Prospecting & Detecting
How Far Has That Gold Traveled?
February 2022 by Chris Ralph
Let’s examine why your placer gold looks the way it does and what you can tell about its journey based upon its appearance.
Mineralization, Ground Balance and Metal Detecting
The right ground balance setting for the conditions you are working is critical. If your detector isn’t set properly, you will lose depth of detection, sometimes to an extreme degree.
The Birthday Nugget Patch
Down around 10 or 12 inches I hit a large cobble that appeared to be one type of hot rock for this area. I thought bad things about the new technology until I checked the rock.
Prospecting Research
These are just some of the ways I have been able to find new spots to metal detect for gold.
Benefits of a Detecting Partner

Detecting Old Ground Sluice Locations

Keep Watch for The Unexpected
As I have always done, I stashed those heavy black rocks in my pack and put them in the garden at home. They never were given a second thought until a half decade later…
Feather River Gold

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• Ask The Experts - Claim staking as a job?
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• Small High-Grade Pocket Districts
• Underwater Reclamation
• Gold Detecting—Are You Up For It?
• Crystallized Gold Mines of California
• Gold Prospecting for Better or Worse: Never Go Alone
• Prepping Your Gold Detecting Spots
• 'Outer Space' Diamond Headed for Auction
• Melman on Gold & Silver
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