Collection: Gold Prospecting

How to Get Started Gold Prospecting

What equipment do you need to start gold prospecting?

At a minimum you need a way to sort material and a way to wash it: a gold pan and a classifier screen. To process more dirt, add a sluice box, and to collect and store fine gold you will want the snuffer bottles, vials, and magnets in our gold prospecting equipment. New to it? A complete gold panning kit bundles all the essentials in one box.

How does gold prospecting actually work?

The process is the same whether you pan or run a sluice. First you classify, sifting material through a screen to remove the big rocks. Then you wash the fines, letting moving water carry off the light sand while the heavy gold settles to the bottom of your pan or onto your sluice matting. Finally you recover, using a snuffer bottle to suction up the fine flakes and a magnet to pull away black sand.

Should a beginner buy a kit or individual tools?

If you are just starting out, a complete kit is the better value, it pairs a pan, classifiers, and recovery tools so nothing is missing on your first trip to the creek. Once you know how you like to work, fill in or upgrade with individual prospecting equipment.

Where do you find gold?

Gold collects in creeks and rivers with a known mining history, often on the inside of bends, behind boulders, and on bedrock where heavy material settles. Much of the best ground is on public land, but rules vary, so always research local regulations and claims before you dig. A little homework on your area pays off more than any single tool.

How do you keep the fine gold you find?

Size your material first with a classifier so the gold concentrates faster, then work it down in a gold pan or sluice. A magnet lifts out the black sand, and a snuffer bottle with glass vials keeps every flake safe for the trip home, all stocked in our equipment collection.