The Half-Mile Claim

December 2019 by William Hepler

We dug and extracted for two more hours. This time, as I dumped the concentrates, I saw a piece of gold three-fourths of an inch long and as big around as a pencil.

Prospecting and Mining Old Mine Sites

December 2016
In some places valuable ores can be found within the waste material of mine dumps, sorted ore piles, and detrital vein matter at the surface. Though many of these old mine sites can be an excellent source of gold, not all are created equal.

How to Beat the Heat--and The Bedrock

October 2018

The pit was a classic one—exposed shale bedrock with all the material being washed out one end of the pit. Within a few minutes I had a nice mellow signal that was in open ground.

Gold And Snow What A Blast!

April 2023

More Desert Adventures in the Historic Rand Mining District, Southern California

The Life of an Independent Prospector

July 2012
“JP, is it possible to make a living looking for gold with a metal detector?” I get asked this question a lot...

Underground in the Original 16-1 Mine

August 2013
These days they employ the use of metal detectors and carefully scan the shattered rocks, hoping to hear that sound we detectorists love to hear.

Tucson Show Marketing

May 2012
Normally we do not cover gem and mineral shows, but this one is a little different. The Tucson (Arizona) Gem and Mineral show is the sales source for so many small mining operations, I felt I had to address this show and its possibilities for the small miner.

Dont Stop Learning

March 2023

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