Decent ground to detect?

Was out n about today and found this patch of ground, its a small ironstone blow (at least I think it is) in quartz



It is a goldfield area but not sure whether it is likely to have detectable gold. I'll have a go anyway but just wondering on what the seasoned pros think about it?

You may need to twig your settings, or leave it alone

The laminated chunk of quartz in the lower right looks the goods for reefy gold

I also found an area that is on a ridge yet all the sandstone is full of round river pebbles and round quartz, yep this ridge was once a creek bed...

Not sure what you meant about twig my settings or leave it alone???

I guess the only real way to find out is to get up there again and detect it.

Mmmm old creek beds

Just like creeks/rivers of today with old high an dry rivers, gold in quantity will be found in the same places! erosion will always be your best friend.
No book in the world can give you what you see from first hand experience? if such a book could exist there'd be no gold left

Stick to what we know, mineralisation will stain the wash/ground/rocks, different color's tell different story's.
Not fool proof, but it's a good place to start!

Cheers
Chris

G'day Ben.

First things first on any given ground,gain some knowledge in terms of what the locality your on has been mined for in the past and for what type,size and or quantity of gold has been found and taken out from this area or surrounding district.The so called salt and pepper signs in terms of surrounding rock,can be a give away to signs of gold nearby but,keep in mind,not all decomposed slate,quartz or ironstone reefs,were gold bearing with some shedding very little or no gold at all.
To us prospectors,the best giveaway in any gold bearing district,are signs of ground disturbance by the old timers.Look for signs of old mullock heaps,shallow surface diggings,broken rock piles or stackings of rock etc,which all help indicate the type of gold the old timers were after and where it might've occurred and at what depths.

Cheers kon61.

Thanks Kon61, The nearest hardrock mine was 1.3km east. No official diggings close by in the north our south but a few to the east. There was evidence of a forestry camp further up the road with a timber tramway. I guess all I can do is get out there and have a good look around. I guess i'm a little driven by the thought that even the old timers didn't find ALL the reefs!

Looks ok, maybe a bigger pic of the landscape would be helpful.

Got out there again today and took a couple of pics




And also made a little video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIPkyxgp3Z0

Nice vid.....Ground looks pretty good mate, def worth a good snoop around.

Conglomerates of old river wash.If any gold bearing reef within the area has shed its gold,there's a chance that some small portions,will be found in the conglomerate itself or (depending on the thickness of conglomerate wash) in pipe clay just below this conglomerate wash layer.Work the flatter sections of ground adjoining this conglomerate wash layer.

Cheers kon61.

Hi Ben
I don,t know this type of ground but have seen it in Yambulla,its identical to what I saw.Gold was found there but fine mainly.They also crushed reef gold.The quartz in the photos doesn't look very mineralised but maybe I,m not familiar with this type of wash.The ironstone also looks very light.
Steve