Yeah, maybe a few hundred grams of (visible) native gold, at best. Most of it was in the form of mid to high grade ore intruding into the quartz which combined with the exposed native flakes to make very pretty rocks. It'd be worth extracting for an active mine that uses gold cyanidation to leach it out of the rock, but not for some half-drunk rock hounds having fun in the Sierras.
They're a lot more valuable as display quality specimens. Not quite museum grade, but close enough. We spent years giving them away as gifts when we didn't know what else to give someone for their birthday.
They're a lot more valuable as display quality specimens. Not quite museum grade, but close enough. We spent years giving them away as gifts when we didn't know what else to give someone for their birthday.