Prospecting & Detecting
Mom Finds 3.72-Carat Yellow Diamond
September 2019 by Scott Harn
“Much of the ground where Ms. Hollingshead found her diamond is made of unweathered volcanic rock. When it rains, flowing runoff often leaves loose gravel, and sometimes diamonds, on the surface in these areas.”
Our Readers Say
Hunting for Hardrock: The Basics

The "Madonna Nugget"—A Weekend Hunt to Remember
I worked my way to a flat area along a ridge where I could see a quartz blowout. As I got within 100 feet of it, I started seeing rock that I knew to be associated with gold.
Procuring Mine Owner Permission at a Mine Site
The first experience involved an overgrown gold mine operated during the 1880s. A razed mill adjoined the mine and could be glimpsed from the isolated public dirt road I was traveling.
Weathering, Erosion and Placers

The PIGMI—a DIY Crevice Tool

Prospecting Knowledge -- Pass It On!
I had two of the guys go down into the creek and each one picked out a small island of bedrock. I had them detect their piece of bedrock and then gave a critique to all on how they did.
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The Bawl Mill
• Ask The Experts - How do I remove the silvery-white coating from my gold?
• Ask The Experts - Is it possible to mine glacial moraine placer deposits?
• Ask The Experts - Why are some valid mining claims missing from apps when researching land status?
• Ask The Experts - Is using a drywasher legal in California
• A High Country Patch
• An Update On The Father's Day Gold Discovery
• Exploring The Historic Rand Mining District, Southern California
• Disturbing Trend: Federal Judges Disregard Mining Laws
• My First Carolina Nugget
• How to Refine Silver—Pt I
• Step-by-Step Crevicing
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
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Legislative and Regulatory Update
• PLP Update: How to Restore The Rights of Suction Dredge Miners