Prospecting & Detecting
SS Central America Gives Up Millions in Gold Rush Era Gold
July 2018 by Ralph Wetterhahn
A treasure-seeking young man whose name will forever remain anonymous made the months-long journey either over land or by sailing ship to California after word spread about the gold strike in 1849.
All About Quartz—Part I
One of the first minerals most prospectors learn to recognize is quartz, because, in the right circumstances, it can be an excellent indicator mineral for prospectors. Quartz is common, easy to identify, and is often associated with gold and other valuable metal deposits.
Detector Brings New Life to An Old Lode Mine
…it was immediately evident the previous owner had not been using a detector. During just a few months of working the dumps part-time, he recovered gold in quartz specimens valued in excess of $40,000.
Ask The Experts
Problems finding gold with a detector
Pros and Cons of Big Detector Coils
Years later I returned with a new detector with a smaller coil and detector technology more sensitive to smaller nuggets. I found my first nugget within five minutes. I had a second five minutes after that.
Dredging Backwards?
Before I tell you what dredging backwards is, I’ll tell you why my team and I decided to give this very unconventional dredging method a try.
Excavator Testing Wet Placer Ground
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.
Proper Placer Sample Processing
...your sampling procedures should not be designed to catch gold your mining technique will never recover.
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• Falcon Fanatic: Journey of a Novice Detectorist
• Las Médulas—The Gem of the Roman Gold Mines
• Critical Minerals: Titanium
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PLP Update: Back to The 'Swamp' on Behalf of Small Miners
