Things You'll Need
Instructions
Choose a spot on or near a river to look for gold. Look for a bend in the river where debris collects.
Turn on the gold detector. Starting at the bank of the river, slowly move the coil an inch from the ground. Pay careful attention to crevices between and beneath large boulders. Listen carefully for the change in tone that signals the presence of metal.
Using the pry bar and rock hammer, enlarge the crevices. With the garden trowel, remove the earth from the area and place it in a strainer. Most gold hunters use a screen box, but beginners can use a kitchen colander.
Use the hand rake to break up large clumps of earth. Look carefully at the earth for glints of gold. Set aside any large stones or rocks. Use the toothbrush to clean mud and grime from larger rocks. Some of these rocks may be gold nuggets, or may contain a gold vein or deposit.
Pour the rest of the earth into a gold pan. Add water and swirl the dirt in the pan. Pour off the dirty water, being careful to preserve any debris in the pan. Continue to rinse the dirt until the water is clear. Carefully inspect the tiny stones left in the pan. If you see any glints, remove the gold nuggets.
Fold over an end of the drinking straw and tape it down. Place the tiny nuggets you've collected in the straw, and fold the other side over to store the gold.