Prospecting & Detecting
A Generous Lesson on Detecting Bedrock
May 2019 by Jack Geck
The signal I was hearing was coming from a vertical bedrock crack on the bank of the creek. I removed my backpack, took out my crevicing tools and started to clean out the crack when I saw a glint of gold.
Gold Placers of Southern California
I grew up in Southern California, and found my first nugget there, so I know my way around. Because there is good gold there, I thought it might be helpful to take a look at the many placer gold opportunities found in the southern part of the state.
Recent Prospecting in Plumas County

Seven Important Attitudes for the Successful Prospector
What makes the difference between successful prospectors and those who struggle? It just seems like there are some guys who stumble on gold no matter what they do. Are they just lucky?
Back to Basics--Finding Gold With a Pan and a Sluice
Don’t hunker down and just keep digging in one spot where there is very little or no gold—if you don’t find it, you’ve got to get up and move on!
Route Planning Using GPS
My intention was to end this discussion with waypoints and routes, then I found USGS maps of the Plainfield Quadrangle.
Shallow Water Crevicing Can Bring Big Rewards
Shallow water crevicing or sniping can produce gold if you’re persistent, a hard worker and lucky. It’s nice to have a snorkel, wet suit and goggles. The best practice for success, in my humble opinion, has always been to determine the best gold location and then figure out how to capture it.
Mom Finds 3.72-Carat Yellow Diamond
“Much of the ground where Ms. Hollingshead found her diamond is made of unweathered volcanic rock. When it rains, flowing runoff often leaves loose gravel, and sometimes diamonds, on the surface in these areas.”
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• The Geology of Diamond Deposits
• Keep Watch for The Unexpected
• Resurrecting An Old Hard Rock Mine—Gold At Last!
• Imagining the Ultimate Prospecting Adventure
• Gold Prospecting for Better or Worse: Cold Gold
• Gary It's There
• Following the Clues
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
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