GRAY COPPERWas just rerading up on the " gray copper " and i shudder the thought of how many juniors out in field would never even think to look for the " gray copper " rather, focusing on the typical, chalcopyrite, azurite blue and malachite green.
The more i read up on copper, it appears it's a tricky mineral.
Seems it can hide amongst other minerals , in several other species of minerals, in transition, or compatible blend. Yes, copper is quite elusive.
Question is put forth,
would a spectometry test prefer to pick up a sulphur or silver atom versus a copper ?
I would suspect it all depends upon how the machine is calibrated.
GRAY COPPER
https://www.google.ca/books/edition/The_U_S_Naval_Astronomical_Expedition_to/nh1LAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=gray+copper&pg=PA90&printsec=frontcover
My second thought was....
if most juniors only seek the typical coppe,r then, how many copper depoists have been overlooked ?/
One could say,
the assay labs do what the geologist can't do in the field, when it comes to detecting.
And, yes... that is correct - to a degree.
There's all kinds oftests a lab can make - but... it all depends on the junior explorer asking for the RIGHT TESTS to be performed on the - specimen rocks - drill cores.
A junior can go all out - dishing out the cash on the, surveys, drilling campaign, core logging,
making sure all is performed at the highest level.
But... what if the junior has the attitude that al llab assaying is the same ?
Or... chooses the path of, budget style assaying - run of the mill tests, that don't quite disect the composition of the minerals ?
After all.. .lab equiptment can be dialed in to service al lsorts of tests.
But.. do most of the juniors ask for these specialized tersts ?
My hunch says... NO.
Most likely.... this is where the ' junior corner cutters " try to save on the budget.
Here's a quick run down on a lab assay protocol, describing the various ways a lab can set theirt equipt up to perform the tests.
i kind of like.... liberation analysis, but... evenstil,
can such a test detect a copper hiding with in another mineral ?
Would the equpt detect a copper with a 40% atomic presence with a silver 60% ?
Andhere lies the problem.
Are assay labs " truly " detecting every mineral that has the ability to transition or, pair with another mineral ? Would a 40% copper take a backseat paired with a 50% silver with a 10% antimony ?
.Liberation Analysis: Liberation analysis is dedicated to analysis of particles and grains in the sample and provides information about their size, density, texture, as well as mineral and elemental composition. Grain-by-grain processing of all particles in assayed samples allows detection and evaluation of various types of ore particles and offers data essential for i.e., ore processing control or heavy mineral studies.
COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES
https://geology.mines.edu/laboratories/automated-mineralogy-laboratory/