How to Choose Gold Mining Equipment

Choose gold mining equipment for prospecting expeditions.

If the high price of gold has you wanting to join other hobbyists in a modern-day gold rush, you'll need the proper gold prospecting tools to find those profitable flakes and nuggets. Depending on where you'll be prospecting and how much time and money you want to invest, there are a variety of gold mining tools to get the job done. Consider these tips to choose gold mining equipment.

Instructions

1. Choose gold mining equipment like a simple gold pan and gold panning kit if you plan to go prospecting in streams, creeks or along the shore. Look for a pan with riffles along the sides that help separate the gold from the sand and retain the gold dust, flakes and nuggets in the ridges. A kit may also include a classifier screen to remove large items before panning, tweezers, storage containers and a suction bottle to help retrieve tiny flakes.

2. Look into a sluice box or a sluice box powered by a 12-volt pump or gas-powered engine if you plan to go gold prospecting often and plan to turnover more dirt, sand and rock than you could with a gold pan alone. To use the sluice box by flowing water source, you'll also need a shovel to slowly pour the potentially gold-bearing material into the mining tool, which will separate waste material from the concentrated material that you can then pan for gold flakes.

3. Consider buying a metal detector if you don't mind the investment and plan to look for gold and placer deposits on land or in shallow creeks. Some metal detectors are designed to hunt down gold nuggets, while others can identify what you've found in basic terms before you retrieve the item. The searching range and ability to aid gold prospecting in mineralized soil typically depends on the amount you're willing to spend on a higher-end detector.

4. Stock up on basics like a pick and shovel when you choose gold mining equipment. The versatile mining tools can be used wherever you plan to go gold prospecting since they can dig dirt or sand for panning and sluicing or unearth items that you've discovered with your metal detector. Other prospecting equipment that will help on your search are rakes, cup scoops and a crevice tool to help dig deposits (with the possibility they contain gold washed away by flowing streams) from rock crevices.

Tips & Warnings

• If you're not sure how to find the best location for prospecting once you choose gold mining equipment, consider joining a local prospecting club. Many organizations host expeditions to gold-rich creeks, parks and mines. Some have even staked claims and only allow their members to go gold prospecting in the area.