Prospecting & Detecting
Sierra County Gold—Part II
January 2014 by Chris Ralph
...we will continue our examination of the rich streams and mining districts, and then take a look at some of the big nuggets that have been found here.
A Few Tips and Tricks for Beach Mining
When you think about the extremes to which a miner will go to get a little gold, it occurred to me beach gold could be "easy pickings."
Nevada's Lithium Boom
When prospecting for lithium, after confirming for macro attributes through research and field work, including examination of surface geology, the main tool is an accurate lithium assay.
Detectors: Past, Present and Future
Detectors were invented long before I was born, but it was in the 1960s when they started to become an item popular enough to power a fledgling industry. The key development was miniature transistor technology replacing the old fashioned tube technology of the 1950s, making lightweight, affordable detectors possible.
The Reason We Fight
Joy was written on his face, holding up the nugget—his first ever nugget—that he and his grandpa dug up together.
A Gold Mine on a Washington Beach?
Bela and Barbara Kovacs began prospecting for gold about seven years ago as a family orientated outdoors activity. A welder by trade and lured by the simple fact that beach sands can contain small bits of precious metals, Bela decided a few years ago to build a sand sucking contraption that can sift the shoreline for anything worth keeping.
Bedrock
I am going to break bedrock down a bit and explain my view of the varying scenarios I come across in the field.
Breaking Rock the Old School Way
Prospectors have many reasons why they might want to break rocks. These include dividing up a specimen too large to carry.
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• The Silver Islet Mountains of Utah
• Gold Placers of the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
• Alternative Gold Leaching Methods
• Over the Divide
• Prospecting for Diamonds in Kimberlite
• Additional Note Regarding "Strategic Metals—Part II"
• Take a Kid Detecting
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
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