Prospecting & Detecting
Why Assaying Placer Gold Deposits Doesn't Work
October 2020 by Keith Bowen
Let’s set up a thought experiment: Suppose you had some material that ran one ounce per ton gold, which is generally considered high grade to fantastic grade depending on the circumstances.
Papa's Got A Brand New Dredge!
It was time to prime the pump and start the engine! Dan’s priming method is to use a small, submersible, 12-volt pump. My priming method is to use a hand-operated diaphragm pump.
Ten Detecting Tips for the Savvy Desert Prospector
Prospectors who specialize in nugget detecting are especially interested in this special desert type, as it produces nuggets that are close to the surface of the ground and therefore more suitable to be found with a detector.
Detecting Old Ground Sluice Locations
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.
Exploring The Historic Rand Mining District, Southern California
My largest nugget from this area is almost one-half ounce. I’ve found several smaller chunks and many pickers in addition to the fines and flakes that I put in my poke.
Putting Together A Small Free Gold Mill—Part II
There are many smaller old hard rock mines out there—more than you might think. There are some small hard rock properties that are even open to be claimed if one does the right amount of research to find them.
The Hunt for Remote Canyon Gold
A large, 8-pennyweight piece popped out of a very small crevice where the water had been extremely swift in the winter, leaving no visible gravel.
A Return to Silver City, Idaho
...we were able to pull out close to another 3+ ounces of small, angular Silver City gold. This also included several more small nuggets, pieces of wire gold and some quartz-gold pieces—not bad for 4 days with a small sluice.
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The Bawl Mill
• Ask The Experts - Too early to build the crusher?
• Ask The Experts - Time for small mine exemptions
• Ask The Experts - Should I be checking the culverts for gold?
• Sniping for Gold—The Next Best Thing to Dredging
• Hard Rock 101: Advanced Micro Blasting
• Now Is The Time For Exploration
• Gold in Unlikely Places—And 'Eating Crow'
• From Iowa to Alaska—How I Became A Gold Miner
• Jamestown and Our Mother Lode Gold Rush Adventures
• Gold Prospecting for Better or Worse: Those Blasted Boulders!
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
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