Ask The Experts: Is there a safe DIY alternative to cyanide or mercury for extraction?

September 2016 by Chris Ralph

Q: With safety as a given, what can the average miner, or Joe-blow greenhorn do to identify and extract some metals or minerals with off-the-shelf products or natural ingredients?

Which Nugget Detector Should I Get?

June 2013
The most commonly asked question in metal detecting is, “Which metal detector should I get?” People worry a lot about not getting the right machine. They do not want to waste their money and their time with the wrong metal detector.

From Curiosity to Mine Owner

August 2015
His brother’s friend showed him a vial of gold that originated from his family’s mine in Honduras. Within two weeks Ernie had flown to Honduras to get a first-hand tour of the historic mine and the primitive operation underway to recover the gold.

How to Recognize Hard Rock Gold Ores

September 2017

I regularly get inquiries along the line of: “Hey, I found this rock, and I think it might be gold ore. How can I tell?” Prospectors are always on the lookout for gold-bearing rocks that may be the source of any nearby placer gold.

Ask the Experts

May 2014
How do mines and refiners deal with doré bars?

Finding Gold with a VLF Detector—Part II

May 2014
It is this ability to hear and respond to the faintest of audio signals that I believe separates the best nugget hunters from everyone else.

Tips for Detecting Nugget Patches

April 2015

Certainly many other successful nugget hunters have mentioned these methods; hopefully I can add to or clarify these methods.

Operation And Application Of Magnetometers

October 2014
The technology used in these devices has advanced greatly in the last century. Many different types of physical effects are used to measure these magnetic fields and we will briefly look at some of these.

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