Prospecting & Detecting
Understanding Rock Formations: Petrology for Prospectors
February 2021 by Chris Ralph
There are times when being able to recognize a type of rock can make you a much more successful prospector.
A Prospecting Adventure in Mexico
There you’re expected to be personally responsible in making decisions, and yes, it can be costly. When you are responsible for your own life, you live life more, and with it you certainly risk more.
Mining for Gemstones and Mineral Specimens

Iron Minerals, Your Detector and Gold

A Break in the Weather
Back at the entry point of the mine, we took turns slowly crawling down the slope leading into the mine portal with our metal detectors, hard hats and flashlights. The mine was hand dug and is about 75 yards long.
Introduction to Meteorites

Pot Hole Gold

Coprolite—A Prospector's Tale

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The Bawl Mill
• Ask The Experts - Where did the gold go?
• Ask The Experts - True north or magnetic north?
• Ask The Experts - How do I avoid claim jumping?
• Ask The Experts - Are closed placer and lode claims worth my time?
• Gold Geochemistry: Where Does Gold Come From?
• Goal Setting and Rock Tossing
• Principles of Designing Your Mill Production System, Part II: Mill Design
• Gold Prospecting for Better or Worse: A Claim to Die For
• Tips and Tricks: How to Make Your Own Gold Bars Without Burning the Place Down
• Minnesota Lawmakers Move to Stop New Mines
• Drywashing for Desert Gold—Part I
• Seven Troy Ounces of Premonition?
• I Was Looking for Gold But I Found Jade
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices