Find valuable Gold ores, learn what they look like, secrets of gold geology and gold minerals

Would you like to be able to recognize valuable gold ores? But in order to find stuff like that you have to know what you are looking at. Gold is a very precious metal and gold bearing ores are found naturally here and there all over the earth. You should know that gold rich ore specimens have a notable value in and of themselves, even without the gold metal being extracted from the rock. In this video I'll talk about gold minerals, gold ores, gold geology and hints about how you can find valuable gold ores out in the field.
For those who want to learn more about Prospecting and finding gold check out my book, Fists full of Gold. It’s an encyclopedia of everything on the topic of prospecting. It’s available on from High Plans Prospectors. (Affiliate) You can find it at:
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High Plains Prospectors - Prospecting Equipment and Supplies
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Classic Simple Gold Pan
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Portable Folding Aluminum Sluice Box
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Minelab Gold Monster 1000
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Minelab SDC 2300
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For even more information on prospecting, minerals, gems and other related information you can also check out my website at:
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[@petershaver5006]

Im in Texas and I rely on a wheelchair so prospecting would be pretty tough. After years of watching videos of other people prospect and mine I decided to see some ore in person so i bought 25lbs of ore from Jason new gold mine mbmmllc. A few pieces have visible gold and im gonna crush it and pan it. I got a mortar and pestle plus some classifiers and a pan. This is all a first for me, pretty cool stuff.

[@ChrisRalph]

I hope you find some good gold. Do you ever do paydirt?

[@petershaver5006]

@@ChrisRalph I've never done paydirt. Been tempted a few times but for whatever reason I havent ever bought it.

[@petershaver5006]

​@@ChrisRalph I do plenty of digging but mostly for Chert (arrowheads)

[@ChrisRalph]

You know there is gold in the Llano river in Texas. Its very fine dust, but it is gold. You can find more info on that using Google.

[@albertrangel3598]

​@@petershaver5006 what part of Texas are you in . I too am in a wheelchair. I'm in DFW area. The videos I have watched show there is a little gold on the lano river in Texas

[@dustinjohnson3463]

A ton of ore should roughly fill 25 to 30 five gallon buckets. Roughly 80 pounds per bucket depending on the type of ore

[@ChrisRalph]

With placer gravel, maybe - if its small gravel. With chunks of hard rock ore there is more air space - usually about 50+ pounds per bucket.

[@waltertodd4479]

Yes! It also matters whether it's a ton of gold nuggets or a ton of feathers. Both are one ton or 2,000 pounds but the volume or number of buckets will differ.

[@breckfreeride]

​​​​@@WaylonFoxtrotI play with rocks all day long and my loader has a scale... Most rock is surprisingly heavy and 1 ton could be 20-25, 18 inch cobble stones! By volume most truck beds mounded would hold 3 or 4 tons and break the truck! Pea rock or 3/8 gravel is a lot lighter though and may only be 2 or 3 ton.

[@breckfreeride]

@@WaylonFoxtrot yeah that stuff is super light!

[@JoshuaLee-e5i]

24kt gold is 1.1 feet cubed at 1000 pounds. So if your ore was literally 50% gold by mass then .or HALF gold AS IN 1000 POUNDS OF GOLD out of a ton(2000) pounds of rock and half rock would dictate 26 buckets full of rocks and a 27th bucket wud be 1/3 of the way full. And that's hlf and half

[@stevenmckechnie4380]

Great information, thanks for your time and professionalism on the topic.

[@ChrisRalph]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@CrestoneColorado-yj4we]

Such a good video! Just ordered your book. I live in an old mining district, mines a mile from my cabin. Looking forward to reading!

[@ChrisRalph]

Awesome! Thank you! I'm sure you will enjoy the book and some of my other videos too.

[@allansgoldmining]

Wow ! This has to be one of the best informative videos on gold types and deposits. Thank you for sharing this huge wealth of knowledge. Loved all the various samples to keep an eye out for while in the field. Thanks Chris !! Merry Christmas and good luck prospecting in the New Year. 🤠⚒️⛏️🎅🎄🎁👍

[@ChrisRalph]

Thanks so much Allan. Glad it was helpful! Hope you have a great new year too, I'll be watching your videos.

[@devarskinnee8760]

Iron is the mother of gold!!

[@ChrisRalph]

Many times.

[@calebfast8088]

Great video, saved it to watch later. :) Also wanted it add, I've been watching for a long while now and always enjoyed your content. FINALLY am getting your book now too, sorry it took me so long! Hahaha

[@ChrisRalph]

No worries - there are sufficient copies at the warehouse of my distributor.

[@jeffbrooks8024]

VMS deposits are very interesting. There is much work being done here in Australia in fractional differentiation inside magma chambers. Current thinking is heaviest minerals in a magma chamber settle to the bottom and settle out in layers or zones, so things like gold are found at the bottom of old magma chambers

[@ChrisRalph]

There are deposits where settling of minerals in a magma chamber is the process, but that is not what VMS are. The VMS deposits are the operations of ocean floor black smokers over thousands of years and minerals settling out of ocean water on the ocean floor.

[@jeffbrooks8024]

@@ChrisRalph Thanks for that, so it’s like the formation of the massive manganese nodule deposits in the south west Pacific around the Solomon Islands?

[@ChrisRalph]

No, Its not like the nodules. The nodules form from chemicals that settle out at a great distance from any land. No volcanoes are involved at all. VMS form from magma that comes near the surface and drives circulation of hot water through fractures in the rock. The black smoke that comes out is made of metal sulfides. They settle out of the water in the general vicinity of the source and create the Volcanogenic Massive Sulfide (VMS) deposits. Google "black smokers on the ocean floor" to see pictures.

[@user-ve5cc2ur6u]

Is the electrum specimen from Mexico that you showed have extra value because it's in a crystalline form? I really enjoyed this video,! Very informative! 😅

[@ChrisRalph]

Yes, crystalline forms have more value.

[@donaldsmith9594]

Thanks again Chris your a genius man I really appreciate you sharing your knowledge .

[@ChrisRalph]

Thank you, I appreciate that!

[@MrThedocholiday]

Thanks for providing a good bit of your information free of charge. I’m a newbie & learning fast. I always click the ‘like’ button & sometimes comment to support your channel & I’ll likely be getting your book sooner or later also.

[@ChrisRalph]

Glad you enjoyed the video and you know I have many more you might enjoy.

[@user-ib3ou7se8c]

This lesson is good for new prospectors

[@ChrisRalph]

I agree.

[@evangailjenkin4688]

Really good video Chris. I have already emailed you some questions but this is a great video and I will now go and buy your book on Amazon. Thanks and have a safe holiday season.

[@ChrisRalph]

Got it! and I responded with very frank answers to you question in the email.

[@devarskinnee8760]

Cemented gravel in ancient river bed,like the deep blue leaf in eldorado county,is so much gold left in the mine I worked in the late sevetys.unbeliveable deposits!!!.

[@ChrisRalph]

You should check out my video on ancient rivers and streams. See: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pmXUpoWAl7WJoJY

[@haroldtakahashi8875]

💛...i've been watching some history yt channels about cultural gold artifacts... egypt, asia, mesoamerica, etc...from solid to gold leaf, how pure are these and how are they refined and how close are they to their origins... you mentioned australia (i watch vogus too), but have the indigenous people used gold in any way?...anyway, good episode... thanks...

[@ChrisRalph]

Wow, thank you. I think to answer all your questions completely, I'd need to write a 300 page book length response! I did do a video on the purity of natural gold and that will certainly answer some of your questions. See: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n5TCo36kZq6mpqM

[@haroldtakahashi8875]

...i remember that episode... i was wondering what the purity of, say, an egyptian solid gold artifact was, or a mayan mask...if they did refine it first or just use the natural form... also, what is white gold (my wife and i have our wedding rings made of it -not platinum)...

[@denttech2515]

15:42. On that Johannesburg ore, I see a little gold dusted in about a quarter way from the left, from the bottom to 3/4 up. Could just be the lighting, though. Another aweome and informative video, Chris. Excellent teacher. Swath of information, time and time again. Thanks for ALL that you do. Will be getting your book soon. The way you self promote it everytime at the very end of your videos is very respectful

[@ChrisRalph]

I think you are seeing a reflection or something like that.

[@TexasBurningFlower]

This is an amazingly informative video! Thank you so much! 🌸🌸🌸

[@ChrisRalph]

Glad it was helpful!

[@user-bs6bc8cy3s]

Hi Chris, New Aus subscriber to your channel. We are all blessed to have you educating us! 🫡 I'm just reading in your description that you've found gold in Australia. Is there any chance you have made a video specifically on your finds in Aus? I live within the Macquarie Arc region, NSW. There's currently a lot of exploration companies in the area, drilling. Magnetic field surveys underway, etc. It's almost like a second wave of discovery! Not just for gold, other precious metals, too. May I ask if you're ever coming back down here? 🙏🎄💫

[@ChrisRalph]

Yes I am coming back, I just don't know when. I don't have of my trip as I did not take any video while there.

[@devarskinnee8760]

Gold is where you find it!

[@ChrisRalph]

Yes, but those who know more and are more skilled just happen to find those places the gold is at.

[@danbrent4618]

Great informative video Chris! Merry Christmas 🎄 Dan Brent

[@ChrisRalph]

Merry Christmas and a Happy new year to you.

[@Smithsgold]

well done !!!!!!!!! Great job

[@ChrisRalph]

Thanks! Just hunkered down now for winter and doing claims research here.

[@Smithsgold]

Good Luck find a good one !!!@@ChrisRalph

[@KenTibbetts]

i have been a fan of yours for a while now. im from maine and went up to the swift river last weekend and found gold thanks to you and a few other creators. not fistfulls. yet. i found a few flakes. but like you say. its like being a carpenter. but i have noticed there arent really much of any videos anywhere that show exactly what gold bearing rocks look like before they get cleaned. what the oxidation looks like with ore in it naturally from the ground. i have property and find what im thinking is greenstone and i def have biotite schist. im leaning toward it being gold and silver ores but i just dont know. also there arent alot of videos of what the gemstone looks like directly out of the ground or rivers for that matter. theres some but again. people show mostly what has already been cleaned up.

[@ChrisRalph]

Finding a few flakes in getting started is an accomplishment.

[@RogLotHotHoW]

Hi, I have found very old carrier type mine workings in my area from (I think) roman times and collected about 50 kg of material that is as close to the real ore they mined (hard to trace any errors/misses of theirs) . It is possible that it was iron mine but I suppose they were after something more precious and will check my hypothesis using the bad winter days for crushing, sieving, panning and smelting the sulfides.😁

[@ChrisRalph]

Interesting. Let us know what you find.

[@rocknroll0087]

I definitely need help discerning rich gold ores in nature.

[@ChrisRalph]

Study and learn - thats the way to do it.

[@timstout6133]

Well done!

[@ChrisRalph]

Thanks.

[@KenTibbetts]

5:14. i would like to know what those look like straight out of the ground without being cleaned 5:48

[@user-jm5gh6qh5x]

Good day sir. And thank you for all your shared knowledge, you are one of the few honest creator on the web. Even the “experts” on the history channel tend to be wrong often. May I ask how come I cannot find and examples of gold nuggets alloyed with silver and or copper. I imagine and correct me if I’m wrong so an alloyed silver/golden ore can be anywhere from 1% silver to 99% gold and versa , with just those two electrum can have 196 different hues ? Same with copper . And if all three mixed , now that nugget can have 196 times 3 different hues? I can never find any pictures on what those nuggets may look like. Sir if I may be so bold , are you guys hiding information from the general public to corner the market ?

[@ChrisRalph]

I did a whole video on gold alloys including natural gold mixtures with both silver and copper. I think that video would answer a lot of your questions. Please take a look at: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n5TCo36kZq6mpqM

[@tradermunky1998]

Specimen gold is interesting stuff, maybe I should start collecting them.

[@ChrisRalph]

If you can find them for yourself, its even more interesting.

[@glentomkins3426]

Great information again thanks Chris.

[@ChrisRalph]

No problem 👍 I'm glad you liked it.

[@Algoldprospecting]

I found some ore that looks like the super high grade stuff. Lots of silver looking sulfides. I haven’t had them assured yet but I need to.

[@ChrisRalph]

The assay will tell you what you need to know.

[@Algoldprospecting]

@@ChrisRalph do you mind if I mention your channel in one of my videos regarding my materials

[@ChrisRalph]

sure.

[@RKranch]

I appreciate this video, I’m really enjoying your book too . Does gold grow in circles sometimes? Also does it tend to have a flat side ?

[@ChrisRalph]

I have no idea what you are getting at - 1 inch circles - 10 mile circles or what? crystals have flat sides but so do lots of other things and gold rarely forms perfect crystals.

[@dustinjohnson3463]

If your going to hardrock mine look at like this 1/4 to 1/2 oz to the ton is very low but compared to dredging,high banking dry washing ect how often do you get a 1/4 oz or 1/2 oz in 30 buckets of dirt with those methods but there is a lot of ifs. If you can recover 100 percent of that gold out of ore usually not. Is the effort in hardrock a lot more oh heck yes. There is also a lot more virgin gold veins then placer gravel also

[@ChrisRalph]

I have a friend working a high grade hard rock spot where he gets about a quarter ounce in two 50 pound buckets of ore. I've gotten a quarter ounce in a single chunk of rock that weighs a couple pounds.

[@maryglo1]

Saw two placer miners in different spots on a river. One got 12 ozs, the other two.

[@IBRAKEFORBEDROCK]

I really need some valuable gold ores ⛏😁⛏ This has been the worst year ever !

[@ChrisRalph]

Do you hunt old hard rock dumps much?

[@VictaoBR]

Do these ores with microscopic gold sound on metal detectors? Like Gold Monster? (Oh you answered while I was typing) - Other problem here is I've been having many beeps of non-ferrous on a place with all signs of quartz-gold veins learned on 50+ hours of videos... and nothing after crushing and panning!

[@ChrisRalph]

Remember that the beeps only count if they are repeatable. If a target beeps over and over non ferrous and you are well centered over the target, it should be accurate.

[@alexkaring]

One thing that has been boggling my mind lately is all of the basalt and andesite covering our area in the Washoe county. It's clearly the last stage of volcanism as it overlays a completely different rock type, which can be seen poking out in the subsided valley walls. Is there a known age associated with when the basalts overlaid everything? Is it around the same time as all of the volcanic legacy area north around the Modoc area?

[@ChrisRalph]

There is also Rhyolite in addition to Andesite and basalt - and not all of the volcanic rocks are of exactly the same age.

[@jayshields9919]

Cheers Chris 👍👍👍

[@ChrisRalph]

Thanks much friend.

[@theearthman9527]

I have a high grade deposit in Idaho on private land with a mineral patent and land patent

[@ChrisRalph]

Sounds great 👍

[@joshualee2308]

I need your expert advice and opinion before moving forward.what would it take for u to view 20 or 30 pics of samplings ive taken from 10 or so sites i found following information in video tutorials by you and my 3 or 4 other go to guys for reference and guidance.i absolutely love your work on youtube and cant express my immense grattitude and admiration for your depth of experience and knowledge and i apre iate your candor just as much in that your patiently and thouroughly sharing once coveted and secretive wisdom that is now presented with the ever evolving science and development.i am just not in a place to pay for 20 or 30 assays in the blind.

[@ChrisRalph]

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. Assays are expensive because they take work and equipment to perform. Look at your ores very carefully with a loupe and see if you cant see some gold in them. If not, they are of the "no visible gold" type.

[@GregoryBirulkin]

Thank you for your video. My question is why isn't there any gold in the iron ore deposits in Minnesota?

[@ChrisRalph]

Gold deposits are natural accumulations that form when geologic conditions are right. Geologic conditions in Minnesota were not right for gold. Minnesota has huge amounts of iron deposits. Conditions were right for iron, but not for gold.

[@GregoryBirulkin]

@@ChrisRalph thank you sir for replying. Merry christmas!

[@freelancerider100]

I wish I would have known how much more value specimen gold is! Before I crushed and cast it- can't hardly sell it- but the specimen gold! Sells!l

[@ChrisRalph]

Very true.

[@InayatKhan-nu3pu]

Green cooper ore has any relation with gold

[@ChrisRalph]

There is no required relation - sometimes copper is found with gold, sometimes gold is found with no copper.

[@Mohammad-obaidat-72]

excuse me sir can gold oxide ores dissolve in hydrochloric acid??...it is not a metallic shape

[@ChrisRalph]

There is not gold oxide ores. There is gold ores where iron and other sulfides that were in the ore have been oxidized.

[@Mohammad-obaidat-72]

@@ChrisRalph yes...but we see in gold ores there are brown spots which sometimes due to gold in when mined Is that right??

[@ChrisRalph]

Many minerals are brown. We also have a language problem, your English is not good. I cannot help you.

[@dustinjohnson3463]

Is the inside bend always better than the outside bend of a corner

[@ChrisRalph]

With placers, yes.

[@dustinjohnson3463]

What if the deposit is eroding gold in the winter from the outside bend material or if a feeder Creek is depositing on/into the outside bend material

[@ChrisRalph]

You are talking about what happens to the gold once its in a creek, and by the time its in the creek, its placer gold.

[@DanHatch-tg9fi]

I have access to lots of sulphides, Is there an easy way to extract the gold?

[@ChrisRalph]

The question is how much gold is in those sulfides - some are pretty much barren, some have a little and some have a decent amount. Have you tested them?

[@DanHatch-tg9fi]

You mean like doing a fire assay?@@ChrisRalph

[@DanHatch-tg9fi]

Where would be a good place to send it to?

[@ChrisRalph]

There are a number of places, but for all my ore testing I use: ALS Minerals, 4977 Energy Way, Reno NV 89502 Their Phone number is [phone]

[@pauly51]

Merry Christmas Ralph. Let’s find that gold by triangulation.

[@ChrisRalph]

Thus begins the search for the right vectors.

[@pauly51]

@@ChrisRalph exactly!! Triumphant we are!!

[@rocknroll0087]

Have you ever heard of gold dust ? Or gold dust melted down to make gold bars ?

[@ChrisRalph]

Gold dust is small particles of gold.

[@waltertodd4479]

Has any of your readers ever tried to prospect for gold tellurides? If so, what kind of quartz do you find it in?

[@ChrisRalph]

I did a whole video on telluride minerals. You should check it out - kzbin.info/www/bejne/maCUXoh7rc-Xq8U

[@breckfreeride]

Its not a book its a TOME!

[@ChrisRalph]

Its what you need to know....

[@waltertodd4479]

Really liked the way you organized gold ores in your whiteboard initial outline. We geologists tend to make gold deposit classification way to geologic complex. Your organization appears to dumb it down significantly and make it easier to use and make sense of. I believe most people go right to sleep with all the geologic terms. Just keep it to particle size, free gold, sulfide gold and tellurides as you do. Forget the geologic model terms. Zzzz zzzz. Geologic models are just that a theoretical outline which have nothing to do with what you may or may not see in the field....People have a tendency to walk right over a gold deposit because they are blinded by components of a model and not the actual alteration and gold in the field. Let geologists and mining engineers use geologic models as we all know they never find the gold deposits. Prospectors do instead!

[@ChrisRalph]

I agree. If you are a geologist doing exploration, then understanding models, terrains, environments of formation, and ore mineralogy are really important stuff. But general prospectors don't have the background to use all that stuff. And While prospectors do make a lot of finds, there are plenty of finds made by geologists and mining engineers.

[@maryglo1]

A bucket backpack?!?

[@ChrisRalph]

I rather carry by the bucket handle - so much easier to put them down if I need to - way easier than taking off a backpack.

[@danielfmyers]

No gold here but lots of coal 😂 I enjoy these white board videos.

[@ChrisRalph]

Glad you like them! I don't do as many in the field in the winter - but I'll be back when the weather warms.

[@grantrennie]

Can i send you a few photos of ore that I have please? Its hard to get in touch with youtubers

[@ChrisRalph]

Sorry - I get quite a few people every day who want me to ID their ore and mineral photos. I do not offer 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. Please watch my videos on how to Identify minerals for yourself. Part 1 can be found here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/g6HOiGhuj8qEosU and Part 2 can be found here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sIC6oGdvjZ5jnaM and Part 3 can be found here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lZLFZoGknLefjNk - Those videos should answer a lot of your questions.

[@greedygringoprospecting6941]

so most of this stuff put it in a crusher. and melt with. flux/borax. got some borax. gotta see if i can find the dark red rhyolite. ,buy a crucible. and mold. have a good day.

[@ChrisRalph]

Crush, then concentrate them melt the concentrates. No matter if you pan or use something like a gold cube ore a shaker table. you really need to concentrate the ore before melting.

[@robertfritchey-zq1wn]

Would you give up your Crown of Glory in Heaven for a mountain made of solid gold?

[@ChrisRalph]

No, but what has that to do with this video???

[@OregonAuExploration]

Great video Chris, thank you for sharing 👍

[@ChrisRalph]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@InayatKhan-nu3pu]

Green cooper ore has any relation with gold

[@ChrisRalph]

There is no required relation - sometimes copper is found with gold, sometimes gold is found with no copper.