Ever seen gold float on water?

[newhunterette]

that is really cool RD - I bought Peter a gold pan when we went to Barkerville and he seems to always forget to bring it with him when he goes hunting or fishing - think he better stat putting it in the truck and leave it there

sure looks awesome seeing it floating like that

[huntergirl270]

That looks cool... never seen gold do that before or a chunk that big in my pan. Thank you for sharing I like to gold pan too. My parents taught me when I was small and we used to go various places in the lower mainland. The only place I go to now is around Greenwood/Midway when I go to visit my grandma.

[knighthunter]

My daughter and son in law live in Surrey and they go panning for gold sometimes. Don't think they've found much or I'm sure they would have said something by now. They go up north somewhere's.

[Rock Doctor]

Thats really cool to see.. I have always wanted to try that out but I am not sure of how to find where you are allowed to do it.

You can go online and look at maps to see what land is "claimed" and what is not. This will give you an idea of what areas have gold.
If you are using only a pan, you can go anywhere you want, legally. However, SOME guys get pretty irate when strangers just turn up on their claim, panning their dirt. People have been shot for less.

how can you tell its not fools gold?

Fools gold looks different, it has a shiny, crystal like, look to it.
Fools gold will fracture/break under pressure, where gold will bend/dent. (fingernail test)
Fools gold is MUCH lighter, and will "wash" around in your pan.
Buyers won't give you any money for fools gold


RD

[Chuck]

Thanks for sharing the nice pictures and info. Living for a while in the Quesnel area I was introduced to a bit of that sort of thing. Later, when I left I found out how rich the area really is in all sorts of things like geodes, agates, obsidian, fossils etc. And not to mention HUNTING!

[FLHTCUI]

Very nice Pan of flake!
Nothign wrong with spending time on the river bank when bored ...
Was once told when the rivers are low( July/Aug.) is a good time to get out and try... then if you can get out behind those big boulders and scoop some of that black sand from behind.
Rob

[srupp]

hmnmmm my best day was a decade ago..in one day we got $2800 worth in the Cariboo MTS...much of it "jewlery grade" slightly higher $$$ and that was when gold was WAY less than today...most times we get very little but THAT day was a BONANZA..I had a couple pieces made into a pair of EARINGS FOR Susan and the big piece made into a necklace fob for myself..

Great photos Rockdoctor

steven

[Rock Doctor]

Very nice Pan of flake!
Nothign wrong with spending time on the river bank when bored ...
Was once told when the rivers are low( July/Aug.) is a good time to get out and try... then if you can get out behind those big boulders and scoop some of that black sand from behind.
Rob

TKS,
Another good place to look is between the layers of gravel..... when you dig down, or find a cutbank, you can see the layers (big rocks, little rocks, silt, ect)....just above the silty layer is a good spot for gold to get hung up. Also, if you find "bedrock", cleaning out the cracks in the rock can be very productive.

hmnmmm my best day was a decade ago..in one day we got $2800 worth in the Cariboo MTS...much of it "jewlery grade" slightly higher $$$ and that was when gold was WAY less than today...most times we get very little but THAT day was a BONANZA..I had a couple pieces made into a pair of EARINGS FOR Susan and the big piece made into a necklace fob for myself..

Great photos Rockdoctor

steven

TKS Steven,
I take it you hade some equipment out there moving gravel?

Question:
Have you ever MADE MONEY on a prospecting trip?........I know I haven't lol


RD

[outdoorsman812]

have you heard of putting a squirt of dish-soap in the pan to break the surface tension?

[Rock Doctor]

I have heard that dish soap effects "surface tension", but I thought it would increase the surface tension. I am no expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I thought bubbles formed easier with more surface tension.

Maybe I will try experimenting a little bit, next time

RD