I know I’ll get a bit of flack on this one, I’m new to this stuff so go easy on me I’m looking forward to learning together so any feedback on this one will be much appreciated. A big thank you also to you all helping me reach a new little milestone for the channel of 200k subscribers I’m blown away thank you ❤
Levi, I've been watching you for a few years now and love what you do. I'm glad you're finally trying to find the source. There are three things I'd like to mention. 1. Stop filming. It's obvious to me that you're on the west coast near old diggings and, although I've been to tassie ( I asked you once if you want to go detecting, you never replied), I don't think your spot would be hard to find given all the available footage. 2. "The monster". It's a VLF and will go off on anything. I doubt you're hearing gold, more like ironstone.... which leads me to number 3 3. Have you noticed how much gold youve found containing ironstone? If I were you, I'd be looking for an ironstone reef rather than quartz for the possible source. I know you probably won't like this idea, I'd take a 7000 and give both sides of the gully a good swing. And rmember, its the little stuff that makes it to the river. Nature is just like a highbanker.
I'm not sure why you would get flack for this video. Personally I think you did a great job. Prospecting is different from mining and honestly I'd give my left nut to spend some time prospecting and learning with you. Best of luck mate. Edit omg I almost forgot. Congrats on 200k, you deserve much more.
The old timers did the work for you .All you need to do is detect between the mine working and the river for nuggets that are hung up on the banks and didn't make it to the river. THANKS for a great video.
As a geologist my approach would be the following: 1) in the location where you found the highest gold concentration measure the strike of the bedrock around it. 2) on a geographic map draw the bedrock strike and see if the lateral extension matches up with the mine. That would tell you if the mine is likely related to the same gold veins or not.
At the ripe old age of 64 there's no way I could do what you guys do anymore. Years of construction work has destroyed my body. I love watching your videos and vicariously living through your adventures! LOL. Keep up the great job of making videos. You're filming is above and beyond.
Gold is in hydrothermal systems, ironstone is often a replacement mineral when weathering has dissolved the silica in the quartz veining. Use the river to look for alteration features, olive green can indicate hot fluids carrying gold interacting with mafic rocks near by. Find a vein in this environment and you will do well, look in the oxidised zones for supergene enrichment, once you see primary sulphides exclusively generally the amount of gold you will find drops tenfold. Being nuggety also precludes a lot of fine gold, so use of a detector on veins will likely yield greater results. Good luck
The sand you crushed at the 25 minute mark is the type of material some of the more experienced hard rock prospectors reduce their rock down to before washing it in a pan. So much looking forward to you having success.
No flack here Levi. I love what you do! Keep on doing what you do, under water, above the water on the banks, in the hills or over the mountains, it's the adventure of being in nature looking for what mother nature has to offer! It's there for the taking, none more worthy than you to find it! Keep on sniping, never give up!✌️😊
Ty Levi I always enjoy your adventure I'm disabled and can't do what my heart desires I hardly walk thanks to a drunk driver thank you for your sharing GOD BLESS
Hey there, I’m no Miner, but I have worked with an anvil. The more solid the base, the more energy can be transferred into the rock to crush it, and less energy is needed to do the same work. Totally love your channel!
Hell ya Levi! I love to see the passion you have for your trade/craft. The way you can come up with new videos for us to enjoy, thank you, my friend. I hope everything outside of the videos is going well, you deserve it man. Thanks again
Thank you for not fast forwarding your video i.e. your trek up to the top in search of the old mine, it’s half the enjoyment. Wishing you all the luck. 🇦🇺👏🏻
Congratulations on 200K 😃🙌 Well deserved with awesome content like this and the effort you go to is next level 😂💪🙌 I don't wanna make your backpack heavier but it would be good to head up that hill with a detector. Really enjoyed it. 😃🤙
You Certainly live up to the Triffitt name, not afraid of the hard Yakka. Mad like most of us T's but not afraid to have a go. Best of luck and thank you for the videos that I can only dream of.
That decayed quartz stringers in that river bed need much more attention if you’re pulling gold from them, the same goes for any that are above and below that area and out on the dry ground. It’s very likely the gold was formed in those stringers and over time, as it’s broken down the gold has been allowed to move and worn it making it look water worn. Definitely take the gold monster with you next time. Some of that ore looks amazing, but the old fellas were usually pretty thorough in what they took.
Love the idea of following those quartz stringers and crushing some of that. You need to get together with that mount baker miner. You two young guys are bringing back mining with all these wonderful videos.
as an indicator of the mineralization of the area you are in is the different color of the water from the pannings, that stuff looked great to me, I'm afraid that all of my time in such a place would be taken just looking at the rock...Ha! Thanks for another great adventure! Cheers!
always great adventures! Good to keep in mind that when the Gold monster says "gold", it means non ferrous metallic element! there are quite few things matching the description... VLF are sensitive things in mineralized areas... the prospector has to find the gold, the metal detector helps to pin point and retrieve the target.... this is an (the) essential reminder.
Good looking leopard print gold there. Congrats on 200k! That locale looks very promising. Hopefully all the hard work leads to the lode. You're doing the real work and bringing us all along for the adventure. What a ride!
Nice work and beautiful gold! I think you made me more nervous on this one then any of your other crazy adventures. Catching a chip of quartz in the eye out in the bush is the stuff of nightmares. Ive had an eye injury and a coworker just had one. Its not fun. Stay safe and as always, thank you for the adventure!
I hope you’re able to get technology more involved with your search for gold there. A 6” dredge would be epic for those deeper areas too. There has to be tons of gold hiding under those gravels and deep pools.
The quartz at 5:06 looks really good. Notice how it has the green margins. That's likely chlorite alteration adjacent to the quartz vein, which is a good sign he that the fluids that brought the quartz were out of equilibrium with the host rocks, meaning they came from somewhere else and could transport metals into the rock. That's something you want to see. Quartz veins that are in equilibrium with the host rock would not have these green margins, and would likely not be bringing anything exotic to the rocks.
I'm trying to do the same but I have no idea what kind of tools I may need. I think there's an old ore back home and I want to explore it. Congratulations on your finds!!!!
Good video, I liked how you showed your non finds, found it interesting and truthful, I say keep it up, every time you feel like doing something different go back there and keep exploring for the source, keep racking your brain and thinking outside the box to find a source, you might hit the motherload, if not at least you had a experience. Goodluck😊
Yeah I thought about taking the gold monster there too, or even a pin -pointer . I'm no expert but take a steel pan and roast your quartz over your fire, easier to crush the ore to a finer grade .But not always easy in the bush. Very professional videoing as usual.
Another great adventure, great to see you branching out and trying other methods of prospecting, certainly a more labour intensive way than sniping, who knows maybe it’ll pay off big time in the future.
Hi Levi, big fan of your work. Came across this info and thought you might be interested regarding ironstone and gold. Sounds like the source may be deep underneath your spot. Ironstone is something that still fascinates me every time I come across it. I dont just mean the occasional little pea-sized piece you see kicking around on the surface at times, but the stuff that exists in more serious quantities. As a relative newbie to the hobby (Ive been swinging the GPX 5000 for just over a year now), it still quite often stops me in my tracks in wonder when I come across it. I should have taken some photos of examples that have fascinated me from time to time, but as Im already loaded up with a pick, pinpointer, scoop, sP-01 enhancer, drink bottle, Snake Bandages & Camelbak as well as my detector with harness, theres really no room for a decent camera, and once Ive put my phone away safely in a back pocket to keep it away from my 25 coil, Ironstone seems hardly worth the effort of stopping and getting it out for a snap or two. In some places as Im sure many members have seen, broken pieces of Ironstone can be found in huge chunks, and in one particular detecting session at Kingower some months ago I came across a grapefruit sized chunk that had a side where it hung down in festoons. I had assumed at the time that this was the result of some molten upsurge from within the earth, until only recently when learning that Ironstone is in fact sedimentary. Now in the absence of any Geological training, this revelation completely turned my understanding of things upside down. Upon further reading I came across something that member Goldierocks had written.. In Post # 57 under the Thread heading Gold Beyond The Workings in the Metal Detecting for Gold forum www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=518855#p518855 Goldierocks states the following- (i) the nuggets found in the laterites are usually secondary, not primary. Primary nuggets (that were deposited with quartz veins etc) usually have at least 3% silver (up to more than 50% silver). Secondary nuggets that grow in laterites usually have no detectable silver (e.g. they are 99.7% gold, the 0.3% commonly being copper). (ii) any nuggets found within the laterite are usually above or only offset horizontally at most tens of metres from the source at depth (but that can be as much as 30 m below, often with white clay lacking gold in the intervening interval). The nuggets actually grow in the iron-rich ferricrete at the top of the laterite (the gold gets dissolved from the primary ore at depth and re-deposited where there is iron near surface - they actually require the iron for the gold to be re-deposited). For those chemically inclined the gold is dissolved in cold, oxygen-rich, highly salty water at depth as a gold chloride ion, and has to be reduced again to metallic gold by encountering iron (oxidation state +2) that reduces it to metallic gold. Nuggets of this type sometimes have ironstone inside them, completely enclosed by gold. Since we know the ironstone formed by weathering, the gold must also have deposited in the weathering zone because it includes ironstone inside it. When the gold dissolves from silver-rich gold at depth, the silver and gold separate from each other and re-deposit separately (sometimes the silver simply stays in the groundwater and washes away), giving the high purity of secondary gold nuggets. So my question is this- Im assuming that here in Victoria we dont have the laterite soils of Western Australia? But is it possible that a similar process still takes place in some Victorian goldfields whereby primary gold, or particles of gold in the soil in general, gets dissolved by surface water mixing with the high salt content in the soil of areas affected by naturally occurring Dryland Salinity, and the readily available oxygen of the atmosphere at the surface? Im intrigued by the whole thing because a number of times now I have seen photos of, or read about a decent sized gold nugget found here in Victoria that is associated with Ironstone that is nowhere near a reef or other obvious primary gold origin. And my other question is this- When such nuggets are found, if formed by a similar process as mentioned above by Goldierocks, would they exhibit a different grain/crystalline structure inside when cut in half compared to gold that is primary gold? Or, wouldnt their purity also be much higher than any reef gold nearby that might be suspected of being the primary source? I love reading the contributions of Goldierocks, Swright and other Geologists on the forum and Id appreciate if someone could enlighten me further please on gold when it is associated with Ironstone. Thanks in advance D.S. Reply Like Reactions: Zengeo, Northeast and Billy
How gold is actually formed is still theory a mystery. Lots of quartz is 20 percent moisture with all the properties of gold in it. Another theory i have read is gold possibly can be formed when under intense pressure. Than like a huge like plate slips causing a hit so hard on quartz that it is vaporized leaving just the gold behind. I don't know. Who really does. But what you say can make sense also.
Hey, love watching you make your fortune, always waiting for you to find that huge nugget. I don’t know a thing about gold prospecting other than watching people like you. What I can’t understand, is why you go off up to the top of a hill a kilometre from the river. Surely, all the gold you’ve ever found in the river comes from the river banks when torrents of water during the winter or rainy season breaks away rocks and debris from the edges of the river. Would it not make more sense to explore the river banks rather than a mile away ? Anyway…keep up the great videos as they are far better than the crap we have on the normal TV channels here in the UK. Stay safe and all the very best of luck ! Des and Shirley.
The source of the gold can usually be up in the hills but I will most certainly be looking around the banks aswell which I have done a couple of times now with a detector
Osmium is a couple hundred an ounce do thats still a good valuable mineral to take note of. If you start finding it regularly or bigger quantities make sure to take a note where.
Some times the best to sample isn't the rusty stuff as it means it's oxidized. yes good but also has the potential sulfides that carry the gold have also rusted out and have fallen out into the river already.. not telling you how to mine at all.. I love your videos!! Just in my area in northern Canada we have ore that is quartz with green and black sulfides in it that carry the gold. Or surgar quartz or so its not necessarily always the rusty stuff or the peacock ore like most typical mines might have ..
Take Magnesium tabs for the cramps or those sports hydration tabs work well too. The gold might have been in ironstone reefs adjacent to the quartz. Take the GPX up that hill next time mate 🇦🇺😎
There's gold in dem dar hills lol well done Levi you should have taken your detector with you and watched Chris from Vogus how he searches those old mines lol. Still an epic walk in & out did you take any magnesium tablets for cramps?. Great video great collection of gold so you did very well. Stay safe mate & see you on the next one.
Yes certainly will take the detectors in it was just a matter of weight now that the dolly’s in I’ll go back with detectors I have actually done a couple of trips with detectors early on but it’s time to try again
😆 Was thinking the same! Or some of the sound deadening mat they use in cars. Hate to see others discover his spot and muscling in on it because they hear the dinner bell ringing from a few klick's away!!!
Vogus Prospecting has a portable crusher which works really well (angle grinder + portable crusher). I know it would possibly be heavier, but faster and far more effective. Not sure if it would be more weighty than what you've quoted for the dolly pot and hammer...
For what this is worth Levi.... maybe next time you find yourself at the mining piles, look for recently fallen trees and try collecting any rocks that may have been wedged under their base or trunk, mixed in with torn out roots. Not so much near their existing driplines. At least that way you know you're sampling an untouched specimen. Great video as usual mate...👍👍
Damn dude, that is so beautiful where you are.. I recently did a trek an hour into no where (1 hour in 2 hours back, damn hill) to unsuccessfully pan a creek in NSW.. And just being even that far away from everything was amazing, where you are is next level.
Bring a mesh/net bag, and your hand held metal detector. Knock off chunks of that quartz in the river that is holding gold. bring it up in the mesh bag and test crush it. Also the bag is small doesn't take up space can be used for multi purposes (wood gathering, wet clothes holder) Using the hand held you'll be able to find hot stones on the hills to bring back. I'd also make a hidey hole spot to put all your (I don't want to carry this in and out all the time) stuff. Good luck hope to see you in this spot again. p.s. don't show the gps terrain map, I and bad actors could easily snap shot that and find the location using that. I'd hate for your spots to be found. Also a trail cam or 2 wouldn't hurt either. lol As always thank you for your videos, they bring me to wonderful adventures through your lens. Cheer Audrey
The burning of the ore is what the old timers did. I've tried it it really works a treat. Oh yeah Levi I really enjoy videos, the bush journeys are just as enjoyable as the prospecting. Thankyou
If you look at the ironstone you'll see vugs in the sample you were holding. Them vugs look like the nuggets from the previous trip. Same shape. Wonder if one would fit? Still think it's coming out of the veins in the river. Nice video.😊
Funny I just did this same thing 2 days ago at a spot were we have been finding big gold snipping. I was using the gpx6000 but still just like you I could not find the load,,,,,yet. If it was easy it would be gone. Keep it up, the old timers spent more then a day or so looking for the source. We today have gps and old maps and detectors. When I was out there I did find a spot of ground that was so hot my gpx went off on every thing. I think I may try to smash rocks in the hot ground. Maybe you might want to try to same. Thank you for the videos, they are good with my coffee!
Great vistas, Levi, and looking for the sources of the larger lodes will continue to intrigue you, and us. I see two courses, the biggest nuggets from a concentrated location, they're primarily found as river-worn, the biggest spiky pieces from a concentrated location, they're found not as large, but finding their origin rock type, are they shedding into the creeks and rivers nearest from the exposed quartz, or other rock types that dissolve and erode faster, either weathering from up a hillside, falling eventually into watercourses, elluvium, spiky, angular chunks, wire gold, crystalline, or worn from the host rocks by water action, alluvial, from the rocky washing machine, but seems the bigger nuggets of thickness or length wouldn't have squashed into those shapes, they'd have inclusions and cavities, instead they're formed like that in veins of varied thickness accumulating in pockets of various sizes, in the chunkier buck or whiter quartz and not the heavily mineralised types that crush down to red or grey slurry that shows not even fine flakes or flour gold. A detector will find the bigger ores to investigate but also to hope for a quartz boulder that makes the detector blank out. On that, we'd hope you'd invest in an SDC 2300, on the basis it's waterproof and collapsible and would probably handle better with adjustable settings the GM 1000 doesn't have for highly mineralised grounds that you explore. On grounds, would you think of a GPX 6000, for prospecting where nuggets may be close to the surface of ancient waterways, gravel flats, plateaus where only flooding rains sweep along erosion gutters, the ranges and hills acting as giant riffles. The SDC seems best for your terrain, the GPX doesn't like any moisture but a question whether the coils are made to be used below waterlines, but certainly not the main unit, not even heavy drizzle. The deserts of WA, yes, wet Victoria and Tasmania, only if the circumstances are right! And if only for an electric blanket and battery that'd last long enough, aye... maybe you know of a good brand? Cheers from Gabi of Narre Warren, Australia Felix.
I know I’ll get a bit of flack on this one, I’m new to this stuff so go easy on me I’m looking forward to learning together so any feedback on this one will be much appreciated. A big thank you also to you all helping me reach a new little milestone for the channel of 200k subscribers I’m blown away thank you ❤
Levi, I've been watching you for a few years now and love what you do. I'm glad you're finally trying to find the source.
There are three things I'd like to mention.
1. Stop filming. It's obvious to me that you're on the west coast near old diggings and, although I've been to tassie ( I asked you once if you want to go detecting, you never replied), I don't think your spot would be hard to find given all the available footage.
2. "The monster". It's a VLF and will go off on anything. I doubt you're hearing gold, more like ironstone.... which leads me to number 3
3. Have you noticed how much gold youve found containing ironstone? If I were you, I'd be looking for an ironstone reef rather than quartz for the possible source.
I know you probably won't like this idea, I'd take a 7000 and give both sides of the gully a good swing.
And rmember, its the little stuff that makes it to the river. Nature is just like a highbanker.
Love your work mate! Inspirational stuff, cheers
I'm not sure why you would get flack for this video. Personally I think you did a great job. Prospecting is different from mining and honestly I'd give my left nut to spend some time prospecting and learning with you. Best of luck mate.
Edit omg I almost forgot. Congrats on 200k, you deserve much more.
Congratulations Levi on reaching 200k subscribers
Most miners would be delighted with that much gold!
The old timers did the work for you .All you need to do is detect between the mine working and the river for nuggets that are hung up on the banks and didn't make it to the river. THANKS for a great video.
As a geologist my approach would be the following: 1) in the location where you found the highest gold concentration measure the strike of the bedrock around it. 2) on a geographic map draw the bedrock strike and see if the lateral extension matches up with the mine. That would tell you if the mine is likely related to the same gold veins or not.
Well said.
😂wow that's awesome and as a junior wannabe miner I would suggest not taking my advice 😂. Really cool video boys
Love your music choices Levi, particularly when you were exploring the old mine areas. Very atmospheric!
At the ripe old age of 64 there's no way I could do what you guys do anymore. Years of construction work has destroyed my body. I love watching your videos and vicariously living through your adventures! LOL. Keep up the great job of making videos. You're filming is above and beyond.
Better get out there before your 80 and definitely can't make it.
Gold is in hydrothermal systems, ironstone is often a replacement mineral when weathering has dissolved the silica in the quartz veining. Use the river to look for alteration features, olive green can indicate hot fluids carrying gold interacting with mafic rocks near by. Find a vein in this environment and you will do well, look in the oxidised zones for supergene enrichment, once you see primary sulphides exclusively generally the amount of gold you will find drops tenfold. Being nuggety also precludes a lot of fine gold, so use of a detector on veins will likely yield greater results.
Good luck
So happy every time a new episode drops. keep up the amazing work
Congrats on 200k Subs Levi. Awesome work and well deserved. :) Great Vid
Congratulations on 200k! Well deserved!
You’re a legend Levi! Keep up the unreal work
The sand you crushed at the 25 minute mark is the type of material some of the more experienced hard rock prospectors reduce their rock down to before washing it in a pan. So much looking forward to you having success.
No flack here Levi. I love what you do! Keep on doing what you do, under water, above the water on the banks, in the hills or over the mountains, it's the adventure of being in nature looking for what mother nature has to offer! It's there for the taking, none more worthy than you to find it! Keep on sniping, never give up!✌️😊
Great to tag along with you again on your adventures. Keep up the search!
Ty Levi I always enjoy your adventure I'm disabled and can't do what my heart desires I hardly walk thanks to a drunk driver thank you for your sharing GOD BLESS
So sorry bro . Stay strong 💪💯 respectfully
Hey there, I’m no Miner, but I have worked with an anvil. The more solid the base, the more energy can be transferred into the rock to crush it, and less energy is needed to do the same work. Totally love your channel!
Good to see another great video of beautiful Tassie Gold.
Hell ya Levi! I love to see the passion you have for your trade/craft. The way you can come up with new videos for us to enjoy, thank you, my friend. I hope everything outside of the videos is going well, you deserve it man. Thanks again
Thank you for not fast forwarding your video i.e. your trek up to the top in search of the old mine, it’s half the enjoyment. Wishing you all the luck. 🇦🇺👏🏻
Nice one Levi 👍👌🇦🇺 Congratulations on the 200K subs
Woohoo Levi, 200,000 subs! So well deserved!! 👏
I love the history looking at oldtimer work- those guys were hard men. More like this pls. Thanks for all your hard work.
Congratulations on 200K 😃🙌 Well deserved with awesome content like this and the effort you go to is next level 😂💪🙌 I don't wanna make your backpack heavier but it would be good to head up that hill with a detector. Really enjoyed it. 😃🤙
Thanks mate appreciate it, yes now that the dolly is on sight I’ll be able to get those detectors in 👍🏼
Hope you find the source and get some big nuggets with the detector 😃💪
Watching you from Sheffield in south Yorkshire England ❤️🇬🇧👍🏻 love gold prospecting
You do the hard yard thank you for taking us through on your journey 🙏🙏🙏
Great show Levi !! That's a nice mix of prospecting and sniping and looking forward for the next video ! Cheer's
2:15 am in Arizona. Can't get back to sleep. Yo, Lookie here! Tassy Boys has a new video!!! I'm thumbs up #74!!! 1:40 1:40
Love ya work Levi! It’s always a great adventure and we’re learning along with you. Congratulations on 200K. Subs!!! 🎉🎉🎉
You Certainly live up to the Triffitt name, not afraid of the hard Yakka. Mad like most of us T's but not afraid to have a go. Best of luck and thank you for the videos that I can only dream of.
You are an absolute beast...you deserve every gram you find with that work ethic.
That decayed quartz stringers in that river bed need much more attention if you’re pulling gold from them, the same goes for any that are above and below that area and out on the dry ground. It’s very likely the gold was formed in those stringers and over time, as it’s broken down the gold has been allowed to move and worn it making it look water worn. Definitely take the gold monster with you next time. Some of that ore looks amazing, but the old fellas were usually pretty thorough in what they took.
Awesome video Levi!! Don't give up searching for that motherlode😊
Love the idea of following those quartz stringers and crushing some of that. You need to get together with that mount baker miner. You two young guys are bringing back mining with all these wonderful videos.
That Jason with Mt. Baker Mining and Metals
You’re certainly doing the work and bringing the experience to get these results, great work!
Hello my friend another awesome video. Thank you for bringing me along. Happy father's day be safe my friend 🙏. Congratulations on the 200k.
Always love your stuff! Thanks for everything!
You’re gold! A fantastic journey once again!❤️❤️
Congrats on 200k!!!!! Really enjoy your adventures!
Levi you are a bloody legend for king and country😅 thanks mate for sharing your hard yards👍👍
Hey Levi ! Love Your Channel ! You're one of those guys where
The Harder You Work, The Luckier You Get ! Apologize for Nothing.
Always a great adventure. Thanks for sharing
Great time watching you.Lots of fun.
Great work, another fabulous video.. 💛
as an indicator of the mineralization of the area you are in is the different color of the water from the pannings, that stuff looked great to me, I'm afraid that all of my time in such a place would be taken just looking at the rock...Ha! Thanks for another great adventure! Cheers!
That's a great haul for the time you spend, Levi.
always great adventures!
Good to keep in mind that when the Gold monster says "gold", it means non ferrous metallic element! there are quite few things matching the description...
VLF are sensitive things in mineralized areas...
the prospector has to find the gold, the metal detector helps to pin point and retrieve the target....
this is an (the) essential reminder.
Good looking leopard print gold there. Congrats on 200k! That locale looks very promising. Hopefully all the hard work leads to the lode. You're doing the real work and bringing us all along for the adventure. What a ride!
the adventure outweighs the gold imo . looks so fun . nothing like that anywhere even remotely close to me
Yaay another great vid man. Keep up the good work.
Nice work and beautiful gold! I think you made me more nervous on this one then any of your other crazy adventures. Catching a chip of quartz in the eye out in the bush is the stuff of nightmares. Ive had an eye injury and a coworker just had one. Its not fun. Stay safe and as always, thank you for the adventure!
Hiya Levi, awesome video mate, and congrats on 200k.
Keep doing what you are doing beautiful country 😊
Mate great to see you struggle with something new and have a good go too
I’ll struggle as well so it was good to get an idea of what it’s like
I hope you’re able to get technology more involved with your search for gold there. A 6” dredge would be epic for those deeper areas too. There has to be tons of gold hiding under those gravels and deep pools.
The quartz at 5:06 looks really good. Notice how it has the green margins. That's likely chlorite alteration adjacent to the quartz vein, which is a good sign he that the fluids that brought the quartz were out of equilibrium with the host rocks, meaning they came from somewhere else and could transport metals into the rock. That's something you want to see. Quartz veins that are in equilibrium with the host rock would not have these green margins, and would likely not be bringing anything exotic to the rocks.
I'm trying to do the same but I have no idea what kind of tools I may need.
I think there's an old ore back home and I want to explore it.
Congratulations on your finds!!!!
Great stuff.
Thanks Levi.
Andy
Good Luck Brother, You will track it down!! Thank you for the good content/information, take care my friend, Happy Hunting!!
Really enjoyed this video! Do you have plans to explore both sides of the riverbank/ hills? Wishing you the best of luck!
I love your content. Well done Levi.
Brecciated quartz (smashed up and recemented) sample you showed us. Promising for gold etc.
Hello Levi, in this situation,having only dolly pot, You should try to find quartz with visible gold, and start from there,regards George
Good video, I liked how you showed your non finds, found it interesting and truthful, I say keep it up, every time you feel like doing something different go back there and keep exploring for the source, keep racking your brain and thinking outside the box to find a source, you might hit the motherload, if not at least you had a experience. Goodluck😊
Good video as always keep up the good work
Yeah I thought about taking the gold monster there too, or even a pin -pointer . I'm no expert but take a steel pan and roast your quartz over your fire, easier to crush the ore to a finer grade .But not always easy in the bush. Very professional videoing as usual.
Great video! Good luck on your future endeavors there.
🔥⚒️💯😎👍🇺🇲🔥
Another great adventure, great to see you branching out and trying other methods of prospecting, certainly a more labour intensive way than sniping, who knows maybe it’ll pay off big time in the future.
Hi Levi, big fan of your work. Came across this info and thought you might be interested regarding ironstone and gold. Sounds like the source may be deep underneath your spot.
Ironstone is something that still fascinates me every time I come across it. I dont just mean the occasional little pea-sized piece you see kicking around on the surface at times, but the stuff that exists in more serious quantities. As a relative newbie to the hobby (Ive been swinging the GPX 5000 for just over a year now), it still quite often stops me in my tracks in wonder when I come across it.
I should have taken some photos of examples that have fascinated me from time to time, but as Im already loaded up with a pick, pinpointer, scoop, sP-01 enhancer, drink bottle, Snake Bandages & Camelbak as well as my detector with harness, theres really no room for a decent camera, and once Ive put my phone away safely in a back pocket to keep it away from my 25 coil, Ironstone seems hardly worth the effort of stopping and getting it out for a snap or two.
In some places as Im sure many members have seen, broken pieces of Ironstone can be found in huge chunks, and in one particular detecting session at Kingower some months ago I came across a grapefruit sized chunk that had a side where it hung down in festoons. I had assumed at the time that this was the result of some molten upsurge from within the earth, until only recently when learning that Ironstone is in fact sedimentary. Now in the absence of any Geological training, this revelation completely turned my understanding of things upside down. Upon further reading I came across something that member Goldierocks had written..
In Post # 57 under the Thread heading Gold Beyond The Workings in the Metal Detecting for Gold forum www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=518855#p518855
Goldierocks states the following-
(i) the nuggets found in the laterites are usually secondary, not primary. Primary nuggets (that were deposited with quartz veins etc) usually have at least 3% silver (up to more than 50% silver). Secondary nuggets that grow in laterites usually have no detectable silver (e.g. they are 99.7% gold, the 0.3% commonly being copper).
(ii) any nuggets found within the laterite are usually above or only offset horizontally at most tens of metres from the source at depth (but that can be as much as 30 m below, often with white clay lacking gold in the intervening interval). The nuggets actually grow in the iron-rich ferricrete at the top of the laterite (the gold gets dissolved from the primary ore at depth and re-deposited where there is iron near surface - they actually require the iron for the gold to be re-deposited). For those chemically inclined the gold is dissolved in cold, oxygen-rich, highly salty water at depth as a gold chloride ion, and has to be reduced again to metallic gold by encountering iron (oxidation state +2) that reduces it to metallic gold. Nuggets of this type sometimes have ironstone inside them, completely enclosed by gold. Since we know the ironstone formed by weathering, the gold must also have deposited in the weathering zone because it includes ironstone inside it. When the gold dissolves from silver-rich gold at depth, the silver and gold separate from each other and re-deposit separately (sometimes the silver simply stays in the groundwater and washes away), giving the high purity of secondary gold nuggets.
So my question is this- Im assuming that here in Victoria we dont have the laterite soils of Western Australia? But is it possible that a similar process still takes place in some Victorian goldfields whereby primary gold, or particles of gold in the soil in general, gets dissolved by surface water mixing with the high salt content in the soil of areas affected by naturally occurring Dryland Salinity, and the readily available oxygen of the atmosphere at the surface? Im intrigued by the whole thing because a number of times now I have seen photos of, or read about a decent sized gold nugget found here in Victoria that is associated with Ironstone that is nowhere near a reef or other obvious primary gold origin. And my other question is this- When such nuggets are found, if formed by a similar process as mentioned above by Goldierocks, would they exhibit a different grain/crystalline structure inside when cut in half compared to gold that is primary gold? Or, wouldnt their purity also be much higher than any reef gold nearby that might be suspected of being the primary source?
I love reading the contributions of Goldierocks, Swright and other Geologists on the forum and Id appreciate if someone could enlighten me further please on gold when it is associated with Ironstone.
Thanks in advance
D.S.
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How gold is actually formed is still theory a mystery. Lots of quartz is 20 percent moisture with all the properties of gold in it. Another theory i have read is gold possibly can be formed when under intense pressure. Than like a huge like plate slips causing a hit so hard on quartz that it is vaporized leaving just the gold behind. I don't know. Who really does. But what you say can make sense also.
Hey, love watching you make your fortune, always waiting for you to find that huge nugget. I don’t know a thing about gold prospecting other than watching people like you. What I can’t understand, is why you go off up to the top of a hill a kilometre from the river. Surely, all the gold you’ve ever found in the river comes from the river banks when torrents of water during the winter or rainy season breaks away rocks and debris from the edges of the river. Would it not make more sense to explore the river banks rather than a mile away ?
Anyway…keep up the great videos as they are far better than the crap we have on the normal TV channels here in the UK. Stay safe and all the very best of luck ! Des and Shirley.
The source of the gold can usually be up in the hills but I will most certainly be looking around the banks aswell which I have done a couple of times now with a detector
Osmium is a couple hundred an ounce do thats still a good valuable mineral to take note of. If you start finding it regularly or bigger quantities make sure to take a note where.
@oldenyoung8024 or sell the location for one quick money..after pulling as much of the surface gold that can be found of course.
Jesus you are amazing your back with that behemoth backpack damn! I really feel like i am traveling with an old prospector!
Yhe real Gold im getting is a great video, and the sounds of the bush and river giving a hypnotic snooze 😴 many thanks .
Practice makes perfect Levi , I believe you will have great luck next time with your metal detector. Thanks for an amazing video mate cheers🍻
unas pepitas bellísimas de oro amigo gracias por compartir tu video
Dang it!!! I need a river like that😊
Dude put the rocks in the fire then quench them, they will make you dolly pot so much easier
I'd Leave the dolly pot at home and take the Detector instead! Nice Job Levi!!
Some times the best to sample isn't the rusty stuff as it means it's oxidized. yes good but also has the potential sulfides that carry the gold have also rusted out and have fallen out into the river already.. not telling you how to mine at all.. I love your videos!!
Just in my area in northern Canada we have ore that is quartz with green and black sulfides in it that carry the gold. Or surgar quartz or so its not necessarily always the rusty stuff or the peacock ore like most typical mines might have ..
Never seen you so tired mate! Wicked vid tho, cheers 🍻🍻
Take Magnesium tabs for the cramps or those sports hydration tabs work well too.
The gold might have been in ironstone reefs adjacent to the quartz.
Take the GPX up that hill next time mate 🇦🇺😎
There's gold in dem dar hills lol well done Levi you should have taken your detector with you and watched Chris from Vogus how he searches those old mines lol. Still an epic walk in & out did you take any magnesium tablets for cramps?. Great video great collection of gold so you did very well. Stay safe mate & see you on the next one.
Keep on looking Levi and you will find it. If the ones who came before you didn't already get it first.
Yes certainly will take the detectors in it was just a matter of weight now that the dolly’s in I’ll go back with detectors I have actually done a couple of trips with detectors early on but it’s time to try again
If you wrap that dolly pot with carpet or cloth (or rope) it will cut down the ringing and clanking. Good stuff sir!
😆 Was thinking the same! Or some of the sound deadening mat they use in cars. Hate to see others discover his spot and muscling in on it because they hear the dinner bell ringing from a few klick's away!!!
Vogus Prospecting has a portable crusher which works really well (angle grinder + portable crusher). I know it would possibly be heavier, but faster and far more effective. Not sure if it would be more weighty than what you've quoted for the dolly pot and hammer...
You lost but we won! Nice vid Levi, thank you.
Actually, Levi, I do try to do this method also and like you never had any luck yet so looking forward to how much luck you have.
Man you are living the life! If I didn't have to worry about doing business, this is what I'd be doing. Someday soon!
For what this is worth Levi.... maybe next time you find yourself at the mining piles, look for recently fallen trees and try collecting any rocks that may have been wedged under their base or trunk, mixed in with torn out roots. Not so much near their existing driplines.
At least that way you know you're sampling an untouched specimen.
Great video as usual mate...👍👍
Damn dude, that is so beautiful where you are..
I recently did a trek an hour into no where (1 hour in 2 hours back, damn hill) to unsuccessfully pan a creek in NSW..
And just being even that far away from everything was amazing, where you are is next level.
Its good to try your hand at something different, its what life is all about. Good luck!.
Gold is most often found IN Quartz, so it's probably shedding FROM those stringers. Although, a lot of that looks like it's shedding from ironstone.
Bring a mesh/net bag, and your hand held metal detector. Knock off chunks of that quartz in the river that is holding gold. bring it up in the mesh bag and test crush it. Also the bag is small doesn't take up space can be used for multi purposes (wood gathering, wet clothes holder) Using the hand held you'll be able to find hot stones on the hills to bring back. I'd also make a hidey hole spot to put all your (I don't want to carry this in and out all the time) stuff.
Good luck hope to see you in this spot again.
p.s. don't show the gps terrain map, I and bad actors could easily snap shot that and find the location using that. I'd hate for your spots to be found. Also a trail cam or 2 wouldn't hurt either. lol
As always thank you for your videos, they bring me to wonderful adventures through your lens.
Cheer Audrey
From Morocco
Your videos motivate me, thank you
small highbanker and scoop all those gravel on the side where you snipe have fun im loving it
The burning of the ore is what the old timers did. I've tried it it really works a treat. Oh yeah Levi I really enjoy videos, the bush journeys are just as enjoyable as the prospecting. Thankyou
I'd love to make a necklace out of one of those nuggets with all the discolorment. I think it really adds character to the gold.
If you look at the ironstone you'll see vugs in the sample you were holding. Them vugs look like the nuggets from the previous trip. Same shape. Wonder if one would fit? Still think it's coming out of the veins in the river. Nice video.😊
Be neat to get a highbanker in there to find source deposits...
Nice one Levi👊
SHALOM 🔥
Funny I just did this same thing 2 days ago at a spot were we have been finding big gold snipping. I was using the gpx6000 but still just like you I could not find the load,,,,,yet. If it was easy it would be gone. Keep it up, the old timers spent more then a day or so looking for the source. We today have gps and old maps and detectors. When I was out there I did find a spot of ground that was so hot my gpx went off on every thing. I think I may try to smash rocks in the hot ground. Maybe you might want to try to same. Thank you for the videos, they are good with my coffee!
Great vistas, Levi, and looking for the sources of the larger lodes will continue to intrigue you, and us. I see two courses, the biggest nuggets from a concentrated location, they're primarily found as river-worn, the biggest spiky pieces from a concentrated location, they're found not as large, but finding their origin rock type, are they shedding into the creeks and rivers nearest from the exposed quartz, or other rock types that dissolve and erode faster, either weathering from up a hillside, falling eventually into watercourses, elluvium, spiky, angular chunks, wire gold, crystalline, or worn from the host rocks by water action, alluvial, from the rocky washing machine, but seems the bigger nuggets of thickness or length wouldn't have squashed into those shapes, they'd have inclusions and cavities, instead they're formed like that in veins of varied thickness accumulating in pockets of various sizes, in the chunkier buck or whiter quartz and not the heavily mineralised types that crush down to red or grey slurry that shows not even fine flakes or flour gold. A detector will find the bigger ores to investigate but also to hope for a quartz boulder that makes the detector blank out. On that, we'd hope you'd invest in an SDC 2300, on the basis it's waterproof and collapsible and would probably handle better with adjustable settings the GM 1000 doesn't have for highly mineralised grounds that you explore. On grounds, would you think of a GPX 6000, for prospecting where nuggets may be close to the surface of ancient waterways, gravel flats, plateaus where only flooding rains sweep along erosion gutters, the ranges and hills acting as giant riffles. The SDC seems best for your terrain, the GPX doesn't like any moisture but a question whether the coils are made to be used below waterlines, but certainly not the main unit, not even heavy drizzle. The deserts of WA, yes, wet Victoria and Tasmania, only if the circumstances are right! And if only for an electric blanket and battery that'd last long enough, aye... maybe you know of a good brand?
Cheers from Gabi of Narre Warren, Australia Felix.