Prospecting & Detecting
Thinking Outside The Creek
March 2015 by Shannon Poe
Imagine for a minute the year is 1850. You’ve read and heard that gold was discovered in California and the creeks are so rich you can just scoop it up with your hands.
A Model Mining Operation
After he excavates the ore down to bedrock, he goes over the bedrock with a metal detector to ensure he didn't leave any gold behind before he backfills the area.
Sulfides and Intergrain Gold Wire Nuggets
...these nuggets have not traveled far from the lode because the golden wire lattices would have been torn apart or flattened during weathering of rock and deposition by violent stream action.
Prospecting Hard Rock
We panned out maybe three gold pans of the material and we were shocked at the gold that was there. This rock appeared to be rich.
Following the Clues
It took me awhile before I finally got a nice mellow signal. My nugget turned out to weigh in about two dwt (pennyweight). Over the next few hours, we all picked up a few more nuggets apiece.
Small-Scale Processing of Hard Rock Ores
Depending on the ore and if significant sulfides are present, a hard rock miner may be able to get away with simply using a flux to digest the other minerals that may be present.
Rediscovering Placerville, California
Several areas came to mind, but each was eliminated for one reason or another. One that seemed to be hanging on was the old historic mining town called Placerville.
The Hunch
The mysteries of this spot were only just starting to develop. There is nothing but very bland granite-type rocks here, meaning no bold, favorable indicators.
Subscription Required:
The Bawl Mill
• Our Readers Say
• Ask The Experts
• Ask The Experts
• Ask The Experts
• Just Another Ordinary Weekend
• Small-Scale Hard Rock Mining With Water Recycling
• The Paragenesis of Gold & Silver Deposits
• Getting A Successful Start in Metal Detecting for Gold
• Placer Mining At Chititu Creek, Alaska
• Gold Rush Continues in Africa
• Gold Refining In The Ancient World
• Tasers and Mining Don't Mix
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
