Summary for gold nuggets from mercury Discussion
gold nuggets from mercury is the core issue here: Jessica Gomez asked how to separate gold that had been melted into nuggets and then placed in mercury, and whether the recovered metal would be ready to sell. The only answer in the thread, from an unnamed responder, points to Mark Twain’s "Roughing It" as a description of separating silver from mercury by distilling the mercury off. However, the responder strongly warns against attempting this at home, saying it should only be done by someone who really knows what they are doing because mercury poisoning can be severe and permanent. The thread does not confirm whether the gold would be ready for sale after recovery, only that safe handling and proper processing are critical.
Q. I have some gold that has been melted into nuggets and then put in mercury, and I need to know the easiest way to extract them from the mercury. And once I do, are they ready to be sold?
Jessica Gomez
Learning – Washington, Utah, United States
June 5, 2012
A. There is a description of the process used to separate silver from mercury in Mark Twain’s memoir “Roughing It.” The mercury is distilled off.
However, I do not recommend you try this yourself unless you really know what you’re doing. You could quite easily get an uncurable case of mercury poisoning.
Dave Wichern
Consultant – The Bronx, New York
June 7, 2012