50-50 black sand/ regular sand

[bluveinthrobber]

Ive googled and sesrched this site and still cant find exactly what im looking for but who knows maybe im not looking for the right info. Here it goes. When i have been panning some sand i have been getting it classified down to 1/16 of an inch as i am on the hunt for fine gold. When i am panning it off and it gets down to the last bit i am having trouble refining the last bit down to just black sand and cant pan any further without losing some of the possible good stuff, so then i am unable to tell if there is any color in my pan at all. What are some things i may be over looking? I have youtubed, googled, and even searched here without finding much on this topic

 

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[goldog]

Swirling. The bump. Tap. Walking the gold out. And a sniffer bottle. Some people use a magnet.

When you've panned off all you can, swirl gently to wash away the lighter black sand. The gold is under it. Gently! So the gold will, stay.

Wash the sand a good bit from the edge of the pan bottom. The tap the top of the pan. Firm but again, gentle. Any gold will go toward the edge.

Then just suck it up with your snuffer bottle.

 

[bluveinthrobber]

Mind blown! How did i not think of the snuffer bottle. Ill let you know how it works out. I got my material not too far away from the haile gold mine so im almost certain its there!

 

[FFFPatriot]

A couple drops of Jet Dri in your pan when you get down towards the good stuff helps to break the surface tension of the water in your pan and stop the fine gold from floating around.

 

[bluveinthrobber]

Hmm thats interesting. I take it laundry detergent would essentially do the same?

 

[mytimetoshine]

pan down as far as you can and dump into separate catch pan or bucket etc. and then take all that black sand home and run it through a Gold cube or table.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk

 

[N-Lionberger]

dont use detergent you can actually float gold dust on the bubbles, use jet dry and not too much as it can also make bubbles.

 

[KevinInColorado]

pan down as far as you can and dump into separate catch pan or bucket etc. and then take all that black sand home and run it through a Gold cube or table.

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This! Or just pan carefully at home. Maybe like this: http://findinggoldincolorado.com/finish-processing-your-concentrates-after-a-day-of-digging/

 

[bluveinthrobber]

Ok awesome. Definitely makes sense about the bubbles. How much color in each pan would it take to make the panning worth it?

 

[arizau]

Finding color at all is the key. That at least lets you know that the creek or what/where ever you are panning has anything at all. If it does then try to find a spot that has more by test panning. If nothing is found where you are looking then seek out other locations. If you were to provide your general location* then maybe someone who is familiar with the area will give you some tips on where to look or some sources for you to do your own research. As to whether it is worth it....everyone on this forum has their own individual standard and not all expect to have their efforts keep them in the black though they undoubtedly hope to.

Good luck and welcome to the forum.

* Best done by editing your profile by at least adding the state.

 

[bluveinthrobber]

I am in sumter south carolina, but where i was panning was approx 20 minutes west /slighty northwest of haile gold mine in kershaw lancaster area.

 

[Duckshot]

How much color in each pan would it take to make the panning worth it?

That's a decision you are going to have to make yourself.

I got a vial of gold i sluiced from Wisconsin. It's about 100 pieces or so and all of them together are less then one grain. It was worth it.

 

[bluveinthrobber]

Ya i guess it is probably subjective

 

[Duckshot]

Yeah it is.

Here's a tip- get ahold of a plastic pipette. Sometimes I can either chase the black sand away from the gold, or blow the gold away from the black sand with a pipette.

 

[bluveinthrobber]

Ok so this is what was left after going through a pan of stuff i had. I panned off everything including 98% of the black sand. I was real patient and careful and this is whats left, my eyes are playing tricks on me, can anyone see even the tiniest of anything or is this just some odd colored sand?

 

[bluveinthrobber]

Another view

 

[bluveinthrobber]

last one

 

[Duckwalk]

I see sand in the pan but that does not mean there is not gold. When you swirl the pan, does all of the material move easily? Gold (even the tiny stuff) is much heavier than you may think. If it moves freely, its most likely just sand. If it stays still while the other material moves around, it could be gold. Another test would be to put some on a plate and get a knife. Push the point of the knife onto a single "grain" of material. If it shatters like glass, its not gold.

 

[bluveinthrobber]

Well some of it will move quite easily but then some of it is pretty stubborn and takes quite a bit more to move, some of it can definitely tell is small flecks of sand but some of it does have a gold color instead of a beigeish color. I guess im confused as to why sand would be left after the black sand is removed. Just figured since the black was heavier itd be the last to go next to gold.

 

[bluveinthrobber]

Ima pick some suspecting grains out and do the knife thing. And next time im using my bigger black pan as this color is hard on my eyeballs