Raw gold is any gold alloy in its natural state. Because raw gold is a natural substance, it is not pure gold, but rather a high gold content precious metal alloy.
Gold nuggets, gold flakes, and gold dust are types of raw gold. Most raw gold averages eighteen karats (18K) or 750 parts per 1000 in purity.
Raw Gold Composition
Raw gold is a naturally formed high gold content precious metal alloy. The composition of this alloy is a large percentage of gold combined mostly with silver, copper, and lead. Also, there may be other metals, but in much smaller proportions. Silver, gold, copper, and lead are highly related metals. They are all mining by-products of each other. Where there is gold, usually all the other metals can be found as well, but in varying proportions. This happens the other way around too. In addition to that, raw gold, especially gold nuggets, contains, trapped in their shape, quartz, and other minerals typical of the area where the nugget is from.
Raw Gold Purity
Most raw gold is in the range of 750 parts per 1000 purity. This is the equivalent of eighteen karats (18K) gold. However, raw gold can be as low in purity as 14K. Here at Raw East Africa, we are very familiar with raw gold because we have mined and sourced plenty of it.
Nuggets Gold Purity
A gold nugget is a naturally occurring piece of native gold. Watercourses often concentrate nuggets and finer gold in placers. Nuggets are recovered by placer mining, but they are also found in residual deposits where the gold-bearing veins or lodes are weathered. Nuggets are also found in the tailings piles of previous mining operations, especially those left by gold mining dredges. The origin of gold nuggets is a matter of debate. Many gold nuggets formed as clusters of gold crystals from very hot water in cracks and fissures in hard-rocks, often with quartz. Later, weathering released the gold nuggets that end up in a stream due to gravity. But many gold nuggets are found in areas where there seems to be no hard rock gold other than sometimes lots of microscopic gold. In our experience, gold nuggets, for the most part, are seventeen karats (17K) on average. Larger size nuggets, since they are a natural substance, are un-uniform in composition. Parts of the nugget may be as pure as twenty-two karat in purity, with other parts very much lower. The best gold refinery result we have so far obtained from nuggets just over eighteen karats (18K) in purity. So far we have never seen better. See the refinery result sample below.
Gold Dust And Flake Purity
Gold dust and flakes are very similar in purity to gold nuggets. However, there is a major difference. Since the gold nugget is a single unit, it was formed in only one place. On the other hand, gold dust and flakes are small particles. Because of this, and because it takes a lot of effort to gather, often, gold dust and flake samples were collected from multiple locations. However, even like this, most gold dust and flake refinery results are also in the range of eighteen karats (18K). Since 2009, here at Raw East Africa, we have mined and sourced gold dust and flakes several dozen times, if not over one hundred times. Of all those times, only two (2) times we found material that refined at twenty karats (20K), which is 83% pure.
Raw gold is very seldom lower than 75% pure, or higher than 90%.
In my experience, raw gold is very seldom lower than 75% pure, or higher than 90%, after all, non-metals have been removed. In this material, a part of the mass is non-metallic. At the time of refining, that mass will float out of the metal mass. Because of this, the after melt weight will be a little lower than the pre-melt weight. It is this mass, the post melt mass, that will be assayed. Refineries take only pretty clean raw gold batches. Beyond a very minimal amount of non-metal, most refineries will not take the material, because very soon it qualifies as ore. Handing ore is closer to the mining process than to the refining process.
Gold Nuggets, Flakes, Dust Origin and Purity Relationship
Gold nuggets, flakes, and dust are for the most part found in rivers and alluvial deposits. As per our research and experience, most raw gold is in the range of eighteen karat (18K) or 750 parts per 1000. It is our understanding, but not our direct experience, that in some parts of the world, raw gold can be as low in content as fourteen karat (14K) or 585 parts per 1000. However, we have not yet seen this in person.
Identifying Raw Gold: Gold Nuggets, Flakes, and Dust
Once familiar with raw gold, raw gold becomes easily identifiable. The main characteristics are that is typical of a bright, shiny but darker yellow tone, heavy for its mas, UN-uniform, and of capricious form. It is immediately evident that is a natural substance. Nuggets typically have plenty of quartz and other minerals and dirt trapped within. See images. Artificial nuggets are very common. Typically artificial nuggets are made from melted jewelry, usually 14K. They are a lot less capricious in shape and even the best ones have an air of artificiality to them, mostly evident in the lack of trapped mineral.