Seven Important Attitudes for the Successful Prospector

November 2021 by Chris Ralph

What makes the difference between successful prospectors and those who struggle? It just seems like there are some guys who stumble on gold no matter what they do. Are they just lucky?

Prospecting Australia—Part I

October 2011
The call of gold is a strong one and it has pulled men from every corner of the planet. That said, I guess it’s now my turn to chase far away gold.

Small-Scale Processing of Hard Rock Ores

December 2014
Depending on the ore and if significant sulfides are present, a hard rock miner may be able to get away with simply using a flux to digest the other minerals that may be present.

The Potholes—California’s Oldest Known Mining District

March 2020

Every time we prospected here we found gold, sometimes some really coarse flakes, but no large nuggets (yet).

Sniping for Gold

August 2012
Sniping for gold… what does it mean to you? To me, sniping is taking a mask and snorkel along with a screwdriver and squeeze bottle to search for gold lying on or in bedrock.

Grass Valley, Nevada City, Malakoff Diggings, Northern California

September 2022

The early miners sought their wealth in the creeks and rivers of the area but the true wealth was discovered by accident.

Detecting Old Ground Sluice Locations

December 2012
Ground sluicing, surfacing and scratching are a few names given to the recovery of gold in shallow areas. Where I live, the hills are dotted with small surface diggings.

Cherry-Picking for Gold Nuggets

November 2021

We have a location where nuggets over an ounce have been detected over the past twenty years. This location is a small hilltop on which an ancient river channel once flowed.

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