High Grade Gold Specimens, Season 2 Episode 10

[@publicmushroom67]

Use the acid solution on the wire gold. They make great display specimens!

[@timhenson4815]

That's so cool ! Definitely would enjoy seeing you dissolve the quartz !!

[@VoGusProspecting]

Si02 has to be boiled above 300c to effectively remove silicates. It won't touch the gold other than a oxide layer that comes off in a ultrasonic. Be aware that it will make any remaining quartz brittle. So if you want to make a specimen with quartz on it, do not entirely soak it. Thin layer of sodium hydroxide, less than you want to take, so that the integrity of the remaining quartz remains ok.

[@mbmmllc]

Awesome VoGus! Thank you for the tips! I'll give it a try soon and see how things go

[@StaceNyourFacee]

😉

[@ThrowingItAway]

Worth noting that the Tellurium itself is also worth quite a bit at $665/kg as of this video posting, Silver is at $995/kg so that's nothing to sneeze at.

[@matthewtracy8744]

That's only $20/Oz for the telluride and about $30/oz for the silver. Not really worth much. Considering what it takes to get a kilo... costs more to get it out of the ground.

[@Clarence_13x]

It’s tough to refine in its state, and once you get it pure enough, it’s hazardous.

[@ferniclestix]

@@matthewtracy8744 I mean... if its a byproduct of other mining.... the cost is reduced to just the processing costs.

[@jonathancardy9941]

Yes, but what are the additional costs of extracting Tellurium and silver when you are already doing the mining to get the gold?​@@matthewtracy8744

[@SasquatchBioacoustic]

Yes! Do the sodium hydroxide bath!

[@Hillbilly-Tech]

CRUSH IT ALL to GOLD! Thanks Jason. :)

[@Bob-Whiting]

We stand together in the calling for the large scale slaughter of the rocks and the pouring of the GOLD Barrrrsss! lol BTW, I referenced your comment in my other comment here today.

[@Slipknot60]

Jason put some kind of soft mat in the saw for the slabs to fall on...like some foam rubber or even some folded cardboard would the slabs from breaking! I know some are more fragile than others....but any kind of cushion should help! Another Awesome Video...thanks for sharing!!!

[@colonialcharlie8702]

Some Miners Moss to drop on might help i thought watching, but I bet most breaking is during the cut from the weight of the hanging slab.

[@michaelmcculley7880]

Yeah! Drop it in sodium hydroxide! That would be a great experiment.

[@jph8266]

That’s exactly what I was thinking about, the caustic soda is great revealing crystal forms of the gold

[@mikeblair2594]

i'd like to see you dissolve the quartz and leave the gold in its natural crystalline state. That's always interesting

[@SeascapeStl]

You should take the scraps out of the rock saw and send it to the flower gold wizard :-)

[@Ebbyman413]

You should drop in a rubber mat on the left side of the saw to pad the piece falling off. Hopefully they won't break then.

[@ricoviselli]

It would be interesting to see you pan the cutting dust and debris.

[@paulmoore9679]

Have you thought about using HF to etch the SiO2 (quartz) and leave the metals behind? HF is nasty, but the semiconductor industry uses millions of gallons a year. Also, you may want to encapsulate the specimen in acrylic and then slice to ensure the specimen doesn’t fall an apart, we do this in the semiconductor world.

[@nunyabisnass1141]

They use HF because it won't contaminate the silicon, but sodium or potassium hydroxide drain cleaner will do the same thing. It's still dangerous, but not nearly as dangerous, or expensive as using HF. Still need to use stainless steel equipment though.

[@paulmoore9679]

@ we use HF because it’s efficient and selective. I’ve used it and still use it for the past 30 years

[@paulmoore9679]

@ we use H202, sulfuric, nitric, and a bunch more.

[@christophersimonye6137]

Time to pan out the filings in the saw pan😮

[@GrooberNedJardine]

Those samples are worth more than their actual Gold content , really nice specimens . 👌👍 Cheers Ned .

[@TelescopeJunky]

I love it when rocks are coming out of my ears! 😂 I will add my vote for doing the sodium hydroxide bath!

[@mikesalm5053]

It's really cool of you noting our Australia friends down under.

[@pmpwiz]

Great video, sad news for me. I used to see a lot of this kind of rock go through my box when I was after placer gold. Never thought there would be gold on the inside. Again, great video. This is the stuff I can learn from.

[@jedeye825]

I have the exact lapidary saw you have.. scored it used, put on a new motor, & i been rehabing it a little... I cant wait to cut some rocks 🥳

[@jasonaucolorado5111]

Caustic soda melts down the quartz, exposing the gold wire. Would love to see the natural wire in it

[@Jagabot_Esq.]

I think it's fantastic that guys like you, Dan, and VoGus all watch each other's videos and learn from each other. The internet isn't all just trolls and perverts after all. Well, Chris excepted, obviously.

[@nicevideomancanada]

I understand that to fund the mine work you'll possibly earn more money selling your ore as specimens than you may if you just crushed the ore and ran it through your system with the Table, But I'm confident in saying many of us viewers would also like to see some of it crushed and ran through your complete Turn Key System to see the final results down to a Gold Button. I would also like to see some Cabochons from some folks that bought some of your specimens.

[@dondavis5633]

DANG, Jason! I'm getting gold fever watching this video!

[@raymondcoriz9500]

It would be nice to see you roast your Telluride Ore. Most if not all our miners here in southwestern Colorado that mine telluride ore in the La Plata mountains roast their ore to process it. It really breaks down the tellurides and brings out all the magnificent gold.

[@ClaytonVigue]

Yes, you are right. Vo-gus prospecting does do that. I think it's really A good idea and would benefit you in the long run and give you a little bit more understanding and us the viewers as well.

[@jefferywilson4091]

All of that hard work at the mine is finally paying off.

[@makeitwork583]

Roast it, roast it! Awesome video, wicked gold, great channel!

[@shappie5830]

Yes you should absolutely dissolve some of the pieces, the raw gold looks incredible

[@chris-nwue_B]

Hurry up and make that 10oz bar already. Some nice stuff there. I thought that saw was Ed's old saw looks just like the one he had.

[@krakhedd]

I hope we get to watch you refine those gold compounds with chemistry! Not sure if removing the Telluride and other elements from the gold-bearing compounds is "smelting" but either way I can't wait to see it!

[@spebenge]

Probably going to be awhile before we see him refine anything unfortunately, I believe he is making WAY WAY more money by selling stuff on ebay

[@michiganprospectors]

I really want to see the sodium hydroxide test on that wire gold. I have some rough ore from you that I am going to process soon. I have been watching your videos to learn more about processing it. Also that is Calaverite, I believe, according to my studies.

[@rockman531]

Awesome video, Jason. Some beautiful gold specimens. Yes - do the hydroxide bath. Please give us a Christmas video of you running a ton of your ore and pouring an ingot!! Thumbs up! Stay safe. Jim

[@charlestosi5199]

Western Australian Museum has an interesting piece about how the gold hidden in telluride was missed during the massive gold find known as “Gold Mile”. (May have already posted but can’t find it)

[@vossierebel]

Beautiful! Yes please - clean up the pieces - show the gold!!

[@josephcormier5974]

Thank you Jason for sharing this wonderful and enjoyable video with us six stars brother

[@richardbrobeck2384]

Jason thanks for the video lots of good information !

[@Siunloader]

Beautiful specimens dude!

[@roxiehenrich4069]

Cleaningup some of the pieces with a chemical bath sounds like a fun project

[@manwing2007]

So pretty, definitely do the dissolving of the quartz video

[@GickelsGaming]

the cool thing about the rock saw is that if you dont find your specimen, you can just toss it in the pile for the crusher! You can also use a tile saw!

[@markmayer2029]

I've seen some great Cripple Creek roasted specimens, can't wait to see yours.

[@mavs44s]

Hey Jason. Just a suggestion, maybe lay a rag/ cloth or soft padding on the side the rock is going to fall so it doesn’t hit metal falling and break. Obviously keeping it away from the blade

[@amgphoto76]

im interested to see you clean out the rock saw to see how much gold is getting captured in the rock dust that the blade cuts away. a smelting video of that would be cool!

[@dangerman127]

Hey Jason, this is super exciting to see. I’m Dave from Boise Idaho. Very very cool. Would you please do the Boiling thing so we can see if the grey stuff is indeed gold ?

[@danielflinn3571]

Thanks for sharing from Australia looking great

[@ffsteve71]

Yes sir always do it!! There is lots of gold out there!!

[@markcombs9462]

Jason, put a sponge that fits on the left side of your rock saw where the specimens are falling it will help it from cracking and breaking apart.

[@andrewbrundle8074]

perhaps panning the saw waste.

[@paulcallicoat7597]

You know that he will likely sell it on Ebay. Man, its tough to own and operated a business with prices getting stupidly high. I was pricing a grass fed cow and it will cost $5k which is pretty high for a critter that eats grass and drinks water. Can't eat gold but for 2 ozs you too can eat the PHD.

[@petepal55]

You should definitely go the chemistry route. What with everything else you do, having that capability would really round out your shop.

[@mattgraham1983]

Wow.... you could give the acid solution a go but they are some awesome specimens.

[@williamb2013]

Can you use a press to break these right on the line you’re wanting? I would think it would separate between layers and expose the gold without losing it in the oil. I agree with others with the acid dip, would leave great specimens!!!

[@RiskyVentureMinerals]

Would love to hear more about the tellurides and hear what a chemical assay reveals!

[@shanehaws3828]

Jason, you should lay some astro turf on the left side of your rock saw blade to cushion the slabs as they fall off...

[@nickitoff9629]

Do it! Vo-Gus is really entertaining to watch. I love your videos too! I bought some of your mine ore on eBay. Its super fine and in the heavies. Do you have a flux recipe you'd recommend for it? I've been checking out your smelting videos again, and love watching them. Today I'm going to start pulverizing the big pieces and everything over 40 mesh. Having a ton of fun with your mine ore/tailings! Good times!

[@robmclaughlin420]

Really cool pieces

[@jeremiahkeller2292]

Yeah I'd try and clean it up then it would make a real good display piece

[@EWasteJILL]

FRANK!!! Rock I believe Jason and Harry slept with at da mine cut around 8 minute mark. 😊 So happy to see Frank again. Now we gave Frank,Frank Jr, Francine...💖 from Minnesota 😎 P.S. gosh I think the telluride is sexy! Bow chicka bow wow. 🥰😍🤯😵‍💫🤠

[@hypervanguy]

make sure you do a video when you clean out the pan for the rock saw, would love to see what you get out of that

[@TinkerinWithTim]

Experiment! Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I mean... you do have a gold mine with more in it if it doesnt come out good.... lol.

[@sortius_]

Have you thought about resin setting some of these pieces? Those small broken bits would look great suspending mid-resin, and worst case, if someone gets sick of looking at it, it'll crush up fine later. 😆

[@nolanphoto]

I would love to see what is in the rock saw sludge when you clean out the saw.

[@jackklein906]

You might try putting a car wash sponge or a pile of rags where the cut slabs fall in the saw. Soften the fall and stop some cracking.

[@dean4069]

Put a piece of foam to give the cut off piece a cushion and maybe so many won't break in the fall

[@scotthultin7769]

1,484 👍's up mbmmllc thank you for sharing 🤗

[@Bob-Whiting]

Sorry to be a bummer here at xmas time but, can we skip lapidary classes at the old folks home and pour all those rocks into the crushers you sell so we can watch the gold line form on the vibrating table? Where is the payoff of all that blasting and mucking? Where is the pouring of the Royal Gold Bars and the armoured trucks! I must agree with @Hillbilly-Tech Merry Christmas Jasonnnnnnnn. lol

[@ericmiller5559]

Nice specimens... Maybe a piece of porous foam on the cutoff side of your saw blade will prevent the specimens from breaking when they fall off...

[@schristensen-o7s]

Use water to cut rocks, you can easily recover gold from cutting!

[@joecolosi1795]

Remember to run the rock saw slurry through the shaker table

[@Youviewer123]

I had a question about what happens to the gold that doesn’t get to form into free gold. & just as I was thinking it you went on to explain about the non visible chemical gold. Always enlightening 👍

[@gregnz1]

The Quartz would make great coffee cup mats,

[@genedavis7238]

Started cutting rocks last year..but my health took a severe dive..i wish i could afford your pieces..would have loved to make my grand daughters some cab jewery..

[@michaelavery2703]

Greig MeMiner has a lot of experience with acid etching. Would be a good guy to consult with. He mines a lot of silver in Cobalt Canada. I forwarded this video to him.

[@jambaliah7056]

also want to see what comes out the cleaned saw 😮

[@SanderOver]

So, do you get like "waste gold" in your saw muck?

[@nicevideomancanada]

A telluride mineral is a mineral that has the telluride anion as a main component. Tellurides are similar to sulfides and are grouped with them in both the Dana and Strunz mineral classification systems.[2][3] A telluride mineral is a mineral that has the telluride anion as a main component. Au-Ag-Te Minerals. Tellurides are similar to su... Cite: Wikipedia I found this interesting so I thought I'd share. Jason, according to Wikipedia Tellurides contain Gold And Silver atoms with a Sulfide! From what I have just read some Tellurides can be an alloy of Gold, Silver and Tellurium. So you probably need to refine the Tellurides to separate the Gold And Silver Atoms from the Sulfides.

[@ddblairco]

thank you

[@chrislarson4328]

Chicagoland used to end at Randall Rd. Now it's all the way to 47.

[@anthonyrstrawbridge]

Interesting 😊 Place one exceptional sawed half with a similar natural unsawed specimen and include a certificate of origin.

[@blackhawk15897]

I'm honestly curious what you'd get if you ran the waste sludge from your rock saws through your vibrating table after you finished slabbing all your specimens from the mine.

[@ferniclestix]

apparently you can use acid to seperate the telluride from the gold too.

[@herbertboelk7545]

Positive for sodium hydroxide. But, don't immerse the whole rock in NaOH, just the tip you want to be clear, otherwise you get a bunch of loose crystals, instead of a wire standing on top of the piece.

[@mikewinings4120]

Have you tried roasting the ore,like they do in cripple creek colorado to expose possible gold in the tellurides

[@TheBRMueller]

I'd like to pan the sludge in the sump of the saw.

[@kensmith8832]

Could the slabs be breaking when they fall off the saw blade? Seems like a piece of anti-fatigue mat from Harbor Freight could solve that issue. You might have to build a wedge of foam or wood to slow the breaking issues.

[@bobsprague3363]

I'll take some of the trim pieces.

[@jefferydaniels6334]

Just an idea…. Maybe make a cabochon out of the small piece! Would make a beautiful piece of jewelry.

[@BunnyRamey]

Nice Jason

[@russbaker6861]

I believe it’s pronounced like California “cal-la-ver-ite” (as it was named after the location where it was originally found in Calaveras, CA.) My ore has that as well as Sylvanite. TBH, the samples you showed look more like Sylvanite than Calaverite. To quote the mineralogical bible (“The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and Minerals”), Sylvanite’s color and luster is described as “Silver-white to steel gray, inclining to yellow; metallic; steel black or nearly so.” Whereas Calaverite’s colorand luster is described as “Brass-yellow to silver-white, metallic; streak yellowish to greenish grey.” Also, Calaverite’s crystal s are “Monoclinic, usually in bladed or lathlike crystals and short slender prisms that are striated; also granular“ , whereas Sylvanite has a “Monoclinic ; prismatic; also branching aggregates, bladed, columnar, granular.” But the pictures in the field guide for Sylvanite looks more like what you have. Also, your’s looked more metallic than brassy-yellow. Either way, it would be great to see how you handle those when you smelt them. I roasted mine and saw gold come through which makes me very pleased.

[@brianwalko]

Get that telluride XRD. WWU geology department should have one.

[@jonsdigs1]

kal-LAV-er-ite as in Calaveras County, California.

[@William_Borgeson]

Oh boy, dissolve that quartz please! The wire gold will look so much better once liberated.

[@jaymortensen642]

Some of the rocks I bought from season 1 I cut and then high polished and there are some sulfides that look like tin foil and some that look gold are you saying those gold sulfides maybe gold bearing and thats why the gold color if so there is quite a lot of the gold ones.

[@williamivborges9151]

Good idea to remove the quartz.

[@craigsekulich9889]

Yes, let's see it. Hurry up. Can you tell I'm excided

[@raytruesdell7873]

You should try it Jason

[@MrMarkAMartin]

Put a piece of foam under the saw for cut piece of sample to fall on?

[@mikemilo3395]

Yes Yes Yes, clean that tellurium.

[@gsellis]

So when are you going to pan the saw 'tailings'? :)

[@billoc1255]

Everybody likes a warm bath. Get'er done

[@CodockDraconin]

Huh. I'd like to see you filter out the oil and process what gets filtered out. Might be interesting to see how much gold is in the saw oil bin.