L0STANDF0UND
Full Member
”Gold Fever and Prospecting”
The overwhelming feeling of excitement that erupts inside of you at the sight of a gold nugget in the bottom of your pan is one that few people are able to describe. Finding even a small flake of gold can lead to life-long symptoms of Gold Fever (the contagious excitement of a gold rush). Most people are skeptical about gold prospecting, they tend to laugh at the concept and consider it to be a waste of time. Those who laugh must be unaware of the riches that lay beneath the soil in their backyards, whether it be gold, or anything else of value. Gold can be found using a variety of methods. Gold-pans, Sluices, and Metal Detectors are great starting tools for people new to prospecting due to the fact they are inexpensive and somewhat easy to operate.
Although basic prospecting tools are user-friendly, finding gold is not considered an easy task. If it were, gold would have a lesser value and nobody would want it. That is the beauty of prospecting. Although gold is typically hard to find, the rewards of finding a small amount make the search worthwhile. Did you know that gold has been found in all of our country's fifty states? Placer gold is predominantly what is found throughout the Mid West. Placer gold consists of chunks and flakes of gold that over time break away from the Mother Loads (original deposits) in result of the Weathering Process (erosion of Earth's rocks, soils, and minerals). Placer gold's size can range from being as fine as flour, up to nuggets weighing a few grams or, on rare occasion, up to a few pounds. Gold-pans, Sluices, and Metal Detectors are the most simplistic tools used to find placer gold. When I say simplistic, I mean that even young children often find gold using these tools.
Before heading out to find your first piece of gold, you should check for local reports of gold being found in your area. Most gold is found in locations that have been prospected many times, these locations are often documented and listed online at Gold Prospectors Association of America - Recent Blogs, Articles and Information ( the Gold Prospectors Association of America website). Michigan gold is here in result of the continental glaciers melting roughly fourteen thousand years ago. When the glaciers melted, gold was stirred up and separated from the gold bearing mother loads along with many other metals and minerals, such as magnetite, iron, quartz, mica, and diamonds (to name a few). Over time, gold settles to the lowest point possible. It is often found on top of exposed layers of bedrock, scattered in gravel pits, and lodged inside the cracks of non-sedimentary rocks. Stream beds, creeks, and rivers are also good places to search. The steady flows of water tumble and move the underlying materials. After being carried by the currents, gold can be found mixed in with gravel and lodged in between stones.
Many old timers will tell you there is no better way to find gold than by using a gold pan. You might not be familiar with what a gold pan is. A gold pan is a shallow pan that has ridges around its' inner edges that capture gold as you whisk the pan's contents under water. Whisking is a method of moving your pan in short circular motions in order to stir up it's contents. Gold has a very high density, seven times greater than that of water. As you whisk your pan, the gold falls to the bottom, making it easy to remove excess rocks and other undesirables closer to the top. After repeating the whisking process two or three times and removing excess rocks and dirt, your pan should be reduced to the higher density materials, including gold. Mastering the art of panning for gold comes in time through practice, patience, and dedication. Gold pans typically cost between ten and thirty dollars. I paid thirty dollars for my kit at a local sporting goods store, which included two gold pans, a magnifying glass, two small plastic bottles for storing gold, and an instructional booklet.
Some gold seekers use sluices to help separate gold from other materials. A sluice is a narrow box with open ends and ridges that run along its' base. In order to use a sluice, prospectors must find a moving body of water such as a creek, river, or stream. They position the sluice under water at an angle that so the water flows evenly, sweeping material across the surface of the sluice. With each shovel-load of material placed at the head of a sluice, prospectors wait until the water flow has swept all of the less-dense materials across the sluice's ridges and off the down-stream end. Many prospectors place large stones around and on top of their sluice to assure it does not lose its' angle in the water. After the sluice has processed the material, the next step is to pick off the remaining undesirable rocks. If all goes well, the gold should have been caught between the ridges on the bottom of the sluice along with other dense materials. The final step is to dump the remaining contents from the base of your sluice into a bucket and separate the gold using a gold pan. Although sluices are not necessary in order for prospectors to successfully find gold, they help by speeding up the separation process of gold from other materials.
Metal detectors can be highly effective tools used to find gold and other hidden valuables. Metal detectors are specifically designed to complete different tasks. While purchasing one, it is important to make certain you buy a metal detector that can be used to locate gold. Each metal detector has an individual instructional booklet that should be included as a part of your purchase. It is essential that you learn how to properly adjust the settings and functions of your metal detector before bringing it out on the field. Without calibration and the adjustment of settings, your metal detector will not function accurately. Some detectors are waterproof, making it easy to scan creeks and stream beds. While covering areas with slow side-to-side motions, your metal detector will make a beeping sound as it passes over gold, pin-pointing where it is buried. Often times, prospectors carry garden trowels while using a metal detector, allowing them to unearth their finds at a faster pace.
Gold Fields Mineral Services estimates a total of 377,650,000 pounds of gold have been un-earthed throughout the course of human history. From 1993 to 2013 the value of an ounce of gold has quadrupled to sixteen hundred dollars. Out of the fourteen states in the U.S. known for producing the most gold, Oregon and Alaska yield the highest numbers. Each state has their own gold regulation laws that prospectors must keep in mind while hunting for gold. At the Gold Prospectors Association of America website, a listing of those laws can be found (Gold Prospectors Association of America - Recent Blogs, Articles and Information). By obeying a state's gold regulation laws, prospectors ensure their right to recover gold is legally protected and their shared passion for prospecting will remain for years to come.
The overwhelming feeling of excitement that erupts inside of you at the sight of a gold nugget in the bottom of your pan is one that few people are able to describe. Finding even a small flake of gold can lead to life-long symptoms of Gold Fever (the contagious excitement of a gold rush). Most people are skeptical about gold prospecting, they tend to laugh at the concept and consider it to be a waste of time. Those who laugh must be unaware of the riches that lay beneath the soil in their backyards, whether it be gold, or anything else of value. Gold can be found using a variety of methods. Gold-pans, Sluices, and Metal Detectors are great starting tools for people new to prospecting due to the fact they are inexpensive and somewhat easy to operate.
Although basic prospecting tools are user-friendly, finding gold is not considered an easy task. If it were, gold would have a lesser value and nobody would want it. That is the beauty of prospecting. Although gold is typically hard to find, the rewards of finding a small amount make the search worthwhile. Did you know that gold has been found in all of our country's fifty states? Placer gold is predominantly what is found throughout the Mid West. Placer gold consists of chunks and flakes of gold that over time break away from the Mother Loads (original deposits) in result of the Weathering Process (erosion of Earth's rocks, soils, and minerals). Placer gold's size can range from being as fine as flour, up to nuggets weighing a few grams or, on rare occasion, up to a few pounds. Gold-pans, Sluices, and Metal Detectors are the most simplistic tools used to find placer gold. When I say simplistic, I mean that even young children often find gold using these tools.
Before heading out to find your first piece of gold, you should check for local reports of gold being found in your area. Most gold is found in locations that have been prospected many times, these locations are often documented and listed online at Gold Prospectors Association of America - Recent Blogs, Articles and Information ( the Gold Prospectors Association of America website). Michigan gold is here in result of the continental glaciers melting roughly fourteen thousand years ago. When the glaciers melted, gold was stirred up and separated from the gold bearing mother loads along with many other metals and minerals, such as magnetite, iron, quartz, mica, and diamonds (to name a few). Over time, gold settles to the lowest point possible. It is often found on top of exposed layers of bedrock, scattered in gravel pits, and lodged inside the cracks of non-sedimentary rocks. Stream beds, creeks, and rivers are also good places to search. The steady flows of water tumble and move the underlying materials. After being carried by the currents, gold can be found mixed in with gravel and lodged in between stones.
Many old timers will tell you there is no better way to find gold than by using a gold pan. You might not be familiar with what a gold pan is. A gold pan is a shallow pan that has ridges around its' inner edges that capture gold as you whisk the pan's contents under water. Whisking is a method of moving your pan in short circular motions in order to stir up it's contents. Gold has a very high density, seven times greater than that of water. As you whisk your pan, the gold falls to the bottom, making it easy to remove excess rocks and other undesirables closer to the top. After repeating the whisking process two or three times and removing excess rocks and dirt, your pan should be reduced to the higher density materials, including gold. Mastering the art of panning for gold comes in time through practice, patience, and dedication. Gold pans typically cost between ten and thirty dollars. I paid thirty dollars for my kit at a local sporting goods store, which included two gold pans, a magnifying glass, two small plastic bottles for storing gold, and an instructional booklet.
Some gold seekers use sluices to help separate gold from other materials. A sluice is a narrow box with open ends and ridges that run along its' base. In order to use a sluice, prospectors must find a moving body of water such as a creek, river, or stream. They position the sluice under water at an angle that so the water flows evenly, sweeping material across the surface of the sluice. With each shovel-load of material placed at the head of a sluice, prospectors wait until the water flow has swept all of the less-dense materials across the sluice's ridges and off the down-stream end. Many prospectors place large stones around and on top of their sluice to assure it does not lose its' angle in the water. After the sluice has processed the material, the next step is to pick off the remaining undesirable rocks. If all goes well, the gold should have been caught between the ridges on the bottom of the sluice along with other dense materials. The final step is to dump the remaining contents from the base of your sluice into a bucket and separate the gold using a gold pan. Although sluices are not necessary in order for prospectors to successfully find gold, they help by speeding up the separation process of gold from other materials.
Metal detectors can be highly effective tools used to find gold and other hidden valuables. Metal detectors are specifically designed to complete different tasks. While purchasing one, it is important to make certain you buy a metal detector that can be used to locate gold. Each metal detector has an individual instructional booklet that should be included as a part of your purchase. It is essential that you learn how to properly adjust the settings and functions of your metal detector before bringing it out on the field. Without calibration and the adjustment of settings, your metal detector will not function accurately. Some detectors are waterproof, making it easy to scan creeks and stream beds. While covering areas with slow side-to-side motions, your metal detector will make a beeping sound as it passes over gold, pin-pointing where it is buried. Often times, prospectors carry garden trowels while using a metal detector, allowing them to unearth their finds at a faster pace.
Gold Fields Mineral Services estimates a total of 377,650,000 pounds of gold have been un-earthed throughout the course of human history. From 1993 to 2013 the value of an ounce of gold has quadrupled to sixteen hundred dollars. Out of the fourteen states in the U.S. known for producing the most gold, Oregon and Alaska yield the highest numbers. Each state has their own gold regulation laws that prospectors must keep in mind while hunting for gold. At the Gold Prospectors Association of America website, a listing of those laws can be found (Gold Prospectors Association of America - Recent Blogs, Articles and Information). By obeying a state's gold regulation laws, prospectors ensure their right to recover gold is legally protected and their shared passion for prospecting will remain for years to come.
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