The wise prospector assumes nothing and relies upon knowledge with which to base informative.

Seldom do prospectors stumble over deposits of pure metal, consequently it's minerals that are sought. Trouble is most minerals don't jump out of the ground and grab the prospectors hand, so they must be located by careful scrutiny. Therefore a reasonable knowledge of what minerals look like and a few tools are required to recognize their signatures.

Most minerals are usually cleverly disguised and often baffle any prospector, because most minerals resemble each other or have the appearance of country rock and not worth picking up for a closer examination. Yet, even if a rock is hacked out of a formation or float is picked up minerals don't usually scream-out their intimate details. Therefore, if the prospector does not understand the visual language of minerals something will have to make these minerals talk and divulge what and who they are. This is where the blowpipe or the simple hand-held propane torch enters the terrain in aiding the comprehensive eye.

When a heat source (blowpipe or propane torch flame) heats a mineral usually some or a lot of volatilization occurs. Therefore, during interrogation applying torturous heat provides the incentive for rocks to cry-out and divulge the information the prospector seeks. The volatile constituents of a rock/mineral are actually different forms of the same rock/mineral and by learning the language of volatilities one can discern what is being liberated. These volatiles or oxidized microscopic particles, also referred to as sublimates are transported away from the heat source and deposited on the black charcoal or white plaster tablets creating factual statements as to their real nature(s).

Many minerals when heated will have well known characteristic colored signatures, which provide valuable clues to specific mineral identities. However, as is often the case more than one mineral will be hosted within the same rock matrix, which can cause multiple colored sublimates to form. Thus, although essential clues are divulged some confusion can also be created. Therefore, to help determine the various masquerading characters that may be interfering with the statements of one mineral or another that may be residing within the same rock matrix alternative blowpipe tests are utilized.

By making a library of plaster and charcoal tablets of known metals and minerals new blowpipe tests can be referenced against the known's that will provide aid in grasping the potential or make better determinations as to how to proceed to accomplish clarification.

When initiating a blowpipe test it will be seen that some minerals will develop or display a variety of colored sublimates when very hot, but will fade or rapidly change during the process of becoming cooler and climaxing at the ambient temperature. Therefore, it must be noted that all the photographs provided herein are always in the cold phase. In other words, there is no heat left in the tablets. I would like to provide both hot and cold colorations produced during and after a blowpipe test, but I don't have a reliable digital camera that would take instant accurate pictures, so I am left with providing the best possible images I can with my trust worthy 35mm camera. Perhaps, eventually I can set up this 35mm camera to be able to take accurate images of in progress blow-piping, but that will be a future project.

Communication is encouraged and I would appreciate any prospector to submit small interesting minerals, particularly silver specimens to be subjected to the blowpipe and the results shown here. If desired the mineral submitter's name will be attached to the mineral's photograph.

Each mentioned metal category will contain specific mineral identifying names, which, when clicked on will provide images of the heated mineral and sublimates on plaster of Paris and/or charcoal tablets.

Antimony, Arsenic, Barium, Bismuth, Cadmium, Chromium, Cobalt, Columbium, Copper, Gallium, Germanium, Gold, Indium, Iridium, Iron, Lead, Magnesium, Manganese, Mercury, Molybdenum, Nickel, Osmium, Palladium, Platinum, Rhodium, Ruthenium, Selenium, Silver, Sulfur, Tantalum, Tellurium, Thallium, Tin, Tungsten, Vanadium, Zinc.

Joseph Cummins

Created: 09/01/2006
Revised: 11/22/2006