Let us help you recover valuable metals. 888-437-1187

Magazine

Prospecting & Detecting

Articles Per Page

Stories, tips & tricks

Drywashing Without A Drywasher


After trading for a specialized gold detector, my gold finds went up in a hurry. Even though those older gold detectors were pretty good, things have changed a lot since then.

Late Fall Drywashing


Part of the good thing about this spot is that it is not that far from my home in the famous Virginia City mining district. Not everyone knows this, but the first discoveries around that area were gold placers.

Residual Placers: An Often Overlooked Gold Source


Because the forces of erosion and gravity tend to carry lighter materials like quartz away more easily, the heavy minerals like gold or silver will tend to be concentrated in the general area around the vein outcrop. These concentrations are what make residual placers so attractive.

Advertisement
Home of the Original Gold Claimer

A Short History of Hydraulic Mining in California


To add to the confusion, the dam wasn’t holding back a large amount of water. It was full of gravels and had a small creek running through it. I had to know more.

An Early Christmas Gift


The larger nuggets were all old channel gold, smooth and water-worn. I guessed that a few of them would push a bit under one-half-ounce apiece.

Gold Basin & Mass Wasting


Some of these events can cause half of an entire mountain to plummet down into a gorge or canyon, damming up a stream system and causing a flood when the earthen dam finally breaks from the water backing up behind it.

Advertisement
Micron Mill Wave Tables, assay supplies, concentrators, impact mills, technical books & more!

How Far To The Gold?


…in spite of the fact that the well-pounded spots probably don’t have much gold left, I see all too many prospectors hike down to a creek or other spot at the first place the road comes near it just because it’s the easiest access point.

Gold Prospecting for Better or Worse: Warm Buttocks and Frozen Assets


Luckily, at about that time, I buddied up with a somewhat cantankerous, but very helpful, guy named Rod. He had become a local legend for his ability to consistently find gold.

The Joys of Desert Prospecting


…since many miners have wandered these hills over the years, you have to sometimes be a little more creative and unconventional in your methods to hopefully find new deposits.

Advertisement
We have all the equipment you need! PLUS, Help us name our Fluorescent Mineral Shaft and win some PAYDIRT! Call for details!!

Cherry-Picking for Gold Nuggets


We have a location where nuggets over an ounce have been detected over the past twenty years. This location is a small hilltop on which an ancient river channel once flowed.

Using A Blasting Machine in Rock Breaking


Whatever system you plan to use will require a way to safely initiate the explosives from a distance. In this article, we’re going to learn the basics of electric blasting and get a hands-on example…

Gold Prospecting for Better or Worse: Tangling With A Desert Monster


It all occurred when Gus and I returned to a remote placer gold area where we had previously found really good gold. The problem was that it would take about an hour to walk through the desert to get to it.

Advertisement
The BEST Mining Group - and we SELL CLAIMS TOO!

Another Prospecting Adventure: Coulterville


What also helped keep Coulterville alive was the fact that the town itself happened to be sitting on top of one of the richest veins in the Mother Lode. The ledge itself was three hundred feet wide.

Seven Important Attitudes for the Successful Prospector


What makes the difference between successful prospectors and those who struggle? It just seems like there are some guys who stumble on gold no matter what they do. Are they just lucky?

Secrets of Gold Research and Why You Need It


Prospecting may not be as much fun as it once was. If that sounds like you and you want to figure out what to do to get back on the gold and be successful, I’ve got the answer: Research.

Advertisement
Get the pitch correct on your sluice box!

Detecting 'New Again' Spots


Over the years I have a long list on my computer and in my head of places to detect. Combining newer detectors with old and proven sites has become a blessing for my friends and me.

Downieville: Another Gold Rush Favorite


I didn’t know what to expect because the area we were working was not close to the water, but we were pleasantly surprised when we began to pan out some nice flakes and a few pickers.

Placer Sampling for the Small-Scale Miner


I have seen many samples taken originally with an eye toward getting the highest grades possible, but later someone claims that those results represent an average grade of the whole gravel deposit.

Advertisement

Gold Prospecting for Better or Worse: The Disappearing Nuggets


Gold probably is one of the easiest things in the world to cheat an absentee owner out of. He would generally have no way of really knowing if a guy had found 3 nuggets or 30 nuggets on his claim.

Commercial Placer Mining: Alaska Style


There are currently about 170 commercial-scale placer operations in Alaska. Most of these are small operations with just a few people working; they are often family affairs that operate seasonally only during favorable weather.

Advertisements

Precious Metals Recovery plants and equipment
Fighting to keep public lands open to the public
Specializing in the processing of precious metal ores!
Watch prospecting shows on your computer right now
Free Online Sample Issue