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.

Turning Hobby Mining into Business Mining

March 2013
The first thing a person should do is seriously consider whether they want to go mining as a hobby or a business, and the tax implications of the choice.

Clearing the Nugget Trap with a Detector

June 2020

On the day prior to Mother’s Day I was able to get out and spend a few hours prospecting. I wanted to try some new settings on my detector, and I had a place in mind to do that.

Buyer Beware! Counterfeit Metal Detectors

August 2013
When I was recently in West Africa, I got to see and play with my first, phony, Chinese knock-off metal detector.

Pros and Cons of Big Detector Coils

December 2016
Years later I returned with a new detector with a smaller coil and detector technology more sensitive to smaller nuggets. I found my first nugget within five minutes. I had a second five minutes after that.

Sunset Sunbaker

July 2017

He began hiking my way and was as astonished as I was when he saw it. Another high five moment! It makes you wonder how long this gold had just been sitting there on the ground.

Prospecting for Pegmatites

July 2015

…in some cases pegmatites have produced individual mineral crystals that are enormous, attaining lengths of over 40 feet long, and many of the world’s largest mineral crystals are examples that were found within pegmatite deposits.

This is Why You Check Your Tailings

September 2014
The nugget was cast aside with larger rocks during the screening process, but it was found later by an employee...

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