Volume is the Key to Success

June 2017 by Alan J. Chenworth

While recovery rates are important, they must necessarily be secondary to the volume of material processed. Running more material at lower recovery rates is generally preferable to increasing the efficiency of the system.

A Few Pointers About Cracks and Crevices

October 2013
Because these crevices catch and hold gold so well, it's worthwhile to learn how they form, which ones are good for catching gold and which ones are not.

Detector Prospecting Accessories

January 2016

One of the first things to consider but that many people ignore is ergonomics. Prospecting for gold can involve long hours, often for days or weeks on end.

Southern Oregon's Illinois River—A Lesson in Sharing

November 2013
Our theory was that a dredge would collect far more material in a shorter period of time, leaving us with ounces of gold every day.

Mutiny on The Mason

February 2019

We decided to check some spots that were pretty good to us on previous trips. The detector was deceptively simple with few buttons and auto-ground balance.

Prospector Unearths Huge 'Duck’s Foot' Nugget

October 2018

A retired gold prospector spent hours digging up his fortune in the northern goldfields near Kambalda, Western Australia, after finding the target with his metal detector.

Good Assays and Bad

January 2012
The high prices for gold and silver are exciting and certainly have revolutionized the prospecting and mining scene. New interest in gold and silver mining is springing up from every corner, from individual prospectors armed with gold pans to exploration and mining companies working to set up multimillion dollar commercial operations producing hundreds of thousands of ounces per year. The idea of getting riches from rocks is one that motivates a lot of folks all over the globe. It’s an exciting time, but this excitement brings out another side...

Detecting Old Ground Sluice Locations

December 2012
Ground sluicing, surfacing and scratching are a few names given to the recovery of gold in shallow areas. Where I live, the hills are dotted with small surface diggings.

Subscription Required:
The Bawl Mill   • Ask The Experts: What indicator rocks should I be looking for in northern Nevada?   • Ask The Experts: What to do with scheelite   • Ask The Experts: Small-scale drilling   • Quartzsite Gives Up Some Big Gold   • Prospecting After Winter Storms   • How to Stake Your Own Claim—Researching Mining Claims   • The Birthday Nugget Patch   • MMAC Update   • The Goldfield Mining District, Nevada—Part I   • Getting Started   • Melman on Gold & Silver   • Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices

Free:
Legislative and Regulatory Update