Prospecting & Detecting
Weathering, Erosion and Placers
April 2017 by Chris Ralph
The big interest to prospectors thinking about the effect of erosion is not what might happen long into the future, but what they might find in the rivers later this summer when the water levels go down.
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Dry Washing to Capture Fine Gold
November 2013
There may be lots of smaller gold I cannot hear with a detector, but it looks just fine in my pan once it is out of the crevice.
There may be lots of smaller gold I cannot hear with a detector, but it looks just fine in my pan once it is out of the crevice.
What is a Valid Mineral Discovery?
February 2013
One of the greatest opportunities afforded to the citizens of our country is the right to stake and hold mining claims on federal lands. One doesn’t need to be a lawyer to stake mining claims, but a little bit of knowledge about mining claim laws can be helpful.
One of the greatest opportunities afforded to the citizens of our country is the right to stake and hold mining claims on federal lands. One doesn’t need to be a lawyer to stake mining claims, but a little bit of knowledge about mining claim laws can be helpful.
Maitland Bar Nugget to Go On Display
January 2016
The box sat in a hallway and employees began using it for impromptu cricket games, no knowing what it contained.
The box sat in a hallway and employees began using it for impromptu cricket games, no knowing what it contained.
Pocket Gold
June 2016
Once a seam is found it can be traced for miles in either direction. While you are tracing a clay line, you are looking for indicators. The indicators that I look for are ironstone, hematite, different color clays intermingled with the clay line, and a very iron-rich, brown gritty soil.
Once a seam is found it can be traced for miles in either direction. While you are tracing a clay line, you are looking for indicators. The indicators that I look for are ironstone, hematite, different color clays intermingled with the clay line, and a very iron-rich, brown gritty soil.
Proper Assaying of Placer Samples
November 2012
The whole purpose of sampling mineralized ground is to measure the values in a small volume of material that would be representative of a much larger volume of similar material. The key word is representative. Chemical and fire assaying will not accurately represent placer deposits by themselves.
The whole purpose of sampling mineralized ground is to measure the values in a small volume of material that would be representative of a much larger volume of similar material. The key word is representative. Chemical and fire assaying will not accurately represent placer deposits by themselves.
Romancing the Lens
July 2014
...a large number of these aspiring miners developing their operations seemed to have missed "Placer Mining 101" somewhere along the way.
...a large number of these aspiring miners developing their operations seemed to have missed "Placer Mining 101" somewhere along the way.
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.
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.
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