Extracting Gold from Mercury

Seaglass86 Thu Mar 22, 2012 5:16 pm

Hi, I am new to this forum, but I am seeking information.
Does anyone know where I can get Gold smelted out of Mercury.
I lived in the W.A. Goldfields during the 1970's and my father had gold fever.
He was a prospector anytime he wasn't working.
I watched him extract gold from Mercury by using a shammy and then heating off the excess.
However he died in 1978 and I was left with several bottles of Mercury that need to have the Gold removed etc.
Does anyone know a reputable company in Victoria that does this?
I would love to have a piece of jewellery made from gold he prospected.
Seaglass86

Guest Thu Mar 22, 2012 5:37 pm

G'day Seaglass86

Anybody with a retort would be able to do it for you, it captures the mercury for reuse next time. then melt the gold into a bush button.

cheers dave

Minermike Thu Mar 22, 2012 5:58 pm

Are you certain there is gold in the mercury ? To get rid of mercury these days, legally , will cost you hundreds and hundreds of dollars. It is classed as very, very toxic.

Minermike Thu Mar 22, 2012 6:04 pm

When you put it through a chammy you end up with amalgam , amalgam is mercury and gold. That is what you retort. I have never messed with it, be very careful.

Seaglass86 Thu Mar 22, 2012 6:26 pm

Thanks for the quick replies. You guys are great!
Yes, I know there is gold in the mercury as my father was about to do another burn off.
Also some of the mercury bottles are much heavier than others and this is due to the weight of the gold.
He had a fantastic setup that was a modern version of what the old goldminers did.
He had lots of glavanized trays he had made with seives that got smaller and smaller.
He would bring home his ore from his lease- dolley it.
Then he would wash all the ore through the seives until he got tiny pure specks etc.
Then he would pan and eventually pick it all up with the mercury.
It was a labour of love.
I did watch him many a time do the mercury, so I might have to look into it further.
Thanks again
Janine T

johnycake Thu Mar 22, 2012 7:37 pm

https://youtu.be/lxhEQLl-KK8

Skip to 0.32 in the video...... fantastic video for what you want and for anyone else that hasnt seen it

Cheers
Johny

Guest Thu Mar 22, 2012 8:05 pm

That was very good and informative video Johnycake,I did remember seeing it on TV a couple of years ago.
May Malcom rest in peace.

Cheers

Mike.

piston broke Thu Mar 22, 2012 9:28 pm

That was great Johnycake, thanks for that. cheers Pete.

johnycake Thu Mar 22, 2012 11:16 pm

No Worries

Glad to have helped

Seaglass86 Sat Mar 24, 2012 1:32 pm

Thank you for letting me know about the video it was great to watch and took me right back to my childhood.

philski Mon Jun 11, 2012 2:38 am

Cut a large potato in half and scoop out the middle with a tea spoon. Put your amalgam in the hole you just made and cover with the other half of the potato. Wrap it in sturdy wire and cook it in a hot fire, you want the wire to go a dull red if its made of iron fencing wire etc. rough temperature check. 360 deg c
the mercury will boil over into the potato.the potato needs to cook, to get up to temp. 45 min - 1 hour.

When cooled, un wire the spud and remove the ingot of gold and squeeze the potato over a glass bowl to recover the Mercury. Please wear gloves and be super careful at all times.

This is only to be done in wide open well ventilated spaces or you may die. And If you do, can i have your potato..

VERY IMPORTANT.. Do not eat the potato Very Happy