Sampling, Hydro-Shocking & Cleaning Quartz-Gold Specimens

May 2017 by Reese Townes

Many specimens have a small amount of gold and are not pretty to look at. There is a nifty way to give them a makeover and make them much prettier than they were when you found them. 

Buying a Mining Claim: Questions to Ask

March 2013
At one time or another, many miners will look seriously at purchasing a mining claim...Usually it’s a significant financial commitment, so how do you know if you are getting a good deal?

How to Stake Your Own Claim—Researching Mining Claims

June 2017

Once you have determined that the land is locatable, the next step in the claim research process is to determine if the land has already been claimed by a previous locator.

Route Planning Using GPS

January 2019

My intention was to end this discussion with waypoints and routes, then I found USGS maps of the Plainfield Quadrangle.

Crushing Quartz in Calaveras County: A Placer Miner Learns New Tricks

June 2014
I had never run an impact mill before, but anything involving rocks, water and a big electric motor sounded great.

What, Where and How for the New Prospector

September 2013
How to go about the entire process of prospecting is a big question. The answer comes down to research and preparation.

Pocket Gold

June 2016
Once a seam is found it can be traced for miles in either direction. While you are tracing a clay line, you are looking for indicators. The indicators that I look for are ironstone, hematite, different color clays intermingled with the clay line, and a very iron-rich, brown gritty soil.

Extracting & Smelting Your Gold

February 2013
Unfortunately, not all the gold that we prospectors find is pretty, or appealing to the eyes. They are not all nice, bright, shiny nuggets with lots of character that carry high collector value.

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