GOLD
MINING
A Brief Introduction to Prospecting
The following Gold Mining Article
first appeared in the August 2001 issue of Upbeat Times
and has been revised since then.
Read on for info about Gold Mining, Prospecting, Metal Detecting, Gold
Panning and how to find gold nuggets.
Front
& Back of the "grand-daddy nugget"
Now a part of the
Haige Collection
Gold in snow in a pan
A small
collection of gold nuggets
Gold Miner statue in Auburn,
CA
Gold nuggets on Indian
Bowl
These
nuggets are part of the Haige
Collection - Found by Dave and Lance
Goldis valuable - why? It is the most non-reactive metal found meaning it
does not rust or corrode like other metals. Place a nugget of gold and a
piece of iron or aluminum in the sea for several weeks. At the end of this
time the aluminum may not even be recognizable and the iron has rusted
away but the gold still looks the same as when you initially put it in the
seawater. Gold is also one of the most electrically conductive of all
metals, which is why it is commonly used in electronic circuitry. Lastly,
gold is extremely ductile meaning it can be drawn out into thin long wires
and it is very malleable meaning it can be flattened in to extremely thin
sheets.
Here are two videos of how a stamp mill works - this was taken
at the Mariposa, CA Historical Center & Museum. Heavy
weights go up and down crushing the gold bearing ore for later
processing.
The old saying, "gold is where you find it" is of course true
but an even more telling statement would be "gold is where you find
it and how you look for it." For example in a gold bearing
stream gold nuggets could be under your feet and if you didn't have
the proper knowledge and equipment this gold would never be found. There
are many methods for finding gold - here are a few:
Panning
- is the probably easiest and cheapest way of finding gold
for the recreational miner. The summer and fall season is the best time to
pan for gold in California. The water is lower exposing more of the
streambed and the water is usually a bit warmer.
For under $30 you can purchase a gold pan, a small crevassing
tool and a small shovel. These items are easy to pack and
transport. Gold bearing streams that are known historically to
have produced gold are a good place to find gold. Gold is heavy
- it has a tendency to drop to the lowest point in an area. This
is why gold is so often found in what is called the "bedrock" of
streambeds. Bedrock is a solid layer of rock (it often contains
cracks which trap gold) found underneath all the soil and loose
rocks in streambeds. The challenge to finding gold at the bottom
of gold bearing streambeds is to access the bedrock and to
determine the exact location in a stream that might contain
gold. For this, there are
several methods including visualizing water flow when the stream is at
maximum flow capacity (where would water push and carry the gold when the
stream is rapidly flowing?) and the orientation of the cracks in the
bedrock.
A shovel is used for removing some of the loose gravel, dirt and rocks
lying on top of the bedrock. The crevassing tool can be as simple as a
screwdriver or a piece of metal with a curved notch at the end and is used
for removing dirt from cracks in the bedrock. There is nothing like the
thrill and satisfaction of seeing the gleaming golden metal laying in the
bottom of your pan after you have washed away all of the other dirt and
debris.
Metal Detecting
- the initial costs both in time and money are
greater than panning but detecting can help you pinpoint exact gold
bearing locations. There are many different types of metal detectors
available on the market - each one is unique. Some are general-purpose
machines while others are designed for finding small nuggets, large
nuggets, deep nuggets, and coins etc. Before purchasing a metal detector
you will want to identify your needs and consult with an authorized metal
detector dealer. Some additional concerns that you will want to be aware
of when purchasing a metal detector is how deep can it pick up signals,
the weight of the detector, is it effected by hot rocks (these are rocks
that mask the gold effectively hiding the signal given off by the
detector), and the battery life. Metal detectors can be used in streambeds
in which the bedrock is close to the surface. Metal detectors have also
been successfully used in and near mines. The famous Sixteen to One Mine
in Alleghany, CA, is a gold ore mine in which naturally occurring
crystalline gold is found in quartz rock deep underground. Metal detectors
located much of the gold recently found in this mine.
Dredging
- involves looking for gold usually in river bottoms using
a motorized piece of equipment called a dredge. Dredges contain a suction
hose varying in size for sucking in the river bottom material. Once this
material has been sucked in through a hose it will pass over a sloped
sluice box, which is a metal tray that contains riffles and grooves for
catching the gold as it passes over this tray. This material is
transported over the sluice box by water or gravity. The gold is heavy and
is caught by the riffles and grooves while the lighter material like the
soil and rocks wash on through back into the river.
If you are completely new to gold mining I highly recommend joining a gold
prospecting club such as the Santa Rosa Gold Diggers (www.santarosagolddiggers.com). The reason I mention this is that there are numerous methods for
finding gold, many locations that could potentially contain gold, and so
many tricks for locating gold that these types of organizations are your
best source of overall information.
NOTE: unfortunately, currently Dredging is banned in all California
waterways. Lets hope this changes soon.
Why I Hunt for Gold
Gold mining is a great opportunity to explore the outdoors especially in
some of the secluded areas of California's foothills and Sierra Nevada's.
Parts of the closest gold bearing regions in California are located only about
4 to 5
hours from the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles. Gold prospecting is also a physical activity and
as a result is good exercise. Most of the time the thrill of the hunt is
greater than the rewards when looking for gold. However, it is very rare
when I don't find at least some "color." Even with the high
prices today, gold prospecting is
probably not the activity for you if you are looking to become rich by
recreational gold mining. It is however, an excellent weekend hobby.
Even though an incredible amount of gold has been mined from the hills and
streams of California during and since the 1849 Gold Rush there is still
gold waiting to be found for those who are willing to invest a bit of time
and effort. Happy prospecting!
Mining
can occur in abandoned mines deep within the ground (NOTE: NEVER
enter a mine w/o proper gear and experience)
Photos deep in
underground mine taken by Dave. This hard rock mine is at
7500 feet in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains
www.goldstriketahoe.com
One of the nicest jewelry stores I have found that uses crystalline
gold and nuggets in their jewelry. Tahoe City, Lake Tahoe,
CA - note they no longer have a retail outlet.
www.santarosagolddiggers.com A good example of a gold mining club. This one is based in
Santa Rosa, Northern California and holds monthly meetings and
offers select trips to hunt for gold
Author -
Dave:
Recreational Gold Miner for 30+ years
