Specimen question

[hotrock mike]

I have a quartz specimen which contains about 8 oz of gold. In deciding the best route to get the most value out of it some have suggested I get it x-rayed.

I have contaced many chiropractors, dentists, and several imaging centers and 2 have agreed to give it a try but don't have a clue if it's going to work and have been asking me if it'll work.

So if anyone has had experience with this or any ideas on it, I'd love the insight.

Thanks, Mike

[grubstake]

It will work, most guys I know that have it done, got to a VET. I think its a little cheaper. But I'd go for it, if it has as much as you thing it does. Grubstake

[nuggethunting]

Hey Mike,

I have seen a friend years ago do it. He found a very nice specimen here in Arizona, but it showed very little gold on the outside, but screamed from about 3 foot away when he found it. He knew a friend that was an X-Ray Tech in one of the local Hospitals and took it in one night when they were slow and had it X-Rayed. I seen the pictures (Black/Gray/White), but it showed a bunch of gold veins within the specimen.

Beyond that, I don't have any personal experience with specimens and X-Rays.

Will be interesting to hear what you find out.

Rob Allison

[LuckyLundy]

Mike,

I have a large 8 pound hammer! I'll bring it down with me!!!! C'ya soon.

Rick

[Rick Herron]

Mike,

I think you should get it x-rayed. And what Rick stated, now thats funny right there I don't care who you are (hill billy)!!

Rick

[hotrock mike]

Thanks grubstake and Rob. I'll go ahead and take it in. Seems like it will do what I'm looking for. Should be fun. I'll post results on here.

I agree with Road Dog, Lucky. If I let you smash it I think Steve might never talk to us again.

That's a nice lookin ring there Rick (Road Dog). Steve did more great work.

Mike

[El Dorado]

Tom (onamission) had his rock x-rayed, That helped decide not only to slice it but how the slices should be orientated. Was done at a vet's office. He and his wife ended up with some very nice rings from AZ specie (me too cause I used one for my money clip!.

[matt]

I have a few species that I have been thinking about getting x-rayed. Honestly, I am really wondering if there is any premium to slabbing versus crushing and refining. With the price of gold where it right now, can somebody net more dollars by selling slabs or refined gold?

Matt

[El Dorado]

There is always a third option to think about.....giving it a nice warm bath in HF! Knowing the kind of gold that Hotrock Mike finds, it will certainly be very crystallized. Either way, the X-ray will help with the decision.

[Hawkeye]

Matt

I think crushing a specimen would be the last thing I would consider. However it all depends on how the gold is displaced throughout the quartz. Usually once it is crushed your only likely to get 70 or 80 percent of spot price for the gold. I would take several different angles on a specimen if you xray it to get an idea of how the gold is in the piece. I slabbed a piece last year year, I got six slabs off the piece and sold just two of the slabs for what I would have gotten for the gold content for all of the gold in the piece. Of course it depends on the color of the quartz and as I said how the gold is displaced in the specimen. Also the size of the specimen counts to, a piece your only going to get one slab out of may not be profitable either. There is just a lot of factors that come into play with specimens, its a hard call sometimes.

Take care, Wes

[matt]

Steve - I do have one that I'll bring by and show you that looks to be a good candidate for hf.

Thanks for the response Wes. I need to get to a vet and have mine checked out before I do anything.

Good job on the sale of the slabs. Do the other slabs you kept have some good gold for Mike to make

an arrowhead or something? That would make it a really profitable specie.

Matt

[notoriouskelly]

People sell their gold?!?

[Hawkeye]

Matt

Ya I had two of the slabs that had some decent gold in them and Mike make two arrow heads for me. He does a good job on them and they are different, you don't see that type of thing being made much. I still have to get the bails and wire wrap done.

Take care, Wes.

[hotrock mike]

I got it x rayed yesterday and a couple angles turned out real well. If I can figure out how to post a pic of it I will. A chiropractor did it for me because he was the only one who took me seriously. I tried 15 places from vets, dentists, chiros and imaging centers. Most of the receptionists laughed and said they'd check and call back but only one did.

One angle shows a pretty solid piece 3 1/4" by 1 1/2" not to mention a number of small pieces. Now to have some work done on it and bring out the beauty.

Mike

[grubstake]

Thats great, make sure you do the most for it to get the biggest bucks. Good luck I'd let Eldorado take alook at the Xrays. he's the man. Grubstake

[Gold Seeker]

Mike,

COOL, I would love to see the results of the X-rays and the final slabbing.

What was the fee for the X-rays?

Skip

[hotrock mike]

Thanks for the advice and insight everyone.

El dorado will be seeing the speci soon. The images of the x-ray were given to me on a cd and I can't figure out how to post them but whatever happens with the speci I will post results. The

x-ray cost $80 and was well worth it.

Mike