A gold nugget is found as a naturally occurring mass of gold in alluvial (soil) deposits. These deposits are often large and found in residual areas where former mining occurred. Gold nugget deposits tend to be concentrated near water sources.
The two largest gold nuggets that have ever been discovered have been named the "Welcome Stranger" and the "Hand of Faith," respectively. The following is a description of each of the nuggets, including information about their discovery and individual characteristics.
The actual largest chunk of gold that was ever found was located in a town called Moliagul. This huge specimen, known as "The Welcome Stranger," was first found in 1869, outside of Victoria, Australia. Found in a place known as Black Reef, this nugget was uncovered only a few inches beneath the soil by a man named John Deason and his associate, Richard Oates.
When Deason and Oates discovered this large gold nugget, which weighed in at 241.61 pounds (or 3523.5 troy ounces), they were paid nearly £20,000 by a local bank. This nugget measured at 2 ft. by 1 ft., making it an enormous natural discovery.
While the actual Welcome Stranger complete nugget is no longer in existence, the gold that was taken from it has found its way around the world. There are two replicas in existence, one that is possessed by the relatives of John Deason, one of the original discoverers, and another in the City Museum in Melbourne, Australia.
The second largest gold nugget ever discovered is call the "Hand of Faith." This nugget was originally discovered using the assistance of a metal detector. Although smaller than the original "Welcome Stranger" nugget, this nugget now has the distinction of being the largest nugget in existence today, as it has not been diminished. First found in 1980, near Kingower, Australia, the Hand of Faith was located approximately one foot beneath the soil surface by Kevin Hillier, using a metal detector.
The Hand of Faith weighs in at an impressive 60 pounds (874.82 troy ounces) and is measured at approximately 1-½ ft. by.66 ft. Currently, this large gold nugget can be seen at the Golden Nugget Casino, which is located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The casino reportedly purchased the nugget for about one million dollars.
Gold nuggets are not always pure gold. It is expected that, instead of 24K pure gold, nuggets are generally in the range of 20K to 23K. In Australia, the nuggets found tend to be of a higher true purity than those found in the US, such as Alaska. The relative purity of the gold can be indicated by the color, with the richer orange and yellow tones indicating a more pure form and higher gold content.
Another measurement that helps determine the purity of gold nuggets is a term known as "millesimal fineness." This refers to the purity of a gold mixture, or alloy (such as with silver or platinum), and is measured in parts-per-thousand. For instance, a gold nugget that contains approximately 90.4% gold would have a millesimal fineness of 904. Fineness of about 916 is relative to a rating of 22K.
The value of gold has risen dramatically in recent months. To and jewelry contact a reputable coin dealer or jewelry expert.
The two largest gold nuggets that have ever been discovered have been named the "Welcome Stranger" and the "Hand of Faith," respectively. The following is a description of each of the nuggets, including information about their discovery and individual characteristics.
The actual largest chunk of gold that was ever found was located in a town called Moliagul. This huge specimen, known as "The Welcome Stranger," was first found in 1869, outside of Victoria, Australia. Found in a place known as Black Reef, this nugget was uncovered only a few inches beneath the soil by a man named John Deason and his associate, Richard Oates.
When Deason and Oates discovered this large gold nugget, which weighed in at 241.61 pounds (or 3523.5 troy ounces), they were paid nearly £20,000 by a local bank. This nugget measured at 2 ft. by 1 ft., making it an enormous natural discovery.
While the actual Welcome Stranger complete nugget is no longer in existence, the gold that was taken from it has found its way around the world. There are two replicas in existence, one that is possessed by the relatives of John Deason, one of the original discoverers, and another in the City Museum in Melbourne, Australia.
The second largest gold nugget ever discovered is call the "Hand of Faith." This nugget was originally discovered using the assistance of a metal detector. Although smaller than the original "Welcome Stranger" nugget, this nugget now has the distinction of being the largest nugget in existence today, as it has not been diminished. First found in 1980, near Kingower, Australia, the Hand of Faith was located approximately one foot beneath the soil surface by Kevin Hillier, using a metal detector.
The Hand of Faith weighs in at an impressive 60 pounds (874.82 troy ounces) and is measured at approximately 1-½ ft. by.66 ft. Currently, this large gold nugget can be seen at the Golden Nugget Casino, which is located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The casino reportedly purchased the nugget for about one million dollars.
Gold nuggets are not always pure gold. It is expected that, instead of 24K pure gold, nuggets are generally in the range of 20K to 23K. In Australia, the nuggets found tend to be of a higher true purity than those found in the US, such as Alaska. The relative purity of the gold can be indicated by the color, with the richer orange and yellow tones indicating a more pure form and higher gold content.
Another measurement that helps determine the purity of gold nuggets is a term known as "millesimal fineness." This refers to the purity of a gold mixture, or alloy (such as with silver or platinum), and is measured in parts-per-thousand. For instance, a gold nugget that contains approximately 90.4% gold would have a millesimal fineness of 904. Fineness of about 916 is relative to a rating of 22K.
The value of gold has risen dramatically in recent months. To and jewelry contact a reputable coin dealer or jewelry expert.
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