There’s gold in them thar Angus hills or at least in the area around Newbigging.
Jane Head’s son Brook was given a metal detector for his 23rd birthday at the end of March and since then has unearthed a number of treasures…including a four inch crucifix on Easter Sunday.
But his most exciting find so far is a 2g nugget of Scots gold.
Jane said: “He was ecstatic when he found it. He’s a keen enthusiast of hunting for ‘treasure’ and he’s really keen on gems.
“I’ve studied gemstones and precious metals and I think that’s where he gets it from.”
The family ran a few acid tests on the gold to prove it was the genuine article. The qualitative test uses acid to distinguish between gold and base metals.
Brook said: “If it comes out clear it’s gold. We tested it a couple of times and it’s come out positive. It’s a great feeling to have it. It’s not something you find every day.”
After doing some research Jane is convinced her son could now be in possession of one of the biggest nuggets of gold ever found in the Dundee and Angus area.
“Scottish gold is one of the rarest and purest in the world,” she said.
“The largest nugget was found at Manlockhear near Dumfries weighing 6.1g and was the first to be found in more than 50 years. This prompted gold fever in the area. The next find in the same region was a nugget weighing just over 4g.
“We had a second property near this and Brook often went prospecting.”
However, most Scottish gold has only been found in flakes and Jane is now wondering if Brook’s nugget represents a record find for the area. The nugget has not yet been valued but the price of gold has fallen slightly in recent months.
The art school graduate will not divulge the exact location of his find but the landowners said they certainly would not have given permission for any metal detection on their land.
Brook was born in Australia but has lived in Newbigging since he was baby and is very proud of his Scottish find and is actually following in the footsteps of his Scottish grandfather, Jane’s father, who found gold in both Australia and Canada.