Is it gold? ...Free Mineral Sample Identification

May 14, 2017 · Gold prospecting tools & techniques

I think most of us have climbed around on old tailings piles, or walked a creek bed, while picking up interesting stones. As gold prospectors we are attracted to rocks that aren’t just pretty, they provide intriguing clues pointing us toward gold. Of course, you need to know what mineral you’ve found to learn whether it is really a good clue or even valuable itself.

Hmm, interesting…I wonder?

Here are some ways to get interesting mineral specimens identified…

1. As part of their Geo-scientist training and community outreach, the Metropolitan State College of Denver, Department of Earth & Atmospheric Science, Professional Services Division offers free mineral specimen identification. Doing this doesn’t just help you, it will help educate future Geoscientists! Details and specimen submittal forms with instructions can be downloaded from:

http://college.earthscienceeducation.net/MIN/MINID.pdf

Dr “K” and his students have been taking on the “name that rock” challenge and winning for years. See if you can stump them :)

2. Contact your local natural history museum or college or university geology department to see if they can help in a similar fashion.

3. Buy a book and puzzle it out from there. Sounds hard to me but here’s the Colorado specific book on Amazon.

4. Bring the sample to a meeting of a local rock & gem store or club meeting to ask a local expert. There’s a list of all the clubs here.

Regardless of how you get your mineral identified, I hope you get good news!!

If you decide chasing hard rock gold ore is frustrating and you’d rather find actual gold in placer deposits of the streams in Colorado Gold Country, here are my books that can guide you to gold at over 180 public access spots: www.findinggoldincolorado.com/fgicbooks/

This site costs money to keep up. The only way it makes money is shopping referrals. If you appreciate the info I’m sharing, please click thru one of the shopping options at www.findinggoldincolorado.com/shop-here/

Tags: Colorado, colorado school of mines geology museum, denver, geoscientist, Golden, Is this gold, Metropolitan State College of Denver, Mineral identification