Conductivity of Gold?

[littlenugget]

Which metal has the same or almost the same conductivity as gold natural gold ( nugget)

Im asking you this becasue i would like to make tests with my x terra 705 ,i want to go to the desert and i heard that before i went prospecting i need a gold nugget to practice with my metal detector. So i dont have a gold nugget and im wondering if theres a metal that has the same conductivity as a gold nugget.


Thanks

 

[fwcrawford]

From what I have read, aluminum has about the same conductivity as gold jewelry.
I have found some gold jewelry that gave the same response as pulltabs.
I would think this might give you some idea and be of some help.
If not, hopefully some other gold hunters can advice better.

 

[Old Longhair]

There's a table of conductivity/resistivity on this Wiki page.

 

[littlenugget]

Thanks Longhair

 

[ryanchappell]

There's a table of conductivity/resistivity on this Wiki page.

"Electrical Conductivity" may or may not be relevant when considering or the same thing as "Metal Detection Conductivity." Real Science and Metal Detecting Science are often different things. Yes MD does have science behind it, but the users, sellers, and even makers have developed their own quasi science with its own terms that do not always reference back to actual science very neatly.

The main reason for any difference in this case is because "Metal Detection Conductivity" involves the properties of the metal object that effect how it receives radio waves, converts those to electricity, and the resulting outgoing radio signal produced by the electrical charge, not just how conductive it is. That has an impact, but not necessarily the only one. I have extrapolated this from what I was told a couple of years back when I questioned why gold did not come in higher if it was deemed such a great conductor for electrical contacts. That chart make me question whether gold is used for conductivity or resistance to corrosion as it ranks lower that the copper it is often used to coat.

The real indication would be to see the results of VDI tests using a standard size planchet blank of various metals and alloys from gold to iron and show what various detectors VDI them all at. Most of the time we would be more interested in what old coins VDI at, and not what the VDI is of constant volume or size blanks of varying medal.

A $2.50 Gold Piece registers Conductivity of 22 on the E-trac and might be the same size of a silver dime that registers 46.
A $10 Eagle GP registers 12-38 and is the same size of a Susan B or modern dollar coin which is probably about like a copper blank, and registers 12-47.

 

[Old Longhair]

That chart make me question whether gold is used for conductivity or resistance to corrosion as it ranks lower that the copper it is often used to coat.

That's exactly why it's used instead of copper or silver.
Even lead in solder corrodes, but it has a low enough melting point (important to not over heat electronic components), and it's cheap.

The lack of corrosion on gold is one reason that it's been held in such high reguard for centuries. Couple that with it's ablity to transmit heat and cold, as well as it's being maliable enough to work without breaking, and then consider the variations in color that can be acheived, and you have a very useful and valuable substance.

FWIW, true Ruby Red glass is as expensive as it is because the addition of gold to the molten glass is how they get the red color.

 

[ryanchappell]

More notes added here since editing timed out, may be some repetition as a result.

A $10 Eagle GP registers 12-38 and is the same size of a Susan B or modern dollar coin which is probably about like a copper blank, and registers 12-47 but that is about where the CO starts to curve steeply and even retrograde on the E-Trac due to its the workings of its two axis system of VDI. (Which was greatly flattened from the Explorer, to keep the targets close to 12 on the FE Axis) (Ex Clad dimes are 12-43, Memorials 12-44, Mercs 12-44, 12-45, Rosies 12-46, quarters 12-47, Halves 6-46, Peace Dollars, Ikes 1-43. 1-39s are usually 2.5" pieces of copper pipe.)

 

[Digger]

To address your main question...... get a small lead fishing sinker to test with. Since you will likely be using the Prospecting mode, precise ferrous/conductive "readings" won't really matter.

In regard to a discussion on conductivity.....We typically call non-ferrous targets "conductive" targets. But that is not technically correct. Non-ferrous targets are differentiated from ferrous targets by how well eddy currents flow in them. The measurement used to reflect this eddy current flow is called a "time constant". And a time constant is determined by both conductivity and inductance. A target with high conductivity (low resistance) and high inductance will have a long time constant (i.e. gold ingot). A target with low conductivity (high resistance) and low inductance will have a short time constant (i.e. fine jewellery).

For a more complete explanation, check out page 4 in this article......
http://www.minelab.com/__files/f/11043/METAL%20DETECTOR%20BASICS%20AND%20THEORY.pdf

 

[steve herschbach]

Yikes! The other answers were confusing even me. Rest assured from somebody whe has dug countless thousands of gold, aluminum, and lead items that as long as the lead or aluminum is shaped like a nugget it will read like a nugget. Make yourself a few little lead nuggets and go have fun practicing.

Steve Herschbach

 

[goldseeker4000]

If you are intending to detect for gold with your 705, I would highly advise you hunt in the prospecting mode. Lead will sound off very similar to a gold nugget. I tried to pick a few small nuggets up in a vial in coin mode and it would not hit on it but in prospecting mode it was loud and true. I use my 705 as my main gold nugget detector now. I sold my GPX 4000. You will not get any t.i.d.'s in prospecting mode. It is like having a different detector from coin mode. In short if you want to hunt nuggets with 705 use the mode minelab created on this 705. You will be wasting your time hunting gold nuggets in coin mode. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding the 705 & nugget hunting. Been using 705 for nugget hunting since 2009.

 

[leroy1937]

I live in Yuma Az went to a local metal detecting dealer
who sold small nugget on his business card

 

[jwgroves]

Question for Goldseeker4000?? Planning on going to Crow Creek & Hope, Alaska this spring. Besides starting in prospecting mode for the 705 Gold, what other settings are you using to start off with when detecting nuggets as I am new at using the 705 GP?

 

[goldseeker4000]

Hello, well I always do a auto noise tuning then auto ground balance, then I put my test nugget down and check where I am getting most air test depth, I set my iron ask around 5-7. I found a tiny flake of gold(size of pin head and flat at 3") and reburied it and cranked up iron mask to 20, it still rang out loud and true. I mainly keep it around 5-7 I will run my sensi just below where it gets noisy most of the time. other times I will run it higher. normaly run around 21-28 on sensi. Use the ground balance offset to wipe out hot rocks or reduce their signal. Keep coil on ground as often as possible. Scrub the ground litterally. If an area is good that you find a piece of gold then scrape a layer away from a 4or 5 ft area and then search it again, keep this up and you will be surprised at finding more gold nuggets further down. If it is really noisy from high mineralization you can also try running in beach mode it will help stabilize threshhold. Have found more gold with my x-terra than my 4000 I had. Iron mask will work at a depth of about 6-7 inches, so keep this in mind as deeper junk will sound good til coil gets closer to target. have fun and Hope you find some good gold. If you want to call me and ask more questions when you get there just let me know and I will give you my number.

 

[team sidewinder]

Hope this not too far off topic. After talking to a gold expert and having my .9g gold nugget I bought tested to see what K it was for the same reason as the original poster. I now know that gold jewelry usually if ever is 24K which is what a natural gold nugget is while gold jewelry usually is 14K or 12K which means it has had some other metals added to it and in a ring it may even just a gold plate over some other cheaper metal. My Garrett pro pointer will not detect my pure 24K gold nugget but will detect 12K and 14K rings, go figure that one.

 

[bob.oz]

Pure gold would be too soft for most jewelry.....18k and up scratches and damages easy....Most class rings are 10k,they have lots of detail that needs to be protected with the added alloys like copper,nickle and other harder alloys that make up the composition and the percentage of gold used.....9k .375...10k.417...14k.583...18k.75
Your pointer is detecting the other alloys....Most gold plated rings are cheap metal,but many can be 925 silver with nice stones.

 

[Old Longhair]

FWIW, I just checked some raw gold with my Propointer, and it hits on the bigger bits, but it's more sensitive