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Goldfield—Princess of the Mojave
May 2005 by Bill Rich
The sunbeams are winding their way through the snowclouds. I am rising out of Death Valley to engage in some reverie, a journey into times past. Prospect pits, phantoms from boom times’ extinct, appear on the side of the road. Soon, I enter the Bullfrog Mining District.Big Rock Gold

Placer PGMs in Alaska
The state of Alaska is huge, over twice the size of Texas, with most of the population in just a few towns. The northern third of the state is north of the Arctic Circle, and vast regions are only sparsely populated.
Identifying the Noble Metals Simple Tests That Work
Using a porcelain evaporating dish, place concentrates or head ore, equal to a tablespoon, in 60cc of aqua regia. Boil almost to dry, then add 10cc HCl (hydrochloric or muratic acid) and heat for a few minutes, and then add 30cc of water and bring to boil. Let cool while the solids are being allowed to settle. Using a pipette...
The "Madonna Nugget"—A Weekend Hunt to Remember
I worked my way to a flat area along a ridge where I could see a quartz blowout. As I got within 100 feet of it, I started seeing rock that I knew to be associated with gold.
Legislative and Regulatory Update
• Critical minerals addressed in infrastructure bill
Utilizing Geologic Maps
Geologic maps generally appear complex and daunting, and certainly some are. However, many have information hidden within their bright splashes of colors and patterns that can aid the prospector who takes the time to study them.
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