'm sure other materials
Howdy! Hope you and your family do well this year! Jan1 2023 !
Thanks, and your family too!
Gorgeous specimens! t would have been fun to watch the reaction of that old timer when the Grass Valley assayer told him that the troublesome gunk that had been bogging down his gold mining was actually a treasure trove of silver. I will be arriving up in Auburn by the 22nd and have nothing except Mother Lode prospecting adventures planned between then and mid May. Hope to do some digging with you sometime soon. Thanks for another great video with a lot of interesting information. Aloha.
Let me know when you arrive. I'm glad you enjoyed the video
@@ChrisRalph Will do.
@SECRET CREEK PROSPECTING Yes I am. I'll be back in the Motherlode next month
Very informative video.
I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
very interesting video about minerals how much money will cost basic equipment for find some gold
Cost is between $10 and $10,000,000.
Happy 4th of July chris!
We are spending our 4thof July prospecting for that elusive element known as AU!
Im going try and make a video!
Best of luck to you in your efforts, and I hope you find some of that yellow stuff.
Like always great video 👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed the video
What do you think of the Johnnie Mine area in And around Nye
There is good gold there but also a lot of active mining claims.
Hey Ralph... i remember seeing huge nuggets on display in Cabins in Coloma. This was around 1975. when i went back around 2012 it was gone. any idea where it was taken? some huge at least 100 nugggets.
I have no idea where that gold went.....
@@ChrisRalph What a shame it had dome Big nuggets there. the biggest was maybe the size of a small loaf of bread, but there were many there ..maybe a 100 altogether. I took my family there to show them and it was nowhere to be seen.
Would you happen to have a recommendation for a creditable place to send samples for an assay?
I use ALS geochemistry in Reno, you can find them through the internet.
@@ChrisRalph Thanks
Very informative! Thank you! If you found specimens of these sorts how would you evaluate their worth in order to sell them?
Some of the specimens shown would be worth lots, while others of the specimens showed would be worth only a little, they are not all the same. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
Based on history, is the best way to analyze silver ores assaying?
chemical assay.
this video is super informative. I found several rocks a few summers ago that look like some of the ore rocks you showed can you tell me how to find out if it is?
Take a look at my video on how to test for yourself to see: th-cam.com/video/A2Ym_xwAqyU/w-d-xo.html
Chris, just curious, if a vein like that weathered, what would the silver look like? Would it appear like black sand? Or does the minerals present morph it into something different?
Usually gold is found as metallic gold, but silver is present as silver bearing minerals. Which minerals depends on the host rock and geology of the deposit.
Hello, thank your videos, I found an ore of Argentine solid solution with gold and some pyrite, how can we separate the gold from silver without using any fusion process. And thank you
Its not easy. Some use cyanide leaching, I dont recommend that.
Hunt those "fringe" areas....seems to hold true for prospecting just as it does for other types of treasure hunting! Only difference is the fringe areas related to prospecting usually cover more ground. Love these videos where you show examples of what to look for in the field :>)
Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
I think I just might need to put NEVADA on my bucket list, 4 sure. Thanks!
No doubt about it.
Your videos are great. I would love to have your book especially if it were in color. Have you ever thought of putting it on Kindle as an e-book? You might make a few more dollars and let us have a great color edition as well. Thanks for the great information!
E-books are designed for books with very few or no illustrations - like novels. That is why you dont see "How To" type books in the form of an e-book - and mine is a "How To" type. Color printing of small runs is extremely expensive, and the book would have retained for $150 in color. I long ago decided far more people would be willing to pay $30 for a B&W version than $150 for color. There really is not that much in there that you would benefit from if it were in color.
@@ChrisRalph I appreciate your feedback. I have several Gun Digest, Shooters Bibles and other e-books that have a ton of illustrations. Not sure how long ago you looked into the platform. Maybe things have changed. Maybe it's not worth your time. Just a thought and I will get your book in any case. Maybe in the future if the e-book platform is compatible with your/our needs you may offer us the option. I retire in 2022 and plan to metal detect and prospect as a hobby. Thanks for all you do to provide information for those of us that are interested.
First,
Thank you for being So Very informative!
I’m fairly new to prospecting and thoroughly enjoying the knowledge that you are sharing.
I’m curious about a sooty, black, inclusion I found in a quartz vein that I’m sampling. There’s flaky layers of pyrite all throughout the quartz. The surface layers of quartz are highly fractured and the pyrite has filled the cracks.
The black sooty inclusion has angular sides, and I would love to send you a video of the sample to see what you think?
It seems to fit the description of silver ore that you have laid out here. Maybe, I could send a piece to you?
New fan,
Tony
No way I can tell - have it tested in an assay lab, then you will know for sure.
Chris,
I figured as much, but I had to ask...
As a fairly new prospector, I’m just happy that you answered, and I hope to develop a mutually beneficial friendship. Of course, right now I need to learn as much as possible.
How about a recommendation? I live in Apple Valley, CA; Southern California, High Desert.
Do you know a good, affordable Assayer in my area?
Thanks,
Tony
Fascinante , senor.
Thanks.
What minerals in the ruby silver causes those crystals to be red?
Im not really sure anyone knows. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
Thank you very much Sir
Video Very helpful All
Most welcome.
What kind of oil would you call it when it's like white cords with huge chunks of gold all three light size of a nickel to the size of a golf ball
That's no kind of oil that I am familiar with.
That was supposed to be quartz not oil
That was supposed to be quartz not oil
What is the best way to extract gold from quartz rocks? Is it chemical or smelting in a furnace?
Neither of those. crush the rocks and separate the gold. See my video: th-cam.com/video/rJqFxu0Wko0/w-d-xo.html
What are the ingredients of borax.. / flax... / slick
Borax is Sodium Borate.
Only two items
Fantastic information..👍
Cheers Famo59 👍🤓🍺⛏
Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
Wow those are beautiful!!! Very informative video!!! Thanks for sharing!!!
Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
Hello Chris! What was the geological name of that rock that you refer to as "blue-black stuff" which they found and which later turned out to be very rich in precious metals? Was that quartzite, or was that a schist? I am dealing with a similar kind of "nasty blue-black stuff" right now in an epithermal deposit in Japan, and I am trying to figure out the geology of this outcrop for my education. My "blue-black stuff" looks very similar to what you showed in the video, in some areas of the mine it's still hard as a rock, in some areas (where the hot spring is close) it has turned to blue clay. Both contain fine gold and tons of pyrite, which also contains really good gold (I did a trial smelting yesterday). Thank you very much in advance!!!
Really all that stuff was is weathered Acanthite / Naumanite vein material with clay. The surface was loose and easily processed to recover the gold in the vein matter as if it were a placer, but as they dug down it got less and less weathered and harder and harder until it was solid vein matter that had to be blasted and crushed to recover the values.
@@ChrisRalph Thank you very much Chris, this information is priceless! I checked the pictures and chemical composition of Naumanite, it's exactly the rock I am dealing with right now. At last the puzzle is solved, thank you very much again!!
Awesome !!! Thank you !!!👍 now how do u find a good assayer ? Can u sometime do a video on what to do where to go when u cant sample a bunch of ore yourself or turn it to the silver & gold urself? What do u call these ppl? Northern to Central Arizona area if anyone can get me info…
I send mine to a local company in Reno. I dont know of any assayers in Northern AZ,. There are not that many folks who do assaying.
Another great video! Chris, do you think there are undiscovered deposits still out there? It’s unbelievable how these old timers found these deposits in the middle of nowhere but just as unbelievable that they walked every inch of the US and Canada.
The Firecreek specimen shown in the video is from a comparatively recent find. Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
Sir, I want to ask you, I have found a place where there are many surface gold nuggets and many many quartz veins that are very close to each other. How do I determine the right place for the rich quartz veins from all these contiguous veins ???
Use a metal detector to find the nuggets.
@@ChrisRalph Sir, I found the nuggets in advance. I ask how I know which veins of gold the nuggets come from, because they are close, many and very close to the nuggets.
Look at the ones that are most close to the nuggets.
@@ChrisRalph thanks sir
where do you take Rock to sell
Depends on what the rock is.
Hi Chris. Great video. In your video at the 29 minute mark, I happy to notice a layer of rock embedded in the hillside just over your left shoulder. Do you think that it is an ancient river bed. If so, would it be worth detecting... Thank you, Daniel...
Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Its not river gravel - just rock and gravel perched on a hillside as it works its way down by erosion. Unlikely to have much gold.
this was interesting... thanks....
Glad you enjoyed it.
Great video, would you be able to elaborate on the exact district(s) that the Goldfield specimens were found?
The Goldfield district in Nevada. It is one district.
I'm trying to understand why they have such common, extensive Au-Ag epithermal deposits in the southern segment of the Ancestral Cascades Arc, but not so much up here in the northern ("Western Cascades") segment -- maybe the underlying crust is too thin and dense in the north, relative to that more continental-ish crust down there, such that you don't get the right sort of shallow magma chambers in the north for really big deposits? Or -- seeing as there are copper porphyry systems in Washington and northern Oregon -- did much epithermal gold just erode away already up here, because higher erosion rates?
I suppose we do have the Bohemia district here in the Western Cascades -- like a teeny-tiny little baby Comstock, but without any silver.
Western Cascades - Klamath region (NW Calif and SW Oregon) is not epithermal and gold is of a type called orogenic.
Much of the northern part of Oregon is just buried in young unmineralized volcanic basalt flows.
@@ChrisRalph
I wasn't thinking including Klamath mountains as that's a whole different thing -- not part of the Ancestral Cascades -- more like an extension of the northern Sierra Nevada (Blue mountains in Oregon are related to both also).
I'm thinking the terrane basement rock in the southern segment of the Ancestral Cascades -- south of the probable slab tear that separates the segments -- must be quite different than up here. Are some of the accreted terranes down there rifted continental slabs rather than just volcanic island arcs and (in the case of Siletzia) a large igneous province? Or maybe the basement is just more granitic down there, what with the Sierra Nevada batholith. ... or, hmm, are parts of the southern AC considered to be on the deformed perimeter of the craton?
_Something_ must account for major epithermal deposits being so common in the southern segment of the AC, and so rare in the northern. And it's also interesting that you have copper porphyry systems in the northern segment of the AC, but not so much in the southern.
But ... I shall go looking for journal articles discussing the matter as the topic is a bit too big-picture geology for a discussion here, I suppose.
As a general matter regarding any sort of precious metal deposits up here, there would be a lot more of it accessible in Oregon and Washington if it weren't for all the basalt and pyroclastics that got dumped all over the dang place in relatively recent times, indeed.
Love the videos very well explained wuld love to have any info on nz gold if u hav much knowledge bwt otago in particular
Do you own research. Lots of gold in NZ, but I've never been there.
Smart man, studied nature. Gold silver alchemy.
not alchemy. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
How does such a delicate specimen such as the crystalline and wire electrum keep its delicate structure intact?
Stronger than you think.
Tenho rochas muito parecidas com cor escura e regem a peróxido de hidrogênio e a cor preta chega a manchar a pele e nas p parte pretas pequenas piritas prateadas e douradas sou do Brasil se puder me dar uma dica agradeço.
Hydrogen peroxide is a fraudulent test. It shows nothing.
I am finding some interesting ore outside Fernley, Nevada. Chris, you have a website that I can forward pics to right? Your book is arriving later this week, FF. Of D. Will most likely have your Email address listed in your book. I plan on sending you photos soon. Great video sir.
Yes, my email is at the back of the book, and I do answer questions. However, I do not do ore evaluations because it is just not possible. I get quite a few people every day who want me to ID their ore rock and mineral photos. I do not offer either an ore or mineral ID service, mostly because it’s not as easy as you think. Usually, minerals cannot be identified from just a picture. Ores cannot be valued just based on a photo unless there is gobs of visible gold in them - and you would already see that. Ores must be tested by assay. Luckily, there are several assay labs in Reno.
@@ChrisRalph thank you Chris.
Hi Chris,
First comment. You said that one would not get a hit from a detector from silver ore???
Am I mistaken?? Are there any of these types of deposits around Pahrump, I have an uncle there that I can visit & do some exploring, lol.
Thxs, Jerry
Some types of silver ore yes, but other types no. It depends on the silver mineral. Probably more dont sound that do sound off.
Good stuff..
I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
P.s thank you for this video it helps very much.
Glad you enjoyed the video.
Sure love epithermal veins! Yummmmy
I'm glad you enjoyed the video.