Digital-Desert : Mojave Desert
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Gold

The Mojave Nugget

The Margie and Robert E. Petersen Collection is one of the finest gold collections in the world. It contains 132 gold nuggets, which are significant to mining history and truly rare in the field of geology. Here is more information about the collection and its centerpiece-the Mojave Nugget:

About the Collection

Donors: Margie and Robert E. Petersen are the donors. They care about natural history and the arts. Robert E. Petersen founded Hot Rod and Motor Trend magazines.

The collection is displayed in the Hall of Gems and Minerals, where it is conspicuous because of its size and aesthetic value. The collection was officially donated recently, but for more than twenty years, it had been on loan to the museum, allowing the public to see these marvelous specimens.

Weight: The total weight of gold is over 1660 troy ounces, more than 115 pounds of pure gold. The nuggets themselves have unique shapes, texture, and features besides their high value, which developed naturally over millions of years.

The Mojave Nugget

Discovery: The Mojave Nugget was discovered in 1977 in the Stringer Mining District close to Randsburg, California. This place has a long history of mining and is famous for its gold production.

Finder: This excellent nugget was found by Ty Paulsen, a metal detector gold seeker. Metal detectors gained popularity during the 1970s for recreational gold prospecting and resulted in significant finds like this one.

Size and Importance:

It is 1660 troy ounces (roughly 10.4 pounds) and California's largest known gold nugget.

It's special because of its size, purity, and importance in history; it's one-of-a-kind in the museum, at least for any gold lover.

The nugget's special shape and surface show how it formed and where it traveled, probably through old riverbeds and wear from the elements.

The Stringer Mining Area

The Stringer Mining District is located in the Mojave Desert near Randsburg, Johannesburg, and Red Mountain. It's one of three old mining towns.

Gold mining started in the late 19th century and reached its peak during the early 20th century.

It's called "stringer" district, thin quartz veins carrying gold. Prospectors and miners of the times habitually mine these stringers with both placer and hard rock mining methods.

Importance

The Mojave Nugget and the Petersen Collection show us the history of mining in California and its geology. They, in effect, depict how gold has always attracted people to come for exploration, discovery, and new ideas for many years.

The collection continues to educate and inspire visitors of the importance of gold and natural ways that create such wonders.

This collection is a vital part of California's nature and culture; it shows the genius and hard work done by prospectors and preserves the history of the state's gold rush time.

Randsburg

Mining History

Prospectors


F ound by Ty Paulsen, using a metal detector


Robert E. Petersen founded Hot Rod and Motor Trend magazines
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These items are historical in scope and are intended for educational purposes only; they are not meant as an aid for travel planning.
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