Diver finds largest gold nugget in the British Isles

One of the largest gold nuggets ever found in the UK has been unearthed by a diver in a river, in Scotland. The find, named the Douglas Nugget, weighs 85.7g and has been estimated to be worth over £50,000! The nugget was discovered two years ago, but its existence was only announced at the end of July this year.

Anyone who has dived at least once, has probably heard of the extraordinary treasures hidden in the waters of our planet. And it does not matter whether we are talking about galleons hidden in the depths of seas and oceans, an amber chamber sunk in a nearby lake, or goods of a lesser calibre. Every diver, somewhere in the back of his mind, has a coded message that one day, in this still undefined place, he will be lucky enough to find “it”.

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The diver who excavated the nugget was not only exceptionally lucky, but also sensible. He decided to keep his identity a complete secret, as well as the exact location of the river where the gold was found. All we know is that it took place in Scotland, in one of the local rivers.

[blockquote style=”2″]”I followed a crack in the rock and found about 2g of gold, which then led to a pocket where I discovered a nugget. I called a friend over to have a look and we both assumed it was about 5-7g. It was only when I extracted the nugget that we realised how big it was. I took off my glove and picked it up and then jumped out of the water and shouted “bingo!”, we were both stunned and couldn’t believe it I’ve never seen anything like it!” – said the lucky finder[/blockquote].

The diver has not yet decided what to do with his find and is keeping it in a safe for the time being. Leon Kirk hopes that the gold will be bought back by the museum and put on public display, although this may also be done by The Crown Estate.

[blockquote style=”2″]”This is a very exciting and unprecedented discovery. Its rarity means that it is very difficult to value. I would say the nugget is worth at least £50,000, but because it’s rarer than an Aston Martin or a Faberge egg, some billionaire could lightly pay a lot more.” – said Leon Kirk, an expert at Gold Panning Supplies UK[/blockquote].

It is the largest nugget to have been found in Britain for over 500 years. The discovery is therefore also significant in a historical sense. As the nugget contains particles of milky quartz, it is very likely that the gold has accumulated in a quartz vein.

Source: bbc.com