"Priceless" by frankie96
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No AI - This artwork was created entirely by hand or with traditional digital tools.
Description
This was taken at the Ironstone Winery in Murphy's Ca. in the Sierra Foothills..went back today and took a lot more flower images..this is in their museum...in its own vault..see the writeup below for the history..
The focal point of Ironstone's Heritage Museum is the largest Crystalline Gold Leaf nugget specimen in the world. Weighing forty-four pounds, this specimen of gold was discovered by the Sonora Mining Company on Christmas Day, in 1992, fifteen miles from its current home at Ironstone. Crystalline Gold is one of the most rare and precious natural gold formations consisting of gold that has been deposited in layers between quartz, clay, maraposite, decomposed shale and pyrite.
The â??Gold Pocketâ??, as it has come to be known, is 98 percent pure, making it a specimen of exceedingly high quality and value. Sixty-three pounds before preparation, it spent almost a year in an acid bath, washing away most of the surrounding matrix to ultimately reveal the forty-four pound specimen on display at the winery. Estimated at more than $3 million dollars when it was found, the specimen is now considered priceless.

Comments (27)
WOW VERY NICE DETAIL IN THIS
A Superb Photo , so interesting , thanks for the history , Ana
How cool, I'd never heard of this, thanks for sharing both the photo and the info. : )
man I thought you dig that up your self. i was going to pack my bags and head west. but this is a very good shot of it
AWESOME!!! I would LOVE to add that to my mineral collection!
This is a fabulous shot that conveys all that you say it is. The composition of the rock are fascinating.
So wonderful colors!
Wow thats fantastic! I would have liked to have beeen the person that found that!!
Fabulous!!!!Wonderful capture and description,thanks for sharing!!:-)
Amazing details and photo!
Excellent and interesting shot. The details are fantastic!
what an awesome nugget and excellent capture considering you must have shot through some thick glass
WOW!!! awesome facts and a very nice shot of this huuuge nugget!
amazing image
Awesome! Fabulous textures and colors... I adore!
I have never heard of this Frankie. A superb shot and info. Hugs. Di. xx
WOW!! Priceless indeed!!!
Superb capture, my friend!!!
A great shot, nice details and excelent colors,great info and story !
Beautiful textures, excellent photo!
Excellent clarity and lighting reveals a myriad of contrasting textures on this precious nugget, easily worth its weight in gold.
Awesome. It reminds me of a rock that my grandfather brought me that was supposed to be gold. Stupid me, I believed it until I washed it in water and all of the gold paint came off of it. ;o) Grampas... gotta love them.
That's just spectacular, and the information is fascinating! Great presentation, my friend. Now I wonder how big it is. Measurement-wise, not weight. Amazing!
That was some find. Excellent capture and a very interesting narrative. Bravo!!!!!
WOW! Fantastic shot! Great find.
What does one comment on something like this?
Fantastic shot of the nugget! As great as an image is, nothing beats seeing this beauty in person, does it? :-D Great image!