Prospecting & Detecting
Geology of Placer Deposits: Reading a River
September 2022 by Chris Ralph
The exact point where you choose to dig for gold makes all the difference in the world.
What is a Valid Mineral Discovery?
One of the greatest opportunities afforded to the citizens of our country is the right to stake and hold mining claims on federal lands. One doesn’t need to be a lawyer to stake mining claims, but a little bit of knowledge about mining claim laws can be helpful.
Procuring Mine Owner Permission at a Mine Site
The first experience involved an overgrown gold mine operated during the 1880s. A razed mill adjoined the mine and could be glimpsed from the isolated public dirt road I was traveling.
Georgetown CA: A Historically Rich Mother Lode Treasure
The interesting thing about the Mother Lode area is that we can pretty much find at least a little gold in any creek or river (and even in some of the many dry gulches).
Ask the Experts
Heading for Australia to metal detect for gold. Tips? Suggestions?
The Gold of Plumas de Oro

Traders At JPMorgan Chase Indicted For Rigging Metal Prices
…the men sought to “inject false and misleading information about the genuine supply and demand for precious metals futures contracts into the markets, and to deceive other participants”…
Mining Claims: Breaking All The Commandments
So, I took the plunge. I decided on the maximum I would pay for the claim, then placed my bid. A day later I received a congratulations e-mail that I was the high bidder, and oh, by the way, send us your money.
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Online 3D version Coming Soon
• Grass Valley, Nevada City, Malakoff Diggings, Northern California
• Let Nature Help
• Electronic Prospecting: The Hunt for Coarse Gold
• Glacial Prospecting Basics Part 1
• Gleaning for Gold Part 2
• PLP Update
• Blast From the Past
• Resource Maven
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