Long time lurker, first time poster, I think....

[Anqueetus]

Alright, ninja friends, I've been running around on this forum for some time now. I have poured upon the tomes of knowledge laid down by the great teachers. I have travelled to the place of Lazersteve and watched his videos. I have entered into my kitchen for a sandwich. Now I come before you all with a vexing problem. We begin this tragic tail of nin-com-poopery with a journey out into the Boise Basin. I go into the river to pan some gold because I am apparently a freakin mountain man incapable of being frozen by water that is really cold. I notice some lovely pyrite in my mix of black sand and hopefully gold dust. Now call me goofy, but I'm wondering a thing here but...

Can you pan too hard and wash away your gold? I know gold has a high gravity, and I have a fantastical and whimsical panning dish of wonder, ribbed for my incompitance, though I suspect I neither have the technical nor the ideological understanding to pan like a professional. I was wondering if I might recieve some pointers on proper sleuthing methods. Free of charge would be nice.

Also, being in the dessert, or is that desert, I was wondering if I could hear (probably read) a little more on drywashing. I understand the concept behind drywashing. The Ol' tertiary rivers and the run off of the hills depositing flakes and dust of yellow-y num-nums of joy are interesting. I noticed there is one Idahonian here lurking like the ninja he be. I was wondering where the rapscalion does his gold prospecting.

So good sirs and madams of the Aetherium Consordium of this Golden Research and Recovery institution, I do indeed thank you completly for your due dilligence in reading this text in its entirety. This in juxtaposed with my dolting intellect and rampant spelling errors, would, indeed, be most greatfully received with proper replies in a conscientious and most expedient fashion. Thank you, and good day.

Sincerely,
Patrick Von Dirtibottom

Post Script: I expect the Jade Monkey by midnight.

Post Post Script: Also, I understand that most gold you pan is 22K at best. So besides making rediculously corrossive acids that fumegate you to Valhalla, is there a way to set up a hobo method of gold refinery-ism? I heard tempershocking black sand is a fun way of teaching the gold who's boss, and burning the poo-gas out of pyrite is wonderful and very aromatic, but 22K? Why does baby Jesus mock me?

 

[JustinNH]

Can you pan too hard and wash away your gold? I know gold has a high gravity, and I have a fantastical and whimsical panning dish of wonder, ribbed for my incompitance, though I suspect I neither have the technical nor the ideological understanding to pan like a professional. I was wondering if I might recieve some pointers on proper sleuthing methods. Free of charge would be nice.

I suppose there are limits, but ive tested doing it faster v. slower over a mat (so I wouldnt loose anything if i failed haha) with some cons from my sluice and I didnt loose a single piece by going crazy versus goins nice and slow. Of course, you have to make sure you have a good way of working the pan first. I hold it level, shake it so the dense stuff starts to sink and the light stuff rises, rinse that off, repeat, then start working it at an angle, making sure to always shake and resettle the dense stuff, especially if you work it fast. I also tries with regular screened dirt (not concentrated from the sluice) and had similar sucess going crazy v. slow and steady.

Also, being in the dessert, or is that desert, I was wondering if I could hear (probably read) a little more on drywashing. I understand the concept behind drywashing.

I have never tried drywashing but I remember when i was doing alot of research into prospecting that in certain places it is a really good approach.

Post Post Script: Also, I understand that most gold you pan is 22K at best. So besides making rediculously corrossive acids that fumegate you to Valhalla, is there a way to set up a hobo method of gold refinery-ism? I heard tempershocking black sand is a fun way of teaching the gold who's boss, and burning the poo-gas out of pyrite is wonderful and very aromatic, but 22K? Why does baby Jesus mock me?

22k is high for most places... Gold can range from 80-90% gold on average. It can be less, it can be more, even in the same general areas. There are song places in Alaska where it is closer to 80% and looks silvery and then in another river near there it may be more % gold and a differrent color. Here in NH we really only have fine gold, but it is around 23k from what I hear- some of the purest in the nation. I havent tested it, but have seene it documented several times. :wink:

Ill also be trying the black sand trick this year. Ill see how that goes...

Not sure if I was any help, but I like talking about gold, so I had to reply!

 

[Anqueetus]

You did well, Justice Friend. The wisdom exhumed from the depths of your Corpus Striatum was most beneficial. The quest now lies in finding the best spot for gold. Thanks again for the 411.

 

[JustinNH]

Not a problem, good sir.

Honestly, just try google. Thats how I found the places I go. There were articles on it and places that sold supplies. Found my favorite spot just across froma campground that sells prospecting equipment that I happened to see sold pans while searching online! It also happened to sell a short book written by someone who leaves here about gold panning in NH which basically satisfied any questions I had about panning in NH.

Hopefully you have similar luck in finding spots!

 

[calgoldrecyclers]

anqueetus,
refining without acid? not likely. i have always sold my gold to jewelers or prospecting shops. i have heard stories for the last twenty years about some magic solution that turns black sand to gold. i have never seen it actually happen though. you should save your black sands and ship them off to someone that can refine them for you. gold shouldnt be the only precious metal to be found in black sands. there are also platinum group metals found in black sands, as well as silver.
as far as desert dry washing. you could try winowing. the process of tossing the sands up in the air and letting the wind blow away the lighter particles. that is basically what the newer drywashers do nowadays.
you can also dry pan. which is like winnowing, except you are using a pan instead of a sheet of plastic.
washing the sand out using the same circular agitating motions as panning in a stream. the gold will fall to the bottom. just make sure you arent trying that with wet sand. it wont work.
good luck