It's D-Day for the Rough Scientists who must build a furnace and bellows so they can try to smelt and form gold into souvenirs as a reminder of their six-week stay in New Zealand. To turn their powdered gold flakes into a solid nugget they have to reach a white-hot 1062ºC where gold will melt.

The team has to use science to re-discover the skills of the original prospectors who over a 150 years ago worked gold into beautiful objects on the rugged west coast of New Zealand. Will the scientists manage to make anything from the precious stash of gold that they've struggled for weeks to find? The team's scientific brains and brawn are pushed to the limit.

Explore the science

Did the scientists succeed in getting to grips with their final challenge? How easy is it to melt and smelt a lump of gold? Mike Leahy explains how the Rough Scientists turned the gold they had collected into a souvenir from their scientific adventures in New Zealand.

Competition

You've seen the series, you've studied the science, now here's your chance to win the souvenirs the Rough Scientists created in New Zealand. They panned for it, extracted it, smelted and melted it, and now the gold could be yours! Enter competition.

Diaries

You can also read about the shooting of the Rough Science series. Each of the scientists kept a diary during their time in New Zealand. Find out how they went about tackling their challenges and the highs and lows of the series.