Prospecting quartz reefs exposed in a new dam being built out in the Victorian goldfields. This was a bit of a rush to beat the rain but unfortunately there was no rich stone found.

The process behind this sampling is, I take a sample of different sections or each exposed reef, roughly crush them up and pan them off to check for any visible gold. If gold is found then larger samples are taken to test the grades (expressed in grams per metric ton or PPM, one part per million = one gram per ton).

I know the initial testing as shown here is not that accurate but if there is no gold metal detected nor enough fine gold to see at least some in the crushings then it is not going to be worth mining for small scale operations.

I may not have found much gold but I did get treasure in some goldrush era bottles!  

The bottles came out of old diggers holes as the excavator cleared out the clay to bedrock, we saved a few from being lost to the digger bucket. These are all late 1850's to mid 1860's, nice and early glass and stoneware.

Also I really need to make a new dollypot! I'll make up a new one soonish and video it ;-)

Hope you all enjoy this little adventure, let me know what you think in the comments.