History & Geology
The Downieville Gold District
January 2011 by Chris Ralph
Many locals are just waiting for California to allow dredging once more, especially with the current gold prices. There are still plenty of good opportunities for prospectors in this area, just as it has been for so many years.
Testing Ores for Free Gold
I get a number of questions from people about testing and treating hard rock ores. The simplest way, but also an expensive one, is to just have an assay test done by an independent assay firm. As an alternative...
The Potholes—California’s Oldest Known Mining District
Every time we prospected here we found gold, sometimes some really coarse flakes, but no large nuggets (yet).
Critical Minerals: Tungsten
Because tungsten minerals are heavy, exploration can be done using stream sediment samples. Prospectors looking for gold have found scheelite or wolframite in their placer concentrates, and in some cases this has led them to make important tungsten finds.
Gold Deposits of the Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast has considerable gold reserves, and this nation has the largest area of greenstone belts prospective for gold in the continent.
Why Is The Gold On Bedrock—Or Why Is It Not?
Gold on the bedrock is a good rule of thumb, but not one that is 100 percent effective. There are plenty of exceptions. So, how does a prospector recognize those exceptions?
Gemstones to Die For
Some gems can potentially poison you, make you sterile and even make you forget who you are.
The Gold, Silver and Base Metal Mines of Eureka, Nevada
...the area around Eureka, Nevada is well mineralized and seems to have a bright potential for future production of all sorts of metals.
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