The Coolgardie Gold Mining Camp of Southern California

August 2020 by Dan Stanton

The area was mined intermittently from around 1900 to 1915, but was also mined in the late 1800s, with a total output valued at about $100,000, which is around $9.5 million at the current gold price.

All About Trommels and Screens for Placer Gold Recovery

May 2022

The right speed accumulates only the heavy materials and allows all of the lighter stuff to flow through. This optimum speed is dependent on the size of the gravel you need to move through the system.

Colorado to California for Gold

January 2022

The total after a great day added with the previous days put them up to 9.07 pennyweight—just under a one-half ounce of beautiful California gold.

Rediscovering Placerville, California Part II

March 2011
To get to the gold, the miners had to remove the shale pieces and stack them on the sides while sluicing the remaining material through their boxes.

Hunting for Hardrock: The Basics

December 2013
Exposed veins and outcroppings can be a great source for gathering good gold ore for processing. Veins and outcroppings do require a lot of work to free the ore from its earthen grip, but this labor can be very rewarding.

Dredging Therapy

October 2016
The big moment finally arrived. With Norm suited up, I pulled the motor to life and felt instantly better. There’s really something relaxing about the sound of a dredge running—they don’t sound like anything else.

Ask the Experts

November 2012
Heading for Australia to metal detect for gold. Tips? Suggestions?

Coprolite—A Prospector's Tale

February 2014
Gold nuggets come in all forms, but I never expected that dinosaur nuggets would too, and at a decent price.

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