What is Placer Gold?

Most Refined Gold Bullion Bars or Rounds are at least 99.9% pure, ranging up to 99.999% pure.  It is a common misconception that placer gold or natural gold nuggets are also "Pure Gold" or Fine Gold (24k).  

When gold is naturally formed over millions of years and deposited in veins and fissures within the host rock, it is commonly frequently mixed with silver, copper, lead, platinum group metals, sulfides and other minerals.  Placer gold, is gold that has been naturally freed from the host rock and can be harvested or plucked from the Earth using placer mining methods such a sluicing, panning, dredging or drywashing.  We all are familiar with the "Gold Rush" in the 1800s when people from all parts of the Country and the World were on a quest out West to strike it rich and make their own claim on the natural riches this Earth produces.  What a lot of people do not realize, is this is still going on.  Ranging from large Commercial Operations to a weekend Hobby for that Hobby Prospector.  The Placer Gold and Gold Nuggets are STILL OUT THERE IN ABUNDANCE! 

Placer gold that is found in streams and hillsides is very rarely pure or fine gold.  Placer gold is most commonly naturally alloyed with Silver.  Gold is the most non reactive and stable of all metals and usually can only be mistaken with one other alloy.  Yep you guessed it, "Iron Pyrite" or "Fools Gold" is about the only impostor of gold naturally found in the Earth.  Iron Pyrite's metallic luster and pale brass-yellow hue give it a superficial resemblance to gold, and can be quite heavy just like gold. Gold is called a “noble” metal because it does not oxidize or react with the environment under ordinary conditions, meaning that it will never rust or tarnish.  Most Placer Gold will assay (test) from 19k to 23.5k  as it will naturally have alloy mixes of other metals in almost all cases. 

At Texas Gold and Silver Buyers of San Antonio we are HIGH KARAT EXPERTS!  We specialize in Gold 18k and above and have the testing means to ACCURATELY and HONESTLY analyze and assay your Placer Gold, Gold Nuggets, and High Karat Gold.  We EXCLUSIVELY use the Olympus Gold Xpert XRF X-Ray to test.  This technology is highly precise and considered the "Gold Standard" of testing in the Industry.  Acid Testing is extremely unreliable when dealing with 18k Gold and above.  Not to mention destructive and time consuming.  We have been working with Gold Prospectors for years in assisting them turning their Gold Finds into CASH, and paying ABSOLUTE TOP DOLLAR.  

In addition to being High Karat Gold Experts, we are also experts on all karated (10k, 14k, 18k) Jewelry.  We are highly knowledgeable in ALL aspects of Gold and Silver Bullion and Coins and pledge TOP DOLLAR paid every day in San Antonio, Texas.  We also deal with Dental Labs and Customers assisting them with their Dental Gold needs.  Dental Gold also more times than not ranges in the higher range of purity, and our XRF X-Ray can near precisely determine the purity, allowing us to pay our customers THE MOST!   We also can serve you with all your Sterling Silver buying needs.  We BUY ALL Sterling Silver such as Jewelry, Tableware and Flatware.  We invite you to come by for a NO PRESSURE, HASSLE-FREE QUOTE on your items before selling elsewhere!

We are conveniently located at:

3435 Thousand Oaks, Suite 107
San Antonio, Texas 78247  

210-441-2177

XRF X-Ray Demonstration
​CLICK HERE!