How Long Does It Take to Extract a Mineral or Gem Using a Pickaxe?
The time it takes to extract a mineral or gem using a pickaxe can vary widely depending on several factors, including the type of mineral or gem, the quality of the pickaxe, the mining technique, the size of the deposit, and environmental conditions. This article explores the factors that influence mining time and provides insights into the practical aspects of mining.
Factors Influencing Mining Time
Type of Mineral or Gem: Different minerals and gems have varying hardness levels. For example, softer minerals like coal or limestone can be mined more quickly than harder ones like diamonds or emeralds.
Quality of the Pickaxe: The material and quality of the pickaxe play a significant role. A steel pickaxe will generally mine faster than a wooden one.
Mining Technique: The mining technique and experience of the miner can significantly affect the speed of extraction. Experienced miners may be more efficient.
Size of the Deposit: Larger deposits may take longer to mine due to the amount of material that needs to be extracted.
Environmental Conditions: Factors such as the location of the mine, weather conditions, and the presence of obstacles can also impact mining time.
Practical Mining Scenarios
Typically, for a typical mineral, it might take anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes per block. For harder gems, it could take several minutes or longer per block. In a practical mining scenario, this could mean hours to days of work to extract a significant quantity of a mineral or gem.
Case Study: Benitoite
Benitoite, a rare mineral found only in one place in the California Coast Range, has been mined for the last 100 years. The total amount of benitoite mined in this time is about 5 kilos. Mining continues at this site to this day. This case study highlights the slow and labor-intensive nature of extracting rare minerals.
Challenges in Extracting Stones and Gems
It is often said that 'how long a piece of string measures' when it comes to estimating time for mining. This is because the time it takes to mine can be influenced by various factors. How far from the surface is your gemstone or mineral? How concentrated is it? What kind of material is it mixed with?
Some stones like sandstone crumble from just touching them with your hand, while others like granite are very hard and require more advanced methods like dynamite or machines. In a soft crumbly rock, you can chop away at it, but you’ll also have to take into account the time it takes to shift the loosened rock away from the working area.
In some mining operations, such as digging in loose ground or sand from river beds, you may need to dig several meters to reach the gold-bearing bed, or it may be right at the surface. The use of heavy machinery can significantly speed up this process, as seen in TV shows like Gold Rush, but hand mining would be much slower and more labor-intensive.
Once you reach the valuable material, the concentration of what you are looking for versus the bulk of the material is crucial. You may need to use a lot of pickaxing to get a little bit of valuable material. Therefore, the answer is highly variable and can range from nearly no time at all to many years or even lifetimes, depending on where and how you are mining.
Conclusion
The time it takes to extract a mineral or gem using a pickaxe depends on multiple factors. Understanding these factors can help miners and enthusiasts estimate the time and effort required for mining operations. While some minerals can be extracted relatively quickly, others require significant time and resources, making the process both challenging and rewarding.