Even though we have been digging and obtaining gold since at least seven thousand years ago, it still proves to be a notoriously hard task to do. Over time, we went from using primitive tools to metal detectors, and although it made it easier it also, if anything, made it more of a complicated task.
That is because there are now different ways in which you can find gold nuggets. From panning to metal detecting, let’s take a look at some of the best and most popular ways in which people manage to strike a golden win..
Panning
Panning for gold is a way that you can extract gold from a placer deposit by using a pan. It is one of the most straightforward and easiest ways to find gold and is probably so common because of the low cost and accessibility.
Gold panning was first done in Ancient Rome, where not just gold but other precious metals got extracted from water streams and mountainsides.
The process of panning for gold is not very complicated: In the most basic sense, a pan is used with water to filter through dirt. Tiny specks and flakes of gold are part of a water stream, the pan helps separate them from the paydirt.
Start by trying to find a creek or a river and look for the gravel. Check around for dips where the water begins to speed down. Gold paystreaks can accumulate here, and is where you would have the best odds of finding gold nuggets.
In many circumstances, the whole act of panning for gold often just brings up just small amounts of gold dust, which gets collected as a little souvenir in a little glass tube. You can find gold nuggets that are of noteworthy size, but again it is quite hard to.
Metal Detection
A metal detector is one of the newer tactics that is used to find gold. Since there are so many old and neglected gold mines, heading to one of them may be your best bet in finding gold.
A lot of metal detectors can be expensive, especially the high quality ones of course. So start by scanning around along the outsides of the mine and in nearby areas, then you can choose to make your way in. Remember to follow the rules of your area though, some mines are closed off and it would be considered trespassing for you to enter. It can also be dangerous heading into an abandoned mine.
Drywashing
Many people may not even know what “drywashing” is. Drywashing is when you use a drywasher to find gold in desert conditions:
Vibrations and air pressure is what is used to filter the parts of gold found from gravel and dirt that gets tipped into a drywasher. A basic drywasher can be made with wood, as they have been around for some time.
In hot, arid climates, you can find drywashers being used to sift through loads of material. During the 1940s in New Mexico, it wasn’t uncommon for prospectors to be heading towards sandy areas hoping to make use of the tool.
Panning and drywashing are almost like polar opposites, and often get compared to one another, but it is good to realize that panning is more of a beginner’s method whereas drywashing is slightly more complicated and requires a bit more commitment.
Conclusion
Searching for gold is a classic and timeless hobby, and people all around the world are still enjoying it today. With all the massive modern machinery, it is fun to just go back to the basics if you are a hobbyist and enjoy panning, detecting and drywashing for gold.
If you manage to have absolutely zero luck, check out Nuggets by Grant – sellers of high-quality Alaskan, Australian and North American gold.
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