Prospecting for gold in rocks

This is method for gold prospecting named occurence in crushed rocks.

Follow this simple procedure as advised by Mr. Jean Louis in the program “Start Your Own Gold Mine”:

1. Find a proper hard surface as a base on which you can crush the rocks you wish to check for gold. Also, obtain a hammer. It is advisable to use clean plastic bags to wrap the rocks while crushing to protect yourself. Additionally, eye protection, such as goggles, and hand gloves may be necessary for safety. Instead of a hard surface and hammer, it is highly recommended to use a proper mortar and pestle. You will also need a basin, gold pan, and clean water. A kitchen sifter is also recommended. A hand lens or magnifier is essential for seeing the invisible or fine gold particles.

2. Be sure to use a dark metal hammer. Do not use any metals that are yellow in color. We once used a brass mortar and pestle, which resulted in small particles of brass mixing with the rock content and giving the false impression that gold was found. Avoid using brass in rock prospecting.

3. Before crushing the rock, always wash the rock itself, the hammer, and the surface of the crushing base you are using; these may contain some gold particles from previous rocks. You do not want to contaminate your rock dust with particles from earlier tests.

4. Note the quantity of rock that you are verifying. Take a picture of it. Use Prospecting Check reports. It is best to measure the weight of the rock you are beginning to verify. Measure the total weight of the rocks, even if some particles do not get crushed to powder. If you cannot measure the weight of the rock, you can obtain its volume using a graduated cylinder. Alternatively, measure the size of the rock using a measuring tape. Every prospecting method provided by “Start Your Own Gold Mine” or within the training program is a quantitative gold prospecting method.

5. Place the rocks in the mortar and pestle, wrap them in clean plastic bags, or simply crush the rock with the hammer on the hard surface.

6. Carefully transfer the crushed material into the clean gold pan. It is advisable to use the kitchen sifter or gold prospecting sieves to discard all larger particles. Be sure to wash all the particles from the surface where the rock was crushed into the gold pan. Gold particles, being the heaviest, will remain on the surface, and you may miss them if you do not collect all the material into the gold pan.

7. Proceed with gold panning and try to find the gold. If you do not find gold, you may discover other precious metals or at least black sand. Gold panning techniques are explained in widely available literature and shown in numerous online videos.

8. Once you finish panning and reduce the minerals to a small amount, use the hand lens or magnifier to search for the smallest particles.

9. Collect the samples in vials or other containers. If you find any other heavier minerals, collect those as well.

10. Always record your exact location using your GPS, which is typically built into mobile devices. Describe your position clearly on paper and reference the vials containing your samples of gold or other minerals correctly so that you may later recall where you found each item.

11. Finalize your report on paper or as a digital document. Record the location where you found the rock, the depth or shaft code, the date, and the time taken to complete this method. Document the number of gold particles found and categorize them by particle sizes. Record the quantity of soil or rock that you have been verifying. Always report your prospecting results, whether on paper or as digital files. By conducting this ordered and quantitative prospecting, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of the area and the locations where gold can be found.

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