Prospecting & Detecting
Hunting for Hardrock: The Basics
December 2013 by Alex Dolbeare
Exposed veins and outcroppings can be a great source for gathering good gold ore for processing. Veins and outcroppings do require a lot of work to free the ore from its earthen grip, but this labor can be very rewarding.
12-Year-Old Unearths Large Diamond
It is the eighth largest brown diamond to be found and certified by park staff.
Deep Nuggets From The Strange Little Patch
I began detecting at the bottom of the gully and started making my way upstream. About mid-way there was a nice, flat stretch for about ten feet.
The Value of Old Patches
Nuggets make for the best memories and this patch was just adding to mine. In the hours of daylight I had left, I worked from that nugget to the bottom of the patch, collecting eight more nuggets.
Successful Detecting Requires Attention to Detail—Part I
So much of gold detecting depends on attention to detail. Every gold area offers its own distinct geological markers and as prospectors we must pick up on those markers.
Replacing Your 12-Volt Pump
In the “toolbox” of most every prospector there are certain tools that we tend to use consistently for a variety of reasons. Have you ever noticed that tools and equipment tend to wear out, rust and fall apart whether we use them or not?
The Madonna Nugget
It was down deeper than I expected for surface trash. It wasn't until I was down six inches that the target screamed from my scoop.
A Father and Son Prospecting Adventure
As I write this, I am still on a rush from taking my 9-year-old son, Jeffrey, prospecting for the first time this past weekend. It’s not that he hasn’t been along on numerous outings before: this is the first time that just the two of us went out for a day of drywashing and detecting under the desert sun.
Subscription Required:
The Bawl Mill
• Ask the Experts
• Ask the Experts
• Ask the Experts
• Sierra County Gold—Part I
• ICMJ's Annual Index
• Ophir—Possibly the Best Kept Secret in Alaska—Part II
• Gold in the San Francisco District Oatman, Mohave County, Arizona
• Heavy Glacial Rocks and Gold in the Midwest
• Strategic Metals—Part II
• The Amazing Mineral Tourmaline
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
Free:
Legislative and Regulatory Update
• It's the Bottom of the Ninth—And Not Just for California
• Our 29-Troy-Ounce Golden Blessing
