Crevicing is one of the best ways for the small-scale gold miner to recover gold. This simple tried-and-true method can produce rather impressive results. And the best part is that anyone can do it with just the simplest of tools.

The practice of crevicing for gold is simply to slowly and methodically explore the bedrock in a gold bearing creek, taking the time to remove as much material as possible out of the cracks. In late summer when water levels are at their lowest, a prospectors can simply wade a creek and work promising areas.

This may sound simple, and it is in principle, but in practice it can actually be quite challenging to get down deep into the cracks where the best gold can hide.

To increase your odds of success, I recommend putting together a good crevicing kit, a collection of tools that will allow you to recover as much good quality material as possible.

 

Tools for the Job

 

Small Crevice Tools

 

The most important pieces of your kit should be a variety of smaller tools that can be maneuvered into small cracks. Lots of simple everyday items can work well for this. A kitchen spoon, heavy knife, screwdriver of various sizes, and commercially produced crevicing tools are very handy.

 

Pry Bar

 

Bring along a big pry bar or crowbar to help open up those deep, narrow bedrock cracks. This is the key to getting to gold that has been missed by others. You would be amazed at the amount of placer gold that is still hidden in rather obvious locations where no one has taken the time to work them properly.

 

Bulb Sniffer

 

A bulb sniffer works great for pulling material out of the deep reaches of a crack where your tools simply can not reach. The smaller the tip, the better it will work for this task.

 

PVC Sucker

 

You can make a suction gun out of PVC pipe and a one-way valve. These are easily obtained from mining supply companies. They are inexpensive and quite effective tools.

Also Read: The 4 Best Gold Panning Kits on the Market

 

Hand Trowel

 

Once a crack is opened up a bit, a small hand trowel can be very handy. Again, smaller is usually better. I have taken an existing garden trowel and cut the sides off, so that it is only about 1” wide. It’s one of my favorite tools.

 

Hammer and chisel

 

As expected, this is used to work open cracks. I usually prefer to use a small crowbar, but there are times when a hammer and chisel work better.

 

Tweezers

 

You’d be surprised how often you will be doing some crevicing and spot a nice nugget where you are working. A pair of tweezers will do the trick to pick that little bugger out.

 

Gold Pan

 

You’re going to have a nice collection of gold gold-bearing material after a long day of crevicing. You can bring all of your concentrates home with you, or you can pan right there at the creek. It might be better to bring it home and run it through a blue bowl concentrator.

 

Bottle

 

Don’t forget your gold bottle for those nuggets that you find!

Next: Where to Look for Gold in Creeks and Rivers