How to Find Gold

Gold digger

One of the most collected and desirable precious metals, gold is not as elusive as some may believe it to be. As a matter of fact, there are a variety of locales where you may expect to find gold. In some cases you may search for it yourself in the ground while in others you may need to do little more than log on to a Web site and complete a purchase order. Read on and learn how to find gold with a minimum of financial investment.

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Internet access
• Membership fee
• Gold pans
• Metal detector

Instructions

How to Find Gold

1. Join the Lost Dutchman's Mining Association that operates under the auspices of the Gold Prospectors Organization. Members meet up at regular intervals to visit private properties all over the United States known for containing gold. The membership fee entitles you to participation in the events and whatever gold you find is yours to keep. The membership fee is currently $67.50.

2. Visit Alaska's many pay-to-mine businesses that permit private parties to pan for gold in streams near gold mines or use metal detectors in National Forest areas. The premier locales are the Chugach and Kenai Peninsula State Parks. You may keep any gold you find. Be mindful of the regulations with respect to disturbing soils and river banks before going out in search of gold!

3. Locate beaches around nearby oceans, lakes, or even river beds to do some metal detecting. This is a slow process and rather than gold flakes and nuggets you most likely will find gold coins, jewelry, and medallions in addition to a variety of bottle caps, pennies, and pull tops. Deciphering the meanings of the various blips and beeps takes a bit of time, but once you get to know your equipment better and have some experience under your belt, you are sure to make some great discoveries.

4. Network with other hobbyists and find the best spots for your gold search. Although these hobbyists will most certainly not reveal their special spot on the river where they routinely find nuggets or flakes, they might let others in on other advantageous areas that are close by. Turn on your computer, log on to the Internet and find hobbyists, loosely knit clubs and communities online.

5. Educate yourself on the value of gold coins and then scour the Internet's auction sites for some great deals on foreign and domestic gold coins. The European Krugerrand in particular offers a variety of great investment ideas, depending on the country from which you buy this gold. This is by far the costliest way of finding gold, but if you want to have a guaranteed find, it might be the easiest.

6. Advertise your willingness to purchase scrap gold. There are many other outfits who are offering to do the same thing, but if you ensure that your marketing campaign is unique and that your payouts are competitive, you will attract quite a following. Knowledge of appraising gold in various forms and purity levels is a must-have for this undertaking.

Tips & Warnings

• Be very careful when receiving unsolicited emails from foreign countries. Very often they might claim to respond to an ad you placed or answered, but quite frequently they are the local form of the Nigerian letter scam.

• Scrutinize offers for gold prospecting partnerships with great care. Although sometimes quite lucrative, they may also lead to lengthy disputes between the partners if there are not clearly defined guidelines that govern the partnership.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Visit the GoldProspectors.org website to inquire about membership and see if you would enjoy recreational gold panning.
• Be mindful of Alaska's rules and regulations when it comes to searching for gold. The NPS.gov website has a very comprehensive fact sheet that spells out the details.
• For some great tips on metal detecting on a beach, visit the GoMetalDetecting.com website.
• A great collection of hobbyist collected gold prospecting areas is found at the MiniGold.com website.
• Stay on top of gold pricing at the GoldResearch.com website.