Gold Prospecting: For Better or Worse

September 2018 by Joe Chmiel

We all love to see that first glimmer of gold when it peeks out from under the black sand in our pan, or feel the weight of a nugget in our scoop when we dig a good target. But sometimes things don’t go quite so smoothly.

California: The Land of Big Nuggets—Part I

December 2017

The nugget sat there in plain sight, though it was covered in dirt, while hundreds of people had passed that way every day.

How Far Has That Gold Traveled?

February 2022

Let’s examine why your placer gold looks the way it does and what you can tell about its journey based upon its appearance.

Ask the Experts

May 2014
Setting up a gravity dredge

Hard Rock Prospecting With Rusty

May 2016

As we talked, Rusty stopped, backed up, bent down and began chipping at some rock in the road. He said he suspected there was a stringer right here that crossed the road.

Prospecting Australia—Part II: There and Back Again

November 2011
Steve got his first nugget within minutes of turning on his metal detector. It only took me about an hour to find my first piece.

Half Moons

September 2023

Chasing Those Crumbs

March 2023

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