Prospecting & Detecting
Grass Valley, Nevada City, Malakoff Diggings, Northern California
September 2022 by Dan Stanton
The early miners sought their wealth in the creeks and rivers of the area but the true wealth was discovered by accident.
Our 29-Troy-Ounce Golden Blessing
I picked up a noticeably heavy, fist-sized chunk of what I thought was a heavy piece of iron. After wiping some of the dirt and clay off, I still didn't know what on earth this object was.
Prospecting for Liberated Gold
Some will doubt its value given the ultra-fine particle size… Some will become encouraged about not having to incur significant time and expense to break rock.
How to Research Prospecting Locations and Mining Claims
If you are interested in researching mining claims for any purpose, you will first have to decipher the BLM’s LR2000, a Rube Goldberg database seemingly designed by a 1980s Soviet-era computer hacker.
Determining The Optimal Crushing Size for Gravity Recovery
It’s not easy to figure out what is best without testing, and so a certain level of confusion has developed about how small the ore ought to be crushed.
Dredging Do's and Don'ts
I’d start the day by crawling out of my dome tent, cooking up some Spam and eggs, and heating water for instant coffee on the Coleman stove.
Rattler's Gold
Rick donned a pair of fiberglass shin guards that he normally wore dredging, just in case he uncovered the rattlesnake during his digging and rock moving. I wasn’t convinced they were going to provide enough protection.
Where to Find Gold in Indiana—Part II
Part I of the article addressed modern placer gold deposits. This second installment will address “ancient” flood deposits.
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Geology of Placer Deposits: Reading a River
• Let Nature Help
• Electronic Prospecting: The Hunt for Coarse Gold
• Glacial Prospecting Basics Part 1
• Gleaning for Gold Part 2
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• Blast From the Past
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