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Ever wonder if in today's world there might be another gold rush? While this is doubtful - at least by the standards of the 1800's gold rush - there are those that still hunt this precious metal.
When you think of gold mining, there are two common deposits and mining methods. Placer and Lode. Placer deposits are areas of gold that after having been disturbed and moved by many years of weather enabled erosion have settled in pockets. Lode gold is found in quartz deposits deep underground. Lode is mined using deep shaft methods. Placer gold is mined using slucing, dredging or panning.
For those that want to go panning - maybe just for fun - here's what you'll need to know how to pan before you start.
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First you'll need a gold pan - a 12" or 15" steel pan is preferred.
- Darken the pan by placing it over a campfire flame or burner - this makes it easier to spot the gold flakes
Once you have your pan all set, you're ready to look for a likely panning place. To accomplish this, you'll want to look for places likely to have collected flakes of gold. These most commonly are:
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Gravel bars in the middle of rivers or streams
- Around heavy water runoff
- On the downstream side of large boulders or tree roots
- In cracks (above the water line) along the stream edge
- In streaks of gravel that has settled above streambeds (follow along the bottom of stream channels).
To begin panning follow the following instructions:
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Place the pan under water (keeping it under water at all times) filling it nearly full.
- Throw away any large stones and break up any lumps of clay or mud.
- Holding the pan level with both hands, rotate the pan in a swirling motion. As you rotate the pan the heavier bits of gold will loosen from the gravel and sand, settling to the bottom. Tilting the pan downward will allow the dirty water, gravel and sand to spill over the edge.
- Continue to raise and lower the edge of the pan ridding the pan of more of the lighter material.
- Continue this process of raising and lowering until nothing but the gold (and other heavier minerals) are left.
- Carefully inspect the remains for any gold flakes or small nuggets.
Panning for gold can be fun - I've given it a try in Colorado - without much success I might add - but had a grand time doing so.
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