Tyler Mahoney Reveals Rare “Inca” Gold Nugget Ahead of Auction — A Once-in-a-Lifetime Find

Renowned gold prospector and television personality Tyler Mahoney is making waves once again—but this time, it’s not on screen. It’s in her hands. Tyler has just revealed what she calls the rarest gold nugget she’s ever seen: a 22-gram crystalline hopper crystal known as “The Inca”, discovered recently in Queensland by a local prospector.

“I will never hold anything like this again,” Mahoney said in a social media video. “I do this for a living. I’ve seen thousands of nuggets. But when I saw a photo of this one, my jaw dropped.”

What Makes It So Special?

The Inca is no ordinary nugget. It’s a nearly perfect hopper crystal, a type of crystalline gold structure that forms sharp, geometric patterns—lines, squares, and even triangles. According to Mahoney, these shapes “just don’t occur in nature like this. It’s insane.”

Crystalline gold is considered the rarest form of natural gold, and even among those, a formation as complete as this is almost unheard of. Most nuggets are waterworn and smoothed out by the time they’re found. The Inca, however, retained its sharp lattice structure despite being located in a wash layer, meaning it traveled some distance from its source but remained intact.

“This is a collector’s dream,” Mahoney added. “It looks like it was cut by hand, but it’s 100% natural.”

How Tyler Got It

Mahoney revealed that she wasn’t the only one eyeing the nugget. “The prospector reached out to me, and I ended up in a bit of a bidding war with another buyer. Somehow, I won—and for a short time, this beauty is mine.”

Going to Auction

The nugget won’t stay in Mahoney’s collection for long. She announced plans to auction it publicly to ensure fairness, given the overwhelming interest.

• Auction Date: Sunday, April 27

• Time: 8:00 a.m. AWST (Perth time)

• Starting Bid: $8,500 AUD

• Bid Increments: $500 AUD

• Currency: AUD only

“This isn’t going to someone just starting out in gold,” Mahoney said. “It’s going to a collector—someone who knows exactly what this is.”

A test auction for a smaller 5g crystalline nugget will be held the night before, Saturday, April 26 at 9:00 p.m. AWST, with a starting bid of $1,100 AUD and $100 bid increments.

How to Bid

Bidders can place offers by commenting publicly or messaging Mahoney privately to stay anonymous. Photos and more details will be available on her social media channels and website.

“I’m nervous,” Tyler admitted. “I’ve never done an auction before, but this is the only fair way with so many people interested. If it goes well, maybe I’ll do more in the future.”

Gold Education & Passion

Mahoney also shared her passion for educating others on rare gold specimens. “Less than 1% of the world’s gold is found in nugget form—and crystalline gold makes up just a tiny sliver of that,” she said. “This isn’t just a nugget. It’s a natural gemstone.”

For those wanting to dive deeper, Tyler has a full write-up on her blog, explaining why crystals like The Inca are worth far more than spot price and sought after worldwide by collectors.

Want a shot at owning a one-of-a-kind nugget?
Sign up to Tyler’s mailing list, follow her on social media, and tune in this weekend. Because The Inca won’t be on the market for long—and neither will this chance.