Crisson Gold Mine Robbed At Gunpoint

March 2022 by Scott Harn

Speaking of a need to be cautious, as Ray Mills discussed in his article  “Are You Being Followed?” earlier in this isse, our friends at the Crisson Gold Mine in Dahlonega, Georgia were the victims of an armed robbery on February 3.

Tammy and Tony Ray own the mine, which offers panning for gold and gemstones, mining equipment, jewelry, historical tours and more. Their daughter, Brianna Ray-Weaver, was working in the shop at the end of the day along with Tommy Dawkins, another employee, when a man walked in, shut the door and locked it behind him.

Brianna said the suspect announced, “This is a robbery,” and brandished a firearm, and then told her, “Do what I say and you won’t get hurt.”

The suspect also claimed he had a partner somewhere nearby, and told her, “If any of you come after me, my buddy will kill you.”

The suspect brought a duffel bag with him that he filled with two employee cellphones, wallets, cash from the register, gold nuggets and several trays of jewelry. Dawkins was told to sit on the floor while Brianna was ordered to help gather some of the valuables. It seemed the robber knew where the most expensive products were and targeting those cases, leading employees to believe he had been to the store before. He was able to leave with well over $100,000 of cash, gold, jewelry and other merchandise. 

Brianna called it the longest three minutes of her life.

The armed suspect was described as a white male, 5’7”-5’10”, weighing about 225 pounds, wearing a black Cincinnati Bengals jacket with orange trim, a ball cap, black mask, light-colored blue jeans and black boots.

A $1,000 reward was offered by the Lumpkin County Sherriff’s Office for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect or suspects. That reward was increased to $10,000 after donations from friends and family poured in.

This was the largest robbery of its kind in Lumpkin County, Sheriff Stacy Jarrard said.

by Scott Harn

Gold In The Midwest—Part III: Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas

March 2020

In this continuation of the Midwest gold series we are going to take a look at the states of Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas, look at possible locations within these states to find gold and talk about areas where gold has been found in the past.

Hunting for Gold in the Quartzsite Area of Western Arizona

October 2013
Winters are a great time to explore the hills in the area of the Middle Camp, Oro Fino and La Cholla placers on the southern flank of the Dome Rock Mountains.

The Highs and Lows of Drywashing

August 2016
We were met with a plethora of mechanical problems with the dry washer and even a few with the excavator that were at times frustrating, but we were in this for the long haul, so we needed to solve these problems and move forward.

My Great Nevada Adventure

July 2015

…with renewed determination and a belief in success, I did finally find a nugget. It was there waiting under a bush not 50 feet from my truck.

ICMJ Visits The Northstar Mining Museum

November 2022

'One of the Gems of Nevada County"

The April Fools Nugget

June 2023

An Interview with Minelab Engineer Mark Lawrie

January 2018

The design of metal detectors well-suited for prospecting is an interesting process and not necessarily an easy one to achieve. It is a combination that blends the desires of what prospectors would like, the requirements of sales people and dealers, with the science and physics of what the electronics can achieve.

Subscription Required:
The Bawl Mill   • Ask The Experts - My detector only finds bullets   • Ask The Experts - Any tips on finding gold in Colorado?   • Ask The Experts - Should I be seeing black sands in the tailings of my sluice box?   • Ask The Experts - How do I sell my gold?   • Ask The Experts - Is Welsh gold more valuable?   • Finding Gold With A Simple Sluice Box   • Detecting A Trashy Area   • Winter Prospecting   • Are You Being Followed?   • Critical Minerals Update   • Overcoming Repeated Skunks   • Butte County: Another Mother Lode Favorite   • Welcome to Nothing   • Melman on Gold & Silver   • Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices

Free:
Legislative and Regulatory Update   • Gold Prospecting for Better or Worse: Golden Memories