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. 

Ask the Experts

January 2015
• How do I clean up gold encrusted with iron-sulfides?

Excavator Testing Wet Placer Ground

April 2013
The excavator or backhoe has become the tool of choice for testing placer ground. These machines are the best way to explore and sample a placer deposit if the ground is not too wet or frozen and bedrock is not beyond the reach of the machine.

Prospecting for Diamonds in Kimberlite

January 2014
Kimberlite is very difficult for geologists to find, let alone prospectors and rock hounds. This is because kimberlite is rarely exposed on the surface and few people know how to identify the rock.

How to Make a Rock Sled for Dredging

August 2017

When my “anonymous” friend told me the rock tub was probably a hundred miles from where he safely stashed it, I decided to build another sled and improve on my old design.

Volume is the Key to Success

June 2017

While recovery rates are important, they must necessarily be secondary to the volume of material processed. Running more material at lower recovery rates is generally preferable to increasing the efficiency of the system.

What Equipment Do I Need?

October 2014
Getting started in prospecting often requires the purchase of some equipment, but one can spend as little as $10 and be finding gold or spend thousands and also be finding gold—yet you will probably have many more opportunities and possibilities with more and better equipment. 

A Few Pointers About Cracks and Crevices

October 2013
Because these crevices catch and hold gold so well, it's worthwhile to learn how they form, which ones are good for catching gold and which ones are not.

Subscription Required:
The Bawl Mill   • Legislative and Regulatory Update   • Ask The Experts: How many claims can I file in Arizona?   • Ask The Experts: What should I do with a large amount of old placer concentrates?   • Shaker Tables for Processing Hard Rock Ores   • Becoming a Successful Detectorist   • Hand Panning Micro-Fine Gold   • My Lucky Thirteen Nuggets   • Crushing, Grinding and Pulverizing   • A Break in the Weather   • From the Editor   • Prospecting Knowledge -- Pass It On!   • Melman on Gold & Silver   • Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices   • Over The Divide: Miles John Mitchell

Free:
MMAC Update