Man unearths ‘impressive’ find: ‘Looks like gold’
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Australia, a land steeped in history and rich in natural resources, has always been a magnet for treasure hunters.
From the gold rush era 200 years ago to today, the allure of striking it rich has drawn people to dig deep into the Australian soil.
Today, we bring you a fascinating tale of a man who may have hit the jackpot in a place renowned for its hidden treasures.
The story begins with an innocent act of digging on a property near Childers, located about 80 kilometres southwest of Bundaberg in the state's North Burnett region.
The man unearthed an impressive rock, suspecting it could be valuable but unsure of its true nature.
He took to social media, posting a picture of his find with the question, 'Is this gold?'
Childers, a rural town in close proximity to Paradise Dam, has a deep history of gold mining.
According to Leigh McGrath from Golden Prospecting Tours, the area is 'renowned' for its high-quality gold.
McGrath, who conducts tours in the region, believed the man could be sitting on a valuable find.
The rock in question is a large piece of quartz, a common source for gold to form, along with ironstone.
However, McGrath cautioned that without knowing the exact circumstances of the find, such as whether it was discovered in a shaft, mine, or private property, it's ‘really tricky’ to identify gold based on a photo.
'Queensland's extremely rich for gold,' McGrath revealed, as are Western Australia and Victoria. However, the appearance of quartz and gold can vary depending on their location.
‘If you're down in the gold triangle (the area from Ballarat, across to Bendigo and up to Wedderburn in Victoria), the quartz is what I call smoky quartz—it's really clean with beautiful gold veins through it.’
‘But up in Clermont, Queensland, where we're from, we get a lot of buggy mineralised quartz, which is really dirty, ugly-looking quartz,’ he added.
While McGrath is not familiar with the type of quartz found in Childers, he noted that the man's rock appears to have a ‘vein going through the middle of it’, suggesting it could indeed be a legitimate find.
Gold prospector Tyle Mahoney also agreed that 'at first glance it looks like gold’.
One way to verify the authenticity of the find is to hold it to the light. This can help distinguish between pyrite, or 'fool's gold', and real gold.
Pyrite, a mineral often mistaken for gold, will flake, powder, or crumble when poked with a metal point, whereas gold will gouge or indent like soft lead.
As for the value of the man's find, it's hard to determine without a weight test. Gold is usually valued by weight, with the current price in Australia being about $3,000 per ounce.
‘The only way to get any type of estimate of how much gold is in that quartz is to do a weight test. It's a water weight test where a formula can calculate the disbursement of water compared to your gold weight,’ McGrath said.
Sometimes, the most remarkable finds are made when you least expect it. And this rings true for a young mum who is also a gem enthusiast.
In a previous story, a young mum stumbled into a stunning discovery across her property while carrying her baby in her arms.
What was this discovery that astonished everyone online? Read more about it here.
Have you ever found something valuable or interesting in your area? Share your stories with us in the comments below!
From the gold rush era 200 years ago to today, the allure of striking it rich has drawn people to dig deep into the Australian soil.
Today, we bring you a fascinating tale of a man who may have hit the jackpot in a place renowned for its hidden treasures.
The story begins with an innocent act of digging on a property near Childers, located about 80 kilometres southwest of Bundaberg in the state's North Burnett region.
The man unearthed an impressive rock, suspecting it could be valuable but unsure of its true nature.
He took to social media, posting a picture of his find with the question, 'Is this gold?'
A man unearthed a large rock on a property near Childers, which was suspected to be valuable. Credit: Facebook
Childers, a rural town in close proximity to Paradise Dam, has a deep history of gold mining.
According to Leigh McGrath from Golden Prospecting Tours, the area is 'renowned' for its high-quality gold.
McGrath, who conducts tours in the region, believed the man could be sitting on a valuable find.
The rock in question is a large piece of quartz, a common source for gold to form, along with ironstone.
However, McGrath cautioned that without knowing the exact circumstances of the find, such as whether it was discovered in a shaft, mine, or private property, it's ‘really tricky’ to identify gold based on a photo.
'Queensland's extremely rich for gold,' McGrath revealed, as are Western Australia and Victoria. However, the appearance of quartz and gold can vary depending on their location.
‘If you're down in the gold triangle (the area from Ballarat, across to Bendigo and up to Wedderburn in Victoria), the quartz is what I call smoky quartz—it's really clean with beautiful gold veins through it.’
‘But up in Clermont, Queensland, where we're from, we get a lot of buggy mineralised quartz, which is really dirty, ugly-looking quartz,’ he added.
While McGrath is not familiar with the type of quartz found in Childers, he noted that the man's rock appears to have a ‘vein going through the middle of it’, suggesting it could indeed be a legitimate find.
Gold prospector Tyle Mahoney also agreed that 'at first glance it looks like gold’.
One way to verify the authenticity of the find is to hold it to the light. This can help distinguish between pyrite, or 'fool's gold', and real gold.
Pyrite, a mineral often mistaken for gold, will flake, powder, or crumble when poked with a metal point, whereas gold will gouge or indent like soft lead.
As for the value of the man's find, it's hard to determine without a weight test. Gold is usually valued by weight, with the current price in Australia being about $3,000 per ounce.
‘The only way to get any type of estimate of how much gold is in that quartz is to do a weight test. It's a water weight test where a formula can calculate the disbursement of water compared to your gold weight,’ McGrath said.
Sometimes, the most remarkable finds are made when you least expect it. And this rings true for a young mum who is also a gem enthusiast.
In a previous story, a young mum stumbled into a stunning discovery across her property while carrying her baby in her arms.
What was this discovery that astonished everyone online? Read more about it here.
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