Montana Gold and Sapphires Revisited

November 2019 by Chris Ralph

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…

Prospecting for Pegmatites

July 2015

…in some cases pegmatites have produced individual mineral crystals that are enormous, attaining lengths of over 40 feet long, and many of the world’s largest mineral crystals are examples that were found within pegmatite deposits.

Prospecting Australia—Part II: There and Back Again

November 2011
Steve got his first nugget within minutes of turning on his metal detector. It only took me about an hour to find my first piece.

A Short But Productive Hunt

June 2022

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.

Crushing Quartz in Calaveras County: A Placer Miner Learns New Tricks

June 2014
I had never run an impact mill before, but anything involving rocks, water and a big electric motor sounded great.

Taking Advantage of the Desert Rains

May 2023

Prospecting for Liberated Gold

November 2015
Some will doubt its value given the ultra-fine particle size… Some will become encouraged about not having to incur significant time and expense to break rock.

Panning on North Fork American Yields Good Gold

May 2020

This second trip down was a challenge. It started in Colfax on the Stevens Trail, where the distance to the river is four miles with an elevation drop of about 1,000 feet.

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