Persistence Leads to Over a Pound of Gold

April 2019 by Ron Kliewer

I have figured out over the years that the winning combination is hard work, persistence, knowledge, and a little luck. This leads me to describe one of my best finds ever, a “honey hole” of placer gold, if you will.

The Potholes—California’s Oldest Known Mining District

March 2020

Every time we prospected here we found gold, sometimes some really coarse flakes, but no large nuggets (yet).

Hardrock 101

April 2023

Scaling and Hazard Rock

Proper Assaying of Placer Samples

November 2012
The whole purpose of sampling mineralized ground is to measure the values in a small volume of material that would be representative of a much larger volume of similar material. The key word is representative. Chemical and fire assaying will not accurately represent placer deposits by themselves.

How to Beat the Heat--and The Bedrock

October 2018

The pit was a classic one—exposed shale bedrock with all the material being washed out one end of the pit. Within a few minutes I had a nice mellow signal that was in open ground.

Our Old Friend, Mr. Crashbox

January 2021

…what adjustment can I make to my dredge that will enhance its gold-catching ability?

Modesto, California Man Finds 18-Ounce Nugget

October 2016
Oscar Espinoza considers himself an amateur gold prospector, but the gold nugget he recently found puts many seasoned prospectors to shame.

Breaking Rock the Old School Way

June 2013
Prospectors have many reasons why they might want to break rocks. These include dividing up a specimen too large to carry.

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