Browse Articles | ICMJs Prospecting & Mining Journal

While there is no metal detector that will see only gold, there is a device that can reliably distinguish gold from lead, copper, iron or other metals. It is an X-Ray fluorescence tester, sometimes called an XRF gun.

Legislative and Regulatory Update

November 2012
• BLM to raise fees again
• Roadless Rule stands
• Suit filed over dredging restrictions in Washington State
• NWMA lends support
• California suction gold dredging lawsuits progressing

Gold Dredging on Oregon's South Umpqua

November 2012

Familiarizing oneself with an unfamiliar part of the country is often a requirement of successful gold prospecting. In the pursuit of gold, it may become necessary for a prospector to branch out into new hunting grounds.

The Struggle to Reopen Alaska's Largest Gold Mine

November 2012
The historical AJ mine, located east of Juneau, Alaska, was considered the largest gold mine in the state at one time. Joe Juneau and Richard Harris struck gold there in 1880, and it has been more recently known as a tourist destination.

Prospecting With a Detector: Lessons Learned

November 2012

That is the course and intention for this article—to wander through some of the lessons I have learned in my thirty-two years of metal detecting and prospecting.

The Rush to Treasure Hill

November 2012
There were some exceptional times in the far-flung history of the West. Rich finds of minerals that set men’s souls ablaze. From the rich gold fields of California, men who arrived too late to find riches went searching in every direction. The trail that we will follow leads east, past the shining silver district of the Comstock Lode.