What is this on my nugget and when to stop cleaning

[barry]

This is from Virginia and found with the GPX 500 and Nugget Finder coil. This is the second big mass of brown stuff I have found clinging to gold. The first mass contained a nice 1ozt nugget within the mass, very rough but one big chunk. This one is totally different as you can see, beside the gold remaining I have collected 6 grams in the wash cup including colors that just fall off. Is it better to just stop or keep cleaing until i have a clean nugget or nuggets and colors? BTW what is this brown stuff called?I don't particularly like the looks of it. Thanks for looking.

[tool]

from what i see on phone screen, i would say oxidized sulfides.the vein,source is close. my prefrence would be to leave them just as they are,looks beautiful to me

[Idigau]

I have found a lot of that type of gold in northern

Calf most of it was in place where it formed in what they call an ochre pocket which is basically an iron pocket the gold formed in with some chunk of clear quartz

If that's what your finding in place make sure you gather up all that rusty brown material around the detected peice and pan it out it is very rich

As far as cleaning be careful if you use acid some time when you do it gets rid of the iron but can tint the nugget an ugly color and the only way to bring the nugget color back is to heat it close to a melting point

I usually put the nugget in a small container with other bit of gold water and soap and shake it until you like the look

Mike : )

[Idigau]

Here are some chunks we found there was close to 100 ounces

In the pocket with the solid piece and all the ochre! In the gold pan.

It was beautiful gold before we put it in hydrofluoric acid Now it has a funny color tint to it

[Border Boy]

Cool, Looks like what we call "Red Ledge Gold" If you find the outcroping of this oxidized iron matrix it is easy to mill and rich!

Justin.

[nuggethunting]

Hey Local Digger,

I have to agree with Idigau. It's what we normally call "Ochre." A combination of iron oxide. Its normally a combination of yellow, brown or red oxides. The main ones we find in the Southwest are Limonite, Haematite, and Goethite. I have found gold mixed with all of them or a combination.

I would leave the piece just like it is. I think it add the natural luster and look to the piece.

Idigau also mentioned if you hit it with acid, you might change the look or luster. Normally the gold that has been exposed for hundreds if not thousands of years will have a different shade due to be exposed to physical and chemical weathering. Once you hit the iron oxide with acid and eat it away, the gold will look much more "newer" or shiny and some might question what you done to the piece when you sell it.

Just my preference though.

Rob Allison

[DesertNuggets]

I really love the look of it. I dream of finding beauties like that.

[Grubstake1]

Virginia, has nice looking gold for sure!Grubstake

[adam]

Amazingly spectacular !! Please leave it as it is......