How To
Mining Claims—What to Know Before You File
April 2011 by Chris Ralph
During the initial assessment year (the year of location), the claim maintenance fee must be paid at the time the notice of location is filed with the Bureau of Land Management. Failure to pay the claim maintenance fee will void the claim.How Long Does It Take to Find and Recover An Ounce of Gold?
Some ask if a prospector can collect an entire ounce in a day. It is possible; I’ve done it before.
Fine Gold Panning Without Using Mercury
The technique I will describe is a much safer alternative and it works. It’s a fine-gold panning technique that eliminates the need for mercury amalgamation of most placer samples.
Cutbacks at S. African Mines—Britain Blamed
South African gold miners are turning their anger towards Britain, charging that the sale of 25 tons of gold by the Bank of England has depressed gold prices and put them out of work.
Dry Washer, Wet System or Metal Detector?

Hard Rock 101: Breaking Rock—Part I
What do you do when you’ve located a promising deposit of gold or gemstones, but it’s trapped in solid rock?
Testing Ores for Free Gold

Sampling for Success—Part I
All these decisions and more depend on the richness of a claim—something that is determined by sampling. But sampling isn’t cheap, and even collecting the samples can be more difficult than it appears on the surface.
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The Bawl Mill
• Prospecting Underground: Use Caution
• Small-Scale Concentrating and Recovery Methods
• 5th Circuit Ruling May Benefit Miners
• Indicator Minerals for Gold & Silver
• Mud Men: Pocket Miners of Southwest Oregon Part III
• Legislative and Regulatory Update
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
• Silver Mining Returning to Texas
Free:
A New Look at Old Mines
• Proposed Regulations for California Suction Dredging