SMELTING vs. GRAVITY: Did We Double Jeff Williams Gold Recovery?

SMELTING vs. GRAVITY: Did We Double the Gold? I’m finally finishing up with the legendary high-grade ore from @Askjeffwilliams and I saved the best experiments for last. Today, we’re answering two big questions: Specimen Cleaning: Which chemical is the ultimate "gold shiner"? (Vinegar, Sulfuric, Muriatic, Drano, CLR, Bleach, or H2O2?) Recovery Rates: Can smelting a whole bag of ore really recover 2-3x more gold than a standard crusher and shaker table setup? It wasn't a perfect run—I had some furnace failures, lead spills, and "textbook" mistakes—but that’s all part of the process. We finally dialed in the flux, used some potassium nitrate magic to oxidize the lead, and got down to the final beads. The Great Cleaning Experiment I took seven identical high-grade specimens and soaked them for 24 hours. The results were surprising! The Winner: Sulfuric Acid took the crown for removing the most "rust" (iron staining) and leaving the gold incredibly shiny. Honorable Mention: Muriatic Acid did a fantastic job on the quartz, though the Drano (Sodium Hydroxide) surprisingly held its own for a base! The Verdict: Smelting effectively doubled our recovery grade. This doesn't mean the shaker table is "bad," but it shows just how much gold can be locked up in sulfides or lost in fine tailings when you don't use a chemical collector like lead. Cost & Time Breakdown Propane: ~10-15 gallons (approx. $60 USD). Time: 3 days (including experiments and mistakes), but could be done in 1 day with a refined process. Materials: Borax, Soda Ash, Silica Sand, and Potassium Nitrate. A huge thanks to Jeff Williams for the incredible ore and the hospitality. This wraps up our Nevada series! If you’ve got a "surefire" way to clean specimens that I didn't try, drop a comment below. For more info please email or call: Email: info@MBMMLLC.com Phone: 360-595-4445 Website: http://www.mbmmllc.com/ Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/MBMMLLC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MBMMLLC Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mbmmllc/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MBMMLLC