Ask the Experts

August 2013 by Chris Ralph

The Heavy Minerals in Your Concentrates

June 2016
The fact that mineral deposits can contribute specific types of heavy minerals is why the analysis of the heavy mineral concentrates in the streams of an area can be an important prospecting technique for finding undiscovered mineral deposits.

Gold Prospecting in Gatesville, Indiana

May 2014
Gatesville is not the only place to find easy public access for gold prospecting opportunities in Central Indiana.

A New Prospecting Spot

October 2016
Once indicators start showing up along or below a contact I start to get excited. When I have shale, and outcroppings of diorite with iron-red, gritty soil and some clay thrown in, I really get lightheaded. I may be a mile away from the nearest diggings but that’s okay. I just found a spot that could provide some nice nugget hunting.

Finding Gold with a VLF Detector—Part III

June 2014
The higher the sensitivity setting, the louder and sharper the signal from a gold nugget or other metal target.

Pros and Cons of Big Detector Coils

December 2016
Years later I returned with a new detector with a smaller coil and detector technology more sensitive to smaller nuggets. I found my first nugget within five minutes. I had a second five minutes after that.

A Trip to Morgan-Monroe State Forest of Indiana

October 2014
Some experienced panners with the vigor and longevity to spend a full day panning in the small creeks and ravines can possibly find as much as a gram or more on a good day.

From Vietnam to Wedding Bands

February 2017
It’s a common symptom of gold fever for miners to be very hesitant to let go of gold they’ve found or even have it made into jewelry. I confess, I suffer from the same incurable disease!

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