Hard Rock 101: Micro Blasting

July 2020 by John Norman

Micro blasting can be used to take down hanging rock, separate minerals from overburden, and collect gemstones and other high-value product with minimal damage.

Finding Gold with a VLF Detector—Part III

June 2014
The higher the sensitivity setting, the louder and sharper the signal from a gold nugget or other metal target.

How to Upgrade Your Pocket Plunger

November 2016
These three simple upgrades, when taken together, will considerably increase a pocket plunger’s magnetic pull and make it less susceptible to breakage.

Guinea Africa: Gold, Ebola, and A Monkey Barbecue

November 2014
Doubters be informed, yes, there is gold in Africa—lots of gold—and all the good and bad that comes with it.

Small-Scale Processing of Hard Rock Ores

December 2014
Depending on the ore and if significant sulfides are present, a hard rock miner may be able to get away with simply using a flux to digest the other minerals that may be present.

Revisiting The Old Mini Patch

April 2019

Today, the greatest gold rushes occur due to technological advances capable of discovering gold where it once was extremely unlikely or difficult.

A Break in the Weather

May 2017

Back at the entry point of the mine, we took turns slowly crawling down the slope leading into the mine portal with our metal detectors, hard hats and flashlights. The mine was hand dug and is about 75 yards long.

Sierra County Gold—Part I

December 2013
...this county contained some of the richest placer ground found in all of California and still produces some pretty impressive finds to this day.

Subscription Required:
The Bawl Mill   • Ask The Experts - Can GPR be used for lode prospecting?   • Ask The Experts - How do I extract gold from pyrite?   • Ask The Experts - Should I dig faint sounds with no indicator bars while detecting?   • Ask The Experts - Should the detector sound on iron and nickel in a gold area?   • Sluicing and Detecting Downstream   • Tips and Tricks   • Gold Prospecting for Better or Worse: Does Caliche Grow?   • 10 Keys to Prospecting Like A Pro   • Polymetallic Skarn Deposits   • Practical Advice for Milling Hard Rock Ores   • Speed Prospecting for Hard Rock Gold   • Forrest Fenn Treasure Chest Finally Found?   • Melman on Gold & Silver   • Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices

Free:
Legislative and Regulatory Update   • PLP Update