How To
Ask The Experts
August 2016 by Chris Ralph
Which comes first, claim filing or staking?Ask the Experts
Questions regarding patented and unpatented mining claims and the legal rights surrounding them.
Ask The Experts: How do I identify gold in hard rock that may be mixed with other metals?
Q: Aside from the softness scratch test and other methods of identification, what feedback would you have on identifying gold in hard rock that may be mixed with other metals that affect its color?
Enrichment of Mineral Deposits by Weathering—Part I

Using Geologic Publications to Discover Collecting Sites
I understand that a person without geological knowledge could be daunted reading a geological publication. You can pick out the good stuff from a geological publication without a lot of geological knowledge.
Ask the Experts
Ore testing and other advice for starting up a mining operation.
Extracting & Smelting Your Gold

Ask the Experts
How do I set up a small placer operation?
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The Bawl Mill
• Legislative and Regulatory Update
• Ask The Experts
• Revisiting the Rocker Box
• Can You Recognize Valuable Ores?
• Follow Up to "Just One More Time"
• The Highs and Lows of Drywashing
• Successful Detecting Requires Attention to Detail—Part I
• Panning for Gold on Canyon Creek
• China Closing More Than 1,000 Mines
• Habits, Procedure, and Where Is The Gold?
• Exploring A Historic Lode Mine
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
• Melman on Gold & Silver
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