** Shares of Vertex Minerals VTX.AX up 15.22% at A$0.265
** Stock rose as much as 21.7% to a record high of A$0.280 earlier in the day
** Gold explorer says ore processed at its project in Reward Gold mine in New South Wales has evident gold in concentrate
** Co says sale of first commercial gold anticipated in February
** About 1.3 mln shares change hands, 2.5x the 30-day average of 538,163 share
** Stock rose 44.4% last year
(Reporting by Jasmeen Ara Shaikh in Bengaluru)
((Jasmeenaraislam.shaikh@thomsonreuters.com))