All Articles
Lamproites and Diamonds
November 2002 by W. Dan Hausel
Most prospectors are aware that diamonds are sometimes found in kimberlite, but few are aware that diamonds are also found in another rock type known as lamproite. Lamproite is a very rare volcanic rock that often...
Ask the Experts
Dust and dry washing
How to Melt Your Own Gold
There are good and bad ways to melt gold. In this article, we’ll take a look at the right way to melt gold without losing any of the valuable metal.
Good Assays and Bad
The high prices for gold and silver are exciting and certainly have revolutionized the prospecting and mining scene. New interest in gold and silver mining is springing up from every corner, from individual prospectors armed with gold pans to exploration and mining companies working to set up multimillion dollar commercial operations producing hundreds of thousands of ounces per year. The idea of getting riches from rocks is one that motivates a lot of folks all over the globe. It’s an exciting time, but this excitement brings out another side...
Melman on Gold & Silver
…for a change, it is time to turn away from the Trump-Mueller frenzy and concentrate once again on some of the other sources of information which can present us with valuable information related to our precious metals.
"I Got Dusted"
Out of the blue Archie mentioned, "I was dusted." My dad misunderstood and thought Archie had developed silicosis, then known and feared as "miners lung."
Alternative Financing Alternatives
How can a miner or prospector take advantage of these speedy financing options while avoiding the risks associated with borrowing from so-called “shadow banks?”
Gold of Plumas County
Plumas County has a rich heritage of gold mining, much of it from placer deposits that can still be searched and panned today. Being at the far northern end of California’s famed Mother Lode, it is quite often overlooked by those searching for gold today—really a well-kept secret after all of these years!
Subscription Required:
The Bawl Mill
• Our Readers Say
• Working the Belmont Mine, Butte, Montana—1953 (Part 2)
• A Real Placer Miner
• Mojave Desert Gold
• Miner Unhappy After Judge Dismisses Charges
• Picks & Pans: Fig Tree, Grape Vine and Good Gold
• Sluicing on Bedrock
• Sandstone Silver in Texas
• A Few Prospecting Notes From Jim Straight
• Explorers to Salvage Gold-Laden Ship
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
• Looking Back







