If you have even gone on a gold panning trip, you know that black sands nearly always are the results of your prospecting efforts. Of course, all prospectors would love to find large nuggets in their pans, but often most of the gold retrieved comes in the form of fine gold contained in the black sand. But, once you have recovered most of it, what is your black sand worth?
The worth of black sand depends on its components and origin. However, when the free gold particles have been retrieved, in most cases, very little is left. Without the gold, the worth of the black sand can be estimated by analyzing its composition.
Even though most people want to retrieve gold when looking to process their black sand concentrate further, it should be noted that it could contain many other valuable precious metals, such as platinum and silver. In some rare cases, these could add up to significant values!
However, if you are a recreational panner who just gets a couple of pounds of black sand every year, this is not worth bothering with. The amounts you could extract are just too small to be worth the effort!
Instead, consider tossing it on your roses. The iron is good for them!
With this said, let’s find out how much your black sand could be worth!
We’ll start off by discussing the difference between placers and beaches.
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Types of Black Sand: Placers vs. Beaches
Generally speaking, black sand is sand composed of black or dark-colored particles. However, not all the black sand you will see in different locations boast the same composition. When estimating the value of a certain quantity of black sand, one piece of the puzzle is to understand its provenance.
There are two main types of black sand that you are likely to see when prospecting. They can be found either on black beaches, such as Punaluʻu Beach in Hawaii, or near placer deposits. Below are the differences between the two:
Black Sand Beaches and Their Basalt Fragments
Black sand beaches are an attraction that draws tourists from worldwide destinations. They can be found near active volcanoes and form as a consequence of volcanic activity or eruptions.
When the lava from such eruptions gets in contact with water, the temperature difference is so high that the lava cools down and shatters into micro basalt fragments. The ocean or sea movements then bring it to shore, where these fragments will become black sand beaches.
While potent enough eruptions have the power of replacing such black sand beaches almost overnight, the eventuality of such volcanic activity is rare. Therefore, black sand beaches can be short-lived, and many governments have prohibited anybody from collecting such sand.
The worth of this kind of black sand derives from its rarity rather than its components. Basalt’s price is low, and it is mostly value per rock or specimen. Oppositely, fragments cannot be considered of value.
Black Sand in Placer Deposits
The type of black sand most prospectors are more likely to be interested in is the one that can be found in placer deposits. Black sand concentrates populate several locations along a streambed. These are the elements that are likely to remain in your pan during the finishing stages of the process.
Black sands are not a significant sign that gold is nearby, but gold is commonly associated with such concentrates. This is because black sand found in placer deposits is composed of several heavy elements that tend to boast a dark color and high specific gravity. Gold, just like black sand, is heavier than the surrounding materials commonly found in a streambed. Therefore, gold and black sand will tend to behave similarly and follow a similar path along a streambed.
However, the composition of such black sands varies depending on the geographical location and geological formation of an area. While some elements can be identified in several places, rare minerals and metals such as gold, silver, and platinum are a characteristic of some regions.
Saving Your Black Sand
A good tip is to save all the black sand you get, instead of throwing it away. It is possible that it can contain fine gold particles and other valuable elements that might not immediately be visible at the end of the panning process, and that require more efficient methods to be captured.
Some common methods used to extract the gold from the black sand will be mentioned in this article. However, if you are interested in a more extensive guide, we recommend our complete guide to separating gold from black sand.
With that said, let’s have a look at the elements that go into most black sand concentrates!
Black Sand Concentrates Composition
Some more valuable elements such as platinum, gold, and silver, will only be a characteristic of some locations. Moreover, specific areas along a streambed will boast heavier black sands than others.
Here are some elements that could compose black sand and their specific gravity: Specific gravity refers to the ratio between the density of the element and water. Thus, a specific gravity of 2 means that the element is twice as heavy as water.
- Hematite – 5.26
- Magnetite – 5.2
- Ilmenite- 4.79
- Pyrite – 5.10
- Marcasite – 4.8
- Monazite – 4.6-5.7
- Rutile – 4.23
- Scheelite – 6
- Tourmaline – 3.26
- Wolframite – 7.5
- Zircon – 4.7
- Chromite – 4.8
- Titanium – 4.5
- Rhodolite – 7.75
- Tungsten materials – 19.25
- Silver – 10.49
- Platinum – 21.45
- Gold – 19.3
Although all these materials can be found in black sand, the by far most common elements are magnetite and hematite. As you might know, these are iron minerals.
Retrieving Gold From Black Sand Concentrates
When prospecting in a placer deposit, you are likely to use either a gold pan or a sluice box. Metal detectors are less efficient in recovering fine gold, and dry-panning is more time-consuming, less effective, and not always feasible.
Retrieving black sand concentrates follow the same process as standard panning or sluicing for gold, but perhaps in a more gentle manner. However, during the last stages of the process, you will need to store away the black sand and analyze it later in a more controlled environment.
Here are three ways of retrieving gold from black sand:
Panning the black sand down to gold particles
The gold pan is perhaps the most versatile piece of equipment you can get your hands on and is used for a wide range of purposes. In addition to prospecting in search of gold-rich grounds, many big-scale operators use gold pans to clean concentrates from bigger machinery, such as wash plants and dredges.
A gold pan works really well for separating the gold from the black sand and is used as the main cleaning method by many experienced miners. However, getting the really fine gold requires some proficiency, and might be hard for someone who is just starting out.
To not let go of any gold during the panning process, we recommend that you pan your concentrate in a tub. That way you can go over the material several times, and pick up those pieces you lost at the first attempt.
Working with a magnet
Using a magnet can help you extract the magnetic elements from the mix. Some particles, such as magnetite, are prevalent in black sand and, unlike gold, are attracted by a magnet. Magnetic components are not extremely valuable, except for platinum.
Now, just picking your old horseshoe magnet won’t do. You need a very strong magnet, such as those specifically geared towards gold miners. These are strong enough to remove a bigger portion of the material, and will make your life easier.
Chemical processing
Chemical processing is another way of extracting large quantities of gold from the black sand concentrates at your disposal. However, it is essential to be extremely cautious when performing this process and avoid it altogether if you are not confident in this method.
You can get an overview of how this method works in the video below.
Conclusion
The worth of black sand concentrates found in placer deposits depends entirely on its components. In some places, you will be able to retrieve valuable particles such as gold, silver, and platinum.
However, such valuable elements are not always present in black sands found in every placer deposits.