Prospecting & Detecting
Just Feel The Heft of It
June 2022 by R. V. Larson
“Just feel the heft of it!” Those were the words that lit the fire that created a prospector. Before I tell you what took place, I have a desire to tell you when and where it took place.
Sierra County Gold—Part I
...this county contained some of the richest placer ground found in all of California and still produces some pretty impressive finds to this day.
Detecting Alone -- What to Look For
I figure there are a lot of new people out there who have the same question. I will try to give some answers that hopefully will give you more confidence in finding your own spots.
Critical Minerals: Titanium—Part II
There are both hard rock and beach sand types of titanium deposits, but the hard rock deposits need to be at least 10 percent titanium while the beach sands often are economic with only two or three percent titanium.
Habits, Procedure, and Where Is The Gold?
In my early days of nugget hunting things were fairly simple. Just headphones, a pack, a detector and a small pick were all I needed for my search for great wealth.
Sold: 87-Ounce Nugget
A gold prospector in central Victoria, Australia stumbled across an 87-ounce gold nugget in early February 2015, after his wife told him to head outside to get some air. He had given up smoking a few weeks prior and was getting a bit “grumpy,” she told him.
Sunset Sunbaker
He began hiking my way and was as astonished as I was when he saw it. Another high five moment! It makes you wonder how long this gold had just been sitting there on the ground.
What About Palladium?
Palladium may well be an underexplored element and therefore an opportunity for prospectors and geologists. This is because they are often less than obvious and other than the native metals, a chemical analysis of samples is required to identify PGM-enriched rocks.
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The Bawl Mill
• Why The Paper Change?
• Ask The Experts - When do I use detector discrimination?
• Ask The Experts - Is gold found in limestone?
• Ask The Experts - Can pyrite crystals be the same color as gold?
• How to Use BLM’s New Mineral and Land Records System
• A Short But Productive Hunt
• Blast from the Past: Jeff Casserly Tells His Own Story
• Old Dog(Fighter), New Trick
• Talking Metal Detectors with Brent Weaver of Garrett
• Strategies for Detecting Heavily Pounded Areas—Part III
• EPA Recommends Against Reissuing Permit for PolyMet Mine
• The Highs and Hazards of Desert Prospecting
• Proposed Nebraska Mine Has Sizeable Deposit of Rare Elements
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
• Melman on Gold & Silver
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Introducing ICMJ’s New Owners: Josh and Sherrie Reinke
• Legislative and Regulatory Update
• PLP Update
