An amateur prospector in the Australian outback has made the find of a lifetime after digging up a massive gold nugget valued at over $150,000.
He was digging at the remote Mount Stuart station near Tibooburra in far northwestern New South Wales for several days. After going through his fair share of false starts, the man, who prefers not to be named, found the gold buried in red dirt.
Also Read: Infinity: Rare 888.88-carat black diamond makes public debut in Dubai
"You dig lots of rubbish … lots of lead bullets, old timer's nails, horseshoes, everything," he told ABC News.
He continued, “It wasn't a loud signal for the size of the piece that it is [but] once I got down to 100 [millimetres] or something like that, the machine was squealing,” adding, "It might have been on the first or second scrape I just seen this bright yellow dot in the centre of the hole."
A video of the man’s findings was also posted on Facebook. The clip shows the man panting as he digs the dirt. After some time, he picks up a big gold nugget.
{{/usCountry}}A video of the man’s findings was also posted on Facebook. The clip shows the man panting as he digs the dirt. After some time, he picks up a big gold nugget.
{{/usCountry}}"Look at that! I can't believe this, look at this!", the man is heard saying in video footage of the discovery.
(Viewer discretion advised: The video contains strong language)
How much is it worth?
According to the outlet, the gold nugget specked with quartz, named Tibooburra Spud, weighs nearly 1.2 kg. Testing shows 940 grams is pure gold.
It is estimated to be worth between $150,000 to $160,000. The finder plans to sell it to a collector, which could further increase its price.
Gold prospecting as a hobby
Greg Spangler, who sells prospecting supplies in Broken Hill, told the outlet that although finding gold nuggets weighing over a kilogram is rare, more and more people have shown interest in prospecting and taken it up as a hobby. Gold prospecting is the act of searching for new gold deposits.
Spangler told the outlet, "We have a fictitious club [called] the Ounce Club … but not many people [are] in the 'Kilo Club'.” He recalled only one other time he saw a prospector find a gold nugget weighing more than a kilogram.
As for why people are interested in prospecting, Spangler said, "You get up in the morning, you're the first one to see the sunrise … it's very peaceful," adding, "Just another pastime you can involve the whole family in."