Prospecting & Detecting
California Dredgers: A Step Closer to Getting Back in the Water
June 2014 by Scott Harn
...Judge Ochoa ordered the parties to participate in mandatory settlement hearings starting June 24, 2014.Diary of a Diamond Prospector
I couldn’t wait to get started. With no field budget, an assay budget of $100/year, a 1975-Ford Bronco that was a road hazard, a gas card, a topo map and full support of the director, I headed to the State Line district near Tie Siding along US Highway 287 to begin mapping kimberlite.
Large Gold Deposit Types
It is not necessary to have a PhD in geology, but you need to know the basics, so that’s what I am going to try to dig into here—the understandable basics of these gigantic gold deposits.
Underground in the Original 16-1 Mine
These days they employ the use of metal detectors and carefully scan the shattered rocks, hoping to hear that sound we detectorists love to hear.
Blackberries and Gold
There were iron stains all over and even a few places where I could see iron trash sticking out of the bedrock. These would be ideal spots to start with as the gold travels with the iron and lead.
Potholes and Other Bedrock Traps
Potholes in bedrock can trap placer minerals and even be glory holes. They are, at least, interesting geologic phenomena, and at best, a treasure trove of gold nuggets.
Gold From Black Sand Tailings
The pile up on the small hill had to be a couple yards of black sand. I’m not one to ignore a little gold even if it is small in size—I have always believed that gold fever comes in all sizes.
Time for a New Approach: Detecting Float Gold
The first pieces found were in a spot that most gold hunters would not even detect, right in the middle of a downslope meadow.
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• Finding Gold with a VLF Detector—Part III
• Silver and Base Metal Deposits of the Pioche District
• Arizona's Youngest...and Oldest Prospector
• Exploring Placers with Auger Drills
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
• Correction
• Crushing Quartz in Calaveras County: A Placer Miner Learns New Tricks
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• A Few Methods for Sampling Hardrock Deposits
• Protecting Our Access to Public Lands
