Understanding Large Gold Deposit Types: Discovering New Mines

November 2018 by Chris Ralph

The other opportunity that I see is in seeking unusual types of deposits. Specifically, the prospector would be searching for the stuff no one (or almost no one) is searching for. These deposits are effectively hiding in plain view.

Turning Hobby Mining into Business Mining

March 2013
The first thing a person should do is seriously consider whether they want to go mining as a hobby or a business, and the tax implications of the choice.

How to Stake Your Own Mining Claims—Part I

March 2016

Many new prospectors start out prospecting in public areas and club claims, and this is perfectly fine, but the next step in the progression of becoming an experienced prospector is to locate and stake your own mining claims. 

The Importance Of Mining Critical Minerals In The USA

March 2019

Critical minerals are products that the government has designated as critical to our national interest because of both their potential military and industrial applications.

Placer Channel Sampling

July 2013
Sampling gold placers can be rewarding, but remember to treat the samples so you are not high grading or low grading your results. Learn the rules and apply them so your samples are accurate.

Fine Gold Panning Without Using Mercury

March 2012
The technique I will describe is a much safer alternative and it works. It’s a fine-gold panning technique that eliminates the need for mercury amalgamation of most placer samples.

Montana’s Rosetta Stone: Discovering Mines In The Treasure State

May 2015
This is the intelligent way to start modern prospecting. The value of literary research yields challenging outings, specimens, history and geologic research.

Hard Rock Milling: A Matter of Scale

April 2013
Most prospectors understand placer mining a lot better than hard rock mining and don’t realize the amount of work that goes into processing different types of hard rock ore.

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