Prospecting & Detecting
A Short But Productive Hunt
June 2022 by Ray Mills
The prospects I found are known to carry heavy chunks of gold, sometimes in quartz, ironstone, or many times a rusty-looking type of shale covering.
Successful Detecting Requires Attention to Detail—Part I
So much of gold detecting depends on attention to detail. Every gold area offers its own distinct geological markers and as prospectors we must pick up on those markers.
Montana Gold and Sapphires Revisited
I had a chance to visit the operation in person and talk with Neal. I was very impressed and I think our readers could learn a lot about building up a commercial placer operation from scratch…
Drywashing for Desert Gold—Part II
…whichever layer I’m getting the best gold, I’ll work that stratum. Some of the best gold in the desert is not always on the bedrock.
Dredging Therapy
The big moment finally arrived. With Norm suited up, I pulled the motor to life and felt instantly better. There’s really something relaxing about the sound of a dredge running—they don’t sound like anything else.
The Coolgardie Gold Mining Camp of Southern California
The area was mined intermittently from around 1900 to 1915, but was also mined in the late 1800s, with a total output valued at about $100,000, which is around $9.5 million at the current gold price.
Drywashing for Desert Gold—Part III
If the material drops down out of the hopper too fast, it can overwhelm the riffles and you can blow the gold right out. If it runs too slowly, the riffles can clog up and the process is too slow.
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The Bawl Mill
• Why The Paper Change?
• Ask The Experts - When do I use detector discrimination?
• Ask The Experts - Is gold found in limestone?
• Ask The Experts - Can pyrite crystals be the same color as gold?
• How to Use BLM’s New Mineral and Land Records System
• Blast from the Past: Jeff Casserly Tells His Own Story
• Old Dog(Fighter), New Trick
• Talking Metal Detectors with Brent Weaver of Garrett
• Strategies for Detecting Heavily Pounded Areas—Part III
• EPA Recommends Against Reissuing Permit for PolyMet Mine
• The Highs and Hazards of Desert Prospecting
• Just Feel The Heft of It
• Proposed Nebraska Mine Has Sizeable Deposit of Rare Elements
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
• Melman on Gold & Silver
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Introducing ICMJ’s New Owners: Josh and Sherrie Reinke
• Legislative and Regulatory Update
• PLP Update