The Typical Purity of Natural "Raw" Unrefined Gold.

[ToddB64]

Greetings !

While reading my copy of Dave Johnson's booklet titled: Gold Prospecting With a VLF Metal Detector, Copyright 2010 First Texas Products, El Paso, Texas, USA , I found some information I've been looking for on page 49 pertaining to the typical purity of natural "raw" unrefined gold.

On page 49 under the heading The price of gold, second paragraph, it says "Natural "raw" unrefined gold is typically between 75 to 93% pure". I'm curious to know if that's the typical purity range around the world in the major gold producing areas, both land and sea.

I put this post up on the board, not only to satisfy my own curiosity, but thought it might be interesting to others who already prospect for gold and those who are contemplating getting started.

What's the typical purity range of natural raw unrefined gold in your part of the world ?

Thanks,

Todd



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[steve herschbach]

Purity varies the by specific source of the gold, and a single creek will have gold of varying purity. Here are two reports on the fineness of Alaska placer gold. Gold purity is measured in fineness, with 80% pure gold being 800 fine and 85.2% pure gold being 852 fine.

Alaska is a huge place and purity is literally all over the map. Low purity gold (800 range) is not uncommon so much is paler in color than you might see in California or elsewhere.

Fineness of Gold from Alaska Placers by Philip S. Smith
1937 USGS Bulletin 910-C
http://www.dggs.alaska.gov/webpubs/usgs/b/text/b0910c.PDF
Accompanying map http://www.dggs.alaska.gov/webpubs/usgs/b/oversized/b0910cpt03.PDF


A Summary of Gold Fineness Values from Alaska Placer Deposits by Paul A. Metz and D.B. Hawkins
1981 Mineral Industry Research Laboratory
http://www.dggs.alaska.gov/webpubs/mirl/report_no/text/mirl_n45.PDF
Accompanying map http://www.dggs.alaska.gov/webpubs/mirl/report_no/oversized/mirl_n45_sht01.PDF

 

[au79]

I'm in Arizona right now. I recently spoke to a gold buyer and was told the gold from this area is generally around 800 - 830 fine. Also, the finer (smaller) the gold, as in flour type gold, the more pure it is. This fine gold is more pure because of the scrubbing action that occurs during it's travels where it is broken down and exposed to elements in water that further scrub from it the impurities. As it breaks down water and other natural mineral/chemicals in the water dissolve impurities leaving the most pure gold as gold is immune to reaction of these symptoms. Nuggets and larger gold are usually less pure than flour.

 

[Hoser John]

Mines and Mineral Geo Publications in shasta county kalif proven up to .999 on clear and dog creeks. I wear a 1 ozr and assayed at .997. Varies much even within a single canyon over. Our wire gold up here rates the highest kt content and I coveth them dearly all nasty,gnarly interwoven and SHINY WOW--John

 

[ToddB64]

Thank you Steve, Ray and John for the information posted.......very interesting !

Todd

 

[sgoss66]

Thanks guys. Fascinating stuff here.

Steve