White Quartz Rock With Gold

This page is dedicated to the gold that s still attached to quartz or a host rock.

White quartz rock with gold.

Gold and quartz specimens. Place an iron or steel anvil in a large flat pan to prevent loss of rock powder and contained gold. To extract the gold the ore is crushed then the gold is separated from the ore by various methods. Normally even good rich gold ore has no gold metal which is visible to the naked eye.

Remember the specific gravity of quartz is 2 65 times heavier than water whereas pure. Gold often occurs along the natural linear structures of quartz rock or its natural cracks and lines. It is easiest to spot in white quartz though quartz can come in a range of colors including yellow pink purple grey or black. The photo at left shows small particles of metallic gold in quartz taken from the mountains of canada.

This type of gold is highly desired in the mineral collecting community. Use your geology hammer and sledge to break open quartz and potential gold bearing rocks. When gold is still encased in quartz rock it is called a gold specimen. The ore is often brown iron stained rock or massive white quartz and usually contains only minute traces of gold.

These are a real treat for gold prospectors and collectors as well and are often valued at a premium due to their beauty and rarity. Gold quartz specimens are in a completely different league of their own. In most gold ore the gold is present in tiny specs either within minerals like pyrite or spread out free among the quartz.