Prospecting & Detecting
Beach Mining for Placer Gold
June 2019 by Rob Roy
What I saw was a beach area that was just completely covered in black sand. Rubbing my hands close together like a kid in a candy store, I could not wait to get set up.
Good Assays and Bad
The high prices for gold and silver are exciting and certainly have revolutionized the prospecting and mining scene. New interest in gold and silver mining is springing up from every corner, from individual prospectors armed with gold pans to exploration and mining companies working to set up multimillion dollar commercial operations producing hundreds of thousands of ounces per year. The idea of getting riches from rocks is one that motivates a lot of folks all over the globe. It’s an exciting time, but this excitement brings out another side...
This is Why You Check Your Tailings
The nugget was cast aside with larger rocks during the screening process, but it was found later by an employee...
Proper Assaying of Placer Samples
The whole purpose of sampling mineralized ground is to measure the values in a small volume of material that would be representative of a much larger volume of similar material. The key word is representative. Chemical and fire assaying will not accurately represent placer deposits by themselves.
Successful Rally for Suction Dredge Miners in Idaho
Representative Paul Shepherd stopped by, and Idaho County Commissioner Jim Chmelik dove with one of the dredgers so he could see for himself that no harm was being done to fish or their habitat.
All About Quartz—Part I
One of the first minerals most prospectors learn to recognize is quartz, because, in the right circumstances, it can be an excellent indicator mineral for prospectors. Quartz is common, easy to identify, and is often associated with gold and other valuable metal deposits.
Pumping Water With Solar Power
Solar energy can be used for any size placer or hard rock mining operation. It is most practical for small and longer-term operations provided your mine is not located in a dense forest.
Think You Got It All? Guess Again!
May 2016Is your gold recovery actually 95%, 90%, or even a really poor 50%? If you are not testing to know what it really is, you just don’t know. Some do regular testing, but most do not.
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The Bawl Mill
• Legislative and Regulatory Update
• Ask The Experts - Can you provide information on gold in Ghana?
• Ask The Experts - Geophysics and gold deposits
• Ask The Experts - Do these items qualify as mechanized equipment?
• Ask The Experts - EPA Method 6020 testing
• Ask The Experts - New detector or stick with the old?
• The Value of Old Patches
• A 'Rare' Opportunity for America
• Tips for Cleaning Gold Nuggets
• How Long Does It Take to Find and Recover An Ounce of Gold?
• Gold Prospecting for Better or Worse: In A Tight Spot
• Detecting Wet Ground Yields More Fun Than Gold
• Over The Divide: Jim Straight, 1930-2019
• Reno's 1872 Time Capsule Includes Gold Rush Lore
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
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