What’s an Assayer’s job?

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An appraiser analyzes minerals and ores to identify their properties, separating and refining them to determine their composition. They use chemical solutions and dry methods to analyze samples, and mining companies often employ them to assess the feasibility of mining operations.

An appraiser is a scientific professional who analyzes various types of minerals and ores to identify the properties of these substances. As part of the process, some of the strategies involved in this analysis will allow the analyzer to actually separate the different ores and alloys from each other, making it much easier to determine the exact composition of the sample. Some analyzers focus on analyzing samples with the goal of finding specific types of ores or metals, such as gold or silver. In other situations, the ore tester is hired to identify any type of mineral content, making it possible to determine which precious metals can and cannot be found in a given area.

To accurately determine the ore and mineral content of a sample, an analyzer will make use of several different methods. The chemical solutions employed under strict laboratory conditions make it possible to identify what is and what is not found in the sample. The solutions can also be used to separate the various ores, making it easier to identify how much of each substance is present. There are also dry methods used in analysis, with one example being the use of heat on the sample. This strategy can cause certain ores to melt into slag, which also helps determine which elements are and are not present in the sample.

In addition to separating and identifying various ores in a sample, an analyzer can also make use of several methods to refine any element present. For example, a silver or gold analyzer can take any amount of precious ore found and refine it so that the sample becomes less brittle. This makes it much easier to determine what is known as assay equilibrium, which is simply a process that helps identify gradations in the sample. The scale helps serve as an indicator of how much gold or silver can be harvested in the general area where the sample was collected.

Mining companies often employ analysts as full-time employees or as independent consultants. This makes it possible to more accurately assess the feasibility of starting a mining operation in a given area before taking steps to purchase land or investing extensive time and resources in carrying out what is sometimes known as blind digging. By utilizing the skills of a qualified appraiser, the company can get the most out of the mining operation while keeping costs as low as possible.




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