History & Geology
The Silver, Gold and Gemstones of Candelaria, Nevada
February 2015 by Chris Ralph
The Candelaria area is of interest to prospectors not just for silver, gold and other metals, but also for the beautiful gemstones found there.
The Geology of Diamond Deposits
New theories have been developed and they may lead to new discoveries and give prospectors some new insight on where to look for diamonds.
All About Garnets
I get a lot of questions from prospectors about garnets, their value and what they tell us about the geology of some types of mineral deposits. So I thought it would be a good idea to take a closer look at the lowly garnet and learn a bit more about it.
Gold Deposition and Gradients of Placer Streams—Part I
When placer miners from the gold rush era began experimenting with the slope of their sluices, they must have pondered the ideal slope for trapping gold in a creek bed too. Logic suggests the same is true for streams...
The Wisdom of Mark Twain—And Tales of Cheating the Unwary Prospector
I (enjoy) Twain’s description of a gold mine, “A hole in the ground with a liar at the top.” Some humor here? You bet, but I’m sure he meant it to be a real eye opener as well.
Prospecting for Nickel Deposits
The periodic exploration efforts for nickel during periods of high prices have been sporadic and incomplete. There is a role for the prospector and geologist in searching laterites potentially rich in nickel and mafic igneous bodies that may be rich in nickel.
Copper Deposits of Alaska
Only the famous Kennecott copper mine was able to continue operating through the Depression owing to the exceptional richness of its ore.
Prospecting Homonyms
Three homonyms come to mind when I think of gemstones, gold and vegetables: carrot, carat and karat. Let’s look at carrot first.
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