What leaves the drill site as rock becomes data here. Before there are ounces, before there are answers, there are procedures.
In Episode 5, we follow Quimbaya‘s core samples from Segovia to SGS’s geochemical laboratory in Medellín. Laboratory Coordinator Rodrigo Hernandez guides us through all phases of fire assay, the industry-standard method for determining the gold content of a sample.
🔬 EPISODE 5: THE LABORATORY The Process: Stage 1 – Preparation: Samples are dried (60–110°C), crushed to 2 mm, and then pulverized to 100–150 micrometers. The rock becomes powder.
Stage 2 – Fusion: The pulverized samples are mixed with chemical additives and fired for 90 minutes at 1,100°C. The molten lead sinks and collects the gold, silver, and copper. The slag is separated. In a second furnace at 950°C, the lead is burned off through cupellation—leaving behind a tiny droplet of precious metal.
Stage 3 – Measurement: High-grade samples undergo gravimetric analysis—nitric acid dissolves the silver, and the gold is weighed on a microbalance accurate to one microgram. Low-grade samples are dissolved in aqua regia (nitric acid + hydrochloric acid) and analyzed using atomic absorption spectroscopy.
Quality Control:
Each batch contains duplicate samples, blank samples, and certified reference materials. If the duplicates do not match, if the blanks are not zero, if the standards fall outside the range, the laboratory reports it. This is how results gain credibility before they are ever published in a press release.
Who You Will Meet:
Rodrigo Hernandez – Laboratory Coordinator, SGS Geochemistry, Medellín. Manages one of the world’s leading assay laboratories. Oversees the fire assay process from sample receipt to final gold measurement. “This is where speculation ends. And this is where proof begins.”
The Reality: Between drilling a hole and announcing a result, there is a laboratory, a process, and a standard that must be met. Nobody talks about this part. We filmed it.
📍 WHY THIS MATTERS: Every grade, every interval, every gram-per-tonne figure starts here. If the laboratory work is not correct, nothing that follows is worth the paper it is printed on. This is the foundation for every assay result Quimbaya will ever publish.
🎬 WHAT’S NEXT:
Episode 6 – The Discovery – coming soon.
About QUIMBAYA GOLD:
→ Quimbaya Gold (CSE: QIM) is exploring for gold in Colombia’s Segovia district.
→ Website: https://quimbayagold.com/
→ Follow us: https://x.com/quimbayagoldinc
→ Episode 1: • STRIKING GOLD Episode 1: We Are Drilling Ne…
→ Episode 2: • STRIKING GOLD Episode 2: We Are Betting on EVE…
→ Episode 3: • STRIKING GOLD Episode 3: The Drilling Is Finally…
→ Episode 4: • STRIKING GOLD Episode 4: The Wait Is Over
