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If you have a piece of quartz and want to tell if there is real gold inside it, there are few home tests you can try before taking your rock to an assayer, who will tell you for sure what's inside your quartz and how much it's worth.
One of the prized finds out there, for both collectors and prospectors, is the fabled specimen of gold and quartz. But just how much is it worth?
The gold that appears in quartz is almost universally native, meaning that it’s in a metallic form contained in the crystalline quartz. It’s universally considered the richest of the gold ores out there. The proper term for quartz that contains gold is auriferous quartz.
Look for gold in quartz veins in areas where the bedrock is fractured by tectonic and volcanic activity. Fractures and cracks in the bedrock form ideal pathways for superheated water and steam under pressure to flow and to precipitate out their dissolved mineral and heavy metal loads.
Gold is often found hidden in certain kinds of rocks and minerals. These include quartz, tellurides, and sulfides, which can have small bits of gold inside of them. Discovering gold in these minerals shows how nature hides treasures in unexpected places.
The coarse and easily visible gold in quartz may be valuable as a specimen or for making gold-quartz gemstone jewelry. Knowing just how much gold is in your quartz is important, and I’ve written a sidebar article on estimating the gold in quartz (see "Determining the Amount of Gold in Rich Ores").
Find out if your rock has gold with these simple tests. Use household items to test for gold's density, magnetism, and more without leaving home.
Look for contact points where different rock types come together at a 90 degree angle. These contacts resulted in high pressure and high temperature conditions that would commonly produce gold.
The first step in identifying gold in quartz is to examine the rock closely. Gold trapped within quartz crystals typically displays a small yellowish or golden hue that may be visible to the naked eye. When inspecting the quartz, take note of any visible gold flecks or specks.
Rocks that are lighter in color than the surrounding rock and look out of place can indicate gold. Acidic minerals cause discoloration in gold-bearing rock that washes out and bleaches those nearby. You should also look for chunks of quartz and quartz pebbles or veins in the area.