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How do I Learn Gold Prospecting?

You can learn about gold prospecting from reading a book you check out from your local library or, if you don't mind spending a little bit of money, you can take a hands-on course. Classes can be found online and are located in known gold-bearing regions of the United States in areas such as the mother lode region of northern California. There are many methods of prospecting to learn, and the type of method you employ will depend upon the conditions of the region where you live.

Things You'll Need

Library books about prospecting
Computer with Internet connection
Gold pan
Tweezers
Snifter

Instructions

- 1
  Visit your local library and check out as many books as you can find on how to prospect for gold.
- 2
  Skim through the books and select a couple that look especially helpful. Purchase them at a bookstore to keep and use as a reference.
- 3
  Look online for gold-prospecting courses in your area or in an area you wish to travel to that is a known gold-bearing region. The classes should be located in gold areas because they will offer hands-on prospecting experience.
- 4
  Buy a gold pan and go to a stream that is near an old gold mine. Contact the U.S. Geological Society at usgs.gov to obtain a map of old gold mines and locate a stream near one. Practice your panning technique as learned in a book to get the hang of the most basic form of prospecting. There are many ways to pan for gold, but the general idea is to swirl the water and sediment from the creek around in the pan and allow the water to slosh over the edge. Gold is very heavy and will sink to the bottom of the pan and get caught in the riffles, while the lighter material will float away. Pick out and discard any large rocks by hand and remove the gold with tweezers or a suction device called a snifter.

Rocks & Minerals