Colour is not not accurate due to different magnifications through microscope and different light settings and reflections off crystal surface due to overhead light giving the appearance of a silver colour.(microscope photos are marked M)
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M4x 'Platy ' nature of this crystalline gold nugget (called specimenA here for convenience) can be seen with the naked eye. Most of this nugget has been encrusted with celestine/barite crystals. |
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M 40x A part of specimenA showing typical blocky and stepped crystalline structure for this type of salt lake nugget. |
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M40x Magnification of part of specimenB showing clear evidence of a
later secondary purer gold deposit, spongy in nature, over crystalline gold. Crystalline gold appears silvery due to reflection. |
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M40x A sharp crystalline part of specimenB 40x just showing filamentous texture on one flat surface. Higher magnification with this microscope was not possible. |
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M 4x A typical small salt lake nugget with its usual celestine/barite coating sometimes I have called this 'calcrete' which is technically wrong as it is not a carbonate but a sulphate. The crystalline gold structure is hard to see with the naked eye but by the sparkly, reflectiveness of the gold it is obvious that the gold is crystalline and under a microscope would show the same sharp blocky layered structure. |
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M The 'blocky' nature of this seed type nugget is obvious to the naked eye. This nugget was found as shown in shallower lake sediments and has probably been partially 'weathered'. |
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M4x A little rounded 'seed' nugget which is nearly completely enclosed in the celestine/ barite deposit which seems to protect the crystalline surface. Blocky nature of gold can be seen. |
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© copyrite Janet Mears 2004
These images are not to be reused without permission.