CALIFORNIA GOLD QUARTZ SPECIMEN NATURAL GOLD 5.68 GRAMS GOLD IN QUARTZ

Description

NATIVE GOLD QUARTZ SPECIMEN
from the
MOTHER LODE
R
uler is
1/4"
wide (6 mm). U.S. 10 cent coin is 17 mm in diameter.
S
pecimen weight:
5.68
G
rams -
87.7
G
rains (Troy)
S
ize:
30.4X15.5X8.1
mm long
If you like gold straight from the earth, check out this 'in the raw' rock.
As found in nature, quartz is often part of the gold/ specimen equation. That's what we have here.
Although not a good investment for bullion hunters, there's elemental beauty awaiting those who examine this one up close. The gold visible here shows up in several vugs accompanied by a black mineral. Orange oxidation staining also colors one side of the rock. A shale-like darker element plates the backside.
One can only begin to imagine how the 49ers reacted the first time they saw gold in their sluices and pans. Even more exciting, how about being the first to see a quartz vein loaded with the stuff. That's an extremely rare occurrence even for a died-in-the-wool' hard rock miner. The authenticity of this California gold & quartz specimen is guaranteed.
It takes a lot of effort to find gold whether it's placer, pocket, or high-grade lode. From my perspective, having spent so many years on the hunt for wild gold, there's really no such thing as an 'ugly nugget' or specimen. Each one is beautiful in it's own way. I guarantee the gold growths here are a natural occurrence.
All my specimens show visible gold and are
authentic
gold quartz specimens.
I don't paste 'pounded gold' or spray gold-colored paint on barren rock.  Refractory ores, which need to be heated and run through special processes to release the minute amount of gold locked up inside, aren't usually my thing. When I do sell sulphides, you'll be able to see gold associated with the pyrites. You won't need to crush and treat my rocks with cyanide solution to dissolve the gold thereby allowing it's recovery. We're not dealing in micron oro. I deal in genuine high-grade, naturally-occurring gold quartz with visible gold, both as specimen and as jewelry-grade slab. Such rich rocks and lapidary rough are hard to find and expensive to obtain.
U.S. SHIPPING - .00
(includes USPS tracking to all U.S. destinations)
INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS - S&H .00
FAST REFUND OFFERED
(If, for any reason, you're not happy with this item)
I poured through old mining dumps for years looking at orange-yellow-rusty rock through a loupe, but I never found a piece with visible gold.
Hydrothermal solutions carrying gold and silica crystallized into veins of gold quartz. This specimen comes from one of the many vein systems sourcing the immense placer deposits of the Sierra Nevada Mtns, the famed Mother Lode.
Weight Conversions:
15.43 GRAINS = 1 GRAM
31.103 GRAMS = 1 TROY OUNCE
24 GRAINS = 1 PENNYWEIGHT (DWT)
20 DWT = 1 TROY OUNCE
480 GRAINS = 1 TROY OUNCE
S & H
Discounted for combined shipments.
U.S. BUYERS
S & H .00 (with USPS tracking to all U.S. destinations)
ATTN: INTERNATIONAL BIDDERS
INTNL. BUYERS - .00 via USPS 1ST Class mail.
On higher valued items, shipping via USPS Priority Mail International or Express is recommended.
See USPS International shipping calculations.
PAYMENTS
For U.S. buyers: We accept paypal
For intnl. customers: We accept paypal.
Pay securely with
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Payment must be made within 7 days from close of  auction.  We ship as soon as funds clear. If you have questions, please ask them before bidding.
REFUNDS
We leave no stones un-turned insuring our customers get what they bargained for.
If you're not satisfied with this item, contact me. Then, if the problem can't be fixed, return product within 30 days in  'as purchased' condition for a full refund
PROSPECTING IN TRINITY COUNTY
Back in the 1980s, shortly after gold had risen to 00 per ounce, Trinity County crawled with prospectors. I worked the Shasta-Trinity Alps for four seasons, had a blast, and lived to tell the tale. That was unquestionably one of the most adventurous times I ever had. Initially, the prospect of dredging on the bottom of a big river with 30 feet of water over my head didn't seem very inviting; but once I had shaken off the early jitters, the excitement of working that deep became intoxicating. Maybe it was the thought of those two, three, and four ounce cleanups which might be waiting. Later on, I decided to build some of these gold-catching contraptions myself. Wishing to learn the ropes, I wound up working on a few different crews before building a succession of five, six, and eight inch dredges. Any half-way serious gold miner is eventually going to want equipment he can call his own. When not dredging, I reverted to more-traditional, small scale mining methods like sluicing, panning, high-banking, and dry-washing. Yep. Dry-washing in northern California is a real possibility; a good alternative to water-driven systems, I might add. Where water's available to utilize, a small dip box proves very effective in testing bank run gravels. Dredge owners and operators, running every manner of suction dredge, had staked up about 20 miles of river. Everyone joined the search for a rich pay-streak. Mining encampments proliferated. Out on a prospecting jaunt, it wasn't uncommon to stumble on makeshift hootches anywhere out in the woods. Many of the old hydraulic cuts were inhabited by diggers trying to survive cheaply scraping out a little beer and tobacco money from worked-over ground. This was a social dynamic not unlike that which existed a hundred years earlier. Judging from the TV reality shows, one might think this segment of the mining community was comprised mostly of misfits, folks on the lam, sociopaths, and growers, but back then was a different era, culture, and ethos than you too often encounter today. I found the local 'woodsies' to be mostly honest, friendly fellows; guys down-on-their-luck preferring to live within their means up in the hills away from society's high cost of living and condescending attitudes.
Thanks for checking out our digs.
G
old of
E
ldorado
1-14-13