Prospecting & Detecting
Now Is The Time For Exploration
October 2020 by Chris Ralph
I’ve been following the precious metals for decades, and I haven’t seen a move this powerful in many years.
That First Nugget
After getting all the gear together we headed up the old road that led us to an old ground sluice site. George and Kaleb were using lightweight VLF (very low frequency) detectors. I carried a newer technology unit that is just a tad coil-heavy in the front.
My Introduction To Gold Prospecting
At the end of the day, Jerry showed me how to clean out the sluice box and then how to pan out the concentrates. As we finished panning, there it was—a little tiny smile of gold...
Hunting for Hardrock: The Basics
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.
A New Prospecting Spot
Once indicators start showing up along or below a contact I start to get excited. When I have shale, and outcroppings of diorite with iron-red, gritty soil and some clay thrown in, I really get lightheaded. I may be a mile away from the nearest diggings but that’s okay. I just found a spot that could provide some nice nugget hunting.
Placer Sampling for the Small-Scale Miner
I have seen many samples taken originally with an eye toward getting the highest grades possible, but later someone claims that those results represent an average grade of the whole gravel deposit.
Sampling Placer Stockpiles
Sampling other people's stockpiles or dumps has some inherent risks that sampling undisturbed ground does not have.
It's Not Always El Dorado
This was “pocket” country. All around were “pockets” that had been hand dug by old and new miners.
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• Ask The Experts - Too early to build the crusher?
• Ask The Experts - Time for small mine exemptions
• Ask The Experts - Should I be checking the culverts for gold?
• Sniping for Gold—The Next Best Thing to Dredging
• Hard Rock 101: Advanced Micro Blasting
• Gold in Unlikely Places—And 'Eating Crow'
• From Iowa to Alaska—How I Became A Gold Miner
• Jamestown and Our Mother Lode Gold Rush Adventures
• Why Assaying Placer Gold Deposits Doesn't Work
• Gold Prospecting for Better or Worse: Those Blasted Boulders!
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
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