Is This A Gold Nugget or Gold Fire Nugget

[Ant]

I found this at a railroad site known to have shipped gold. The first 3 pictures are what it looked like when it came out of the ground, the last 2 pictures are after a 30 minute soak in ketchup and a quick vigorous scrub with a hog bristle brush, Brasso brass cleaner had no effect on it, it might be a melted golg ring.

 

[Ant]

Here's a few more pics:

 

[rexy]

Hard to tell. It does look like it was in a shape of a fire bowl, bit there looks like there are some impurities all around, and not on one side, like what usually happens during the melting process. it might just be hammered, but most likely it is naturally occurring.

 

[Ant]

Hey thank you for your view rexy. I found this copper nugget within 6 feet of the gold nugget. I thought they were both formed in a fire, but I really don't know.

 

[togg77]

It looks like gold--do a specific gravity test on it and it will tell you if and how much gold. Google it for directions.

 

[Ant]

So it turns out that my shark head nuggett is14 k or higher in spots. I took a sample from the tab that I tested with my pinkie fingernail and washed it in 18k acid test solution and then 22k. You can see the results ib the photos:

 

[Ant]

They both turned out to be gold nuggets. The find of a lifetime to me turns out to be a gold nugget between 18k and 20k. The density is 15.80 and weighs 245 grams. It is a dazzling in my opinion museum quality that has a a velvet crystal gold coating over yellow gold with yellow gold frosting dripping down in place on both sides. I stoped cleaning it today, I need someone with experience that knows if I should stop cleaning or if I should do something else.

 

[BillNEWAST]

Ant, I would say that you have a Spill from the assayers office. It could come from the melting crucible cracking when the person was trying to pour into an ingot mold. I could be from someone trying to melt an 18k ring and spilling it onto the ground. I have done this before, Long time ago now, and it looked the same. Some times we get into a hurry and don't pay attention enough to our lab ware and it will suck up moisture and when hit with heat, Explode.

I'd leave it just as it is if you Know it is 18k gold. I'd use it as a test nugget to bury in the ground and tune my gold machine to it.

 

[tomtowns]

Drop it in some nitric acid...if it bubbles, it's not gold.