Sample panning will keep a prospector from searching all day in an area without gold.
With gold selling for $1500 an ounce as of early 2011, finding gold can be a valuable skill. There are a variety of ways to locate gold. Prospecting has changed a little since prospectors traveled west in the mid-1800s in search of gold and riches. Electronic equipment makes locating gold a little easier, but classic techniques for finding gold are still being used today.
Instructions
1. Identify plants that are found in gold-producing areas. Some types of horsetails or equisetum are generally associated with areas of gold accumulation. Use an arsenic test kit to analyze horsetails for arsenic. A positive result may indicate the presence of gold, as gold and arsenic are associated geochemically.
2. Identify rocks that are found in gold-producing areas. Quartz and crystal-filled rocks traveled on glaciers across oceans with gold and are often found near streams in gold-producing areas.
3. Use a metal detector to locate gold. Gold nuggets are often found within one meter of the ground surface, making a metal detector a viable tool.
4. Sample or spot pan in areas identified as gold-producing areas to determine if gold is present. Check to see if the spot that you are panning in has enough gold to be worth your time. Sample pan in different spots until you find a spot that has sufficient gold.
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