FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[vdhinesh79]

I found it in a lake in madurai tamilnadu india.

[vdhinesh79]

Photo

[vdhinesh79]

Photo

[James Catmur]

It is possibly fools gold (Pyrite) but the focus on the photos makes it very hard to tell. It could also be Chalcopyrite. This might help (it mentions neither mineral, Biotite Mica is a possibility)

https://www.mindat.org/loc-53375.html

[vdhinesh79]

But this specimen is completely non magnetic, hence it can't be Biotite Mica.

[alfredo]

The magnetism of such a tiny amount of biotite would not be noticeable.

[vdhinesh79]

You are right hence I crushed a magnet into very small piece and saw whether they become attracted to the black part of the specimen but I saw no magnetic effect.

[vdhinesh79]

Also it hardness is surely above 4.

[James Catmur]

Thus not Gold: https://www.mindat.org/min-1720.html

[vdhinesh79]

I was talking about the hardness of the parent rock not the gold part.

[lluis]

Well, if you are sure it is gold, a chemical test could let you know if it is....
Simply try to disolve a piece of the looking glistening parts in aqua regia. It if disolves, it may be.
If not, by sure not.
In case part or all is disolved, dilute and add some drops of aqueous tin chloride.
If a purple color/precipitate occurs "cassius purple", then gold there.

If not, no gold

Be careful with chemical reagents: are poisonous and corrosive...Wear gloves and eyes glasses and do not do at home. No drop rests at waste water, dispose adequately.

Anyway, were we have our summer home, many times when child of a neighbor comes asking if he has find gold (many brilliant small pieces inside sand...). It was just mica. that I would swear that is in this case Muscovite, that as far as I know is not magnetic at all, and would like the piece you have...

So, still a mica could looks like gold...

With best wishes

Lluís

[Matt_Zukowski]

vdhinesh79 - you seem to really want your specimen to be gold. From the information you have given, we cannot help you further. I am sure you have local resources who can help you further - maybe even a jeweler can help you. But ask yourself - can you really be the first person who has found gold in your area, especially such large xtals? Isn't it more likely that what you have found is not gold?

Good luck.

[Jordi Fabre]

[vdhinesh79]

[vdhinesh79]