Artisanal mining refers to the use of simple rudimentary tools and processes to extract minerals resources such as gold from the soils on a small scale. In most developing the mining industry is not well developed. This means that large scale sophisticated mining operations are not very common. Most of the mining in such conditions […]
Fine Gold Recovery
Every prospectors need to learn now to recover fine gold. Fine gold dust is much more common than large nuggets, and being able to capture the smallest pieces are important to any successful mining operation regardless of the scale.
Find More Gold in your Sluice Box with these Tips
Using a standard sluice box is a great way to find gold. They are simple, lightweight, and can be used in most creeks and rivers to separate fine gold from sand and gravel. Most commercially-made sluice boxes are very good at catching and holding gold, but a few extra precautions can help you get more […]
Focus Prospecting Efforts on Fine Gold Placers
Classify your Gravels to Retain More Fine Gold
Nearly all professional gold placer mining operations classify their gravel to maximize the amount of gold that they recover. Doing this step prior to running material through a sluice box allows for maximum retention of gold, especially the finer gold dust. Classifying gravel is the process of separating the aggregate material into consistent sizes by […]
Removing Fine Placer Gold from Black Sands
Small scale gold prospecting is a very popular past-time these days. It can be a very lucrative undertaking but it can be a frustrating one at times too. One of the biggest problems for small scale prospectors is stubborn black sand deposits that keep them from being able to maximize the profits on the gold […]
Mercury Amalgamation and Fine Gold Recovery
In the 1800’s the use of mercury to extract gold from ore (called Amalgamation) was the most commonly used method by small scale prospectors for this purpose. It has been a highly controversial method of extraction to say the least because of both the physical and environmental health risks that mercury poses. Individual prospectors will […]