Prospecting & Detecting
Placer Gold Deposits in the Western States
March 2021 by Chris Ralph
…to see the huge differences between the gold production amounts of the Western States, let’s look at the gold production—both hard rock and placer—of these 13 states up to the present.
Revisiting Old Haunts
I had some success following this premise this summer, finding a few nuggets in places I think I overlooked in the past.
The Life of an Independent Prospector
“JP, is it possible to make a living looking for gold with a metal detector?” I get asked this question a lot...
Prospecting for Gold in Baja California
It was one of those awkward situations as we walked, fatigued and too thirsty to speak a word.
Backwards Find
I furiously started pulling material out of the side wall and putting it in my scoop. It didn't take long to discover that the source of the scream was from a one-ounce chunk...
Speed Prospecting for Hard Rock Gold
An online video gave me some ideas, and with a lot of trial and error I developed a reliable method of panning free gold particles down below 35 microns quickly and easily.
The Unusual Forest Nugget Patch
This is the story of a nugget patch I’ve been working on that is a bit unusual. I won’t be telling you where it is located, but I will tell you how I found it and how I’ve worked it.
Nice Specimen Gold Recovered in Northern California
Each specimen is carefully examined to determine if it would be beneficial or not to use an acid treatment to reveal more of the gold.
Subscription Required:
The Bawl Mill
• Ask The Experts - Info on Santa Cruz beach placers?
• Ask The Experts - Detectors and flour gold
• Ask The Experts - Why is the gold in these clays?
• Ask The Experts - Can you explain colloidal gold?
• Ask The Experts - Where did this kimberlite come from?
• Ask The Experts - Can gold particles combine to form a nugget?
• Evaluating Gold Recovery with Mass Balance Calculations
• Clues for Detecting Ancient River Channels and Flats
• What Is Your Grade?
• State of Idaho Looks to Invest in Gold and Silver
• Colorado Uranium Mining in the 1950s Boom
• Drywashing for Desert Gold—Part II
• Decoding Dredge Capacity
• I Just Tripped Over A Nugget
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
