Alluvial Paystreaks

November 2018 by Matteo Oberto

The gravels in contact with the bedrock or false bedrock base are often the richest. The same facts apply to the alluvial paystreaks that are formed on gravel bars; the lowest level of the gold-bearing gravel is normally the richest.

The Pearce Mineralized Area, Dragoon Mountains, Arizona

July 2013
...I would bet considerably more lode gold and silver remains to be found in this area, and there are possibilities for small placers and nugget shooting.

Gold, Quartz & Chalcedony—Part II

November 2011
The specific gravity of chalcedony is 2.58 to 2.64. This is slightly lower than coarsely crystalline quartz because of slight porosity in chalcedony. Being so light, it will easily wash out of a gold pan.

Using Favorable Rock Types to Find More Gold

September 2020

The more experienced prospectors know these lesser known spots are the types of places where big finds are still made.

Connecting With The Past With Gold Rush Coins

September 2023

Prospector's Guide to Rock Breaking and Blasting

December 2016
The holes were overloaded with explosives, but I didn’t know it. I was just a green mining engineer fresh out of school and told to watch as the experienced miners set the charge.

Eastern Arizona: Gold and Base Metal Deposits—Part I

February 2011
Arizona is well-known for its copper-gold porphyries and massive base metal-gold sulfide deposits such that primary gold deposits in the state are often overshadowed.

The Birimian Greenstone Belts of West Africa

June 2013
A few years ago I had a tremendous opportunity to visit Australia and hunt for gold there. The geology of the gold deposits there was somewhat different from what I was used to here in the US. I learned a lot about greenstone belt gold deposits while prospecting them in person, and it was an amazing trip.

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