Prospecting for gold in rocks

Prospecting for gold in rocks is a fundamental method that should serve as the foundation for every prospector. Some gold prospectors focus solely on alluvial and liberated gold, overlooking the fact that such gold may originate from rocks. Often, rocks can contain a richer gold grade than alluvial soil.

There are a few simple and practical methods for prospecting for gold in rocks. In this category of Start Your Own Gold Mine, we explain these methods and provide videos demonstrating how to prospect for gold in rocks.

• Crushing rocks with hammer on a metallic surface
  The alternative to mortar and pestle is a simple hammer and metallic or other hard surface such as rock. Care must be taken to wash all the tools and the rocks before attempting to check the existence of the gold inside. That way, the salting with other gold particles and mercury is avoided.
• Mr. Louis using the mortar and pestle
  Mortar and pestle are basic miners' tools for gold prospecting in rocks. All tools must be carefully washed before attempting to prospect for gold. The mortar, pestle, basins, gold pans, including the rocks being crushed, those all must be washed to prevent salting with mercury or previous gold particles. This mortar and pestle are too large and may be used in small gold production where crushers are not available. Smaller mortar and pestle are recommended including a simple hammer on a hard surface.
• Crushing rocks while prospecting for gold
  Rocks are being crushed while prospecting for gold. Metallic surface may be used or other larger rock surfaces. Care shall be taken to carefully wash the surface, the hammer, including the rocks to be crushed and basin and gold pans so to avoid the salting with previous gold particles. Artisanal miners in this area were of the opinion that rocks need to be dried before crushing, that is not true, and with the care you may crush even quartz without rocks flying everywhere around. Keep your eyes safe…
• Crushing gold particles on the metallic surface
  Gold particles are being crushed with the hammer on the metallic surface. Both the surface and the hammer, including any water basins and gold pans shall be thoroughly washed before making a check and before crushing so to avoid salting of previous gold particles into the new rocks.
• Using hand lens to magnify the gold particles
  When prospecting for gold, one need to use the magnifier to see the smallest particles invisible to human eye. And yes, we found gold in rocks. Not only gold, we also have found other silver colored metal that we could not identify on the field. It could be iridium, unlikely pure silver, it could be silver colored gold. We will send the particles for analysis to other country.
• Crushing the rocks with mortar and pestle
  This is the method to crush the rocks with mortar and pestle. This is larger version suitable to handle several rocks at once. It is advisable to first classify the mineral sizes with the sifter or sieve and then to gold pan the particles. Further, before any crushing, both the mortar and pestle, gold pans and any basins must be carefully washed so to avoid salting.
• Mr. Louis showing rocks before crushing it with the mortar and pestle
  This is Mr. Louis showing a rock before crushing it with the mortar and pestle that he is holding in his hands.
• Mr. Louis showing the crushed rocks in the basin
  The crushed rocks are transferred to the basin and later panned for gold and other precious metals. There was a problem that miners did not wash this basin, so it contained small particles including small mercury particles. They were advised to wash the basin, the mortar and pestle and any gold pans before making a check for gold.
• Mortar and pestle is miners' basic tool
  Mortar and pestle is the basic tool in mining. The method is known since centuries. Yet this larger mortar and pestle are also used for production of gold over here whenever miners do not have better method to crush and grind the rocks. It is not recommended for quick checks of rocks due to its weight and unsafe handling.
• Carefully wash the surface after crushing the rocks into the gold pan
  Follow this simple procedure as advised by Mr. Jean Louis in the program Start Your Own Gold Mine: 1. Find some proper hard surface on which you may crush the rocks which you wish to check for gold. Also obtain a hammer. It is advisable that you use clean, plastic bags, to cover the rocks while crushing in order to protect yourself. Further, eyes-protection such as goggles and hand gloves may be also necessary for safety. Instead of the hard surface and hammer, most advisable would be to use a proper…
• Wash the surface after crushing rocks into the gold pan
  Follow this simple procedure as advised by Mr. Jean Louis in the program Start Your Own Gold Mine: 1. Find some proper hard surface on which you may crush the rocks which you wish to check for gold. Also obtain a hammer. It is advisable that you use clean, plastic bags, to cover the rocks while crushing in order to protect yourself. Further, eyes-protection such as goggles and hand gloves may be also necessary for safety. Instead of the hard surface and hammer, most advisable would be to use a proper…
• Crushing small pieces of rocks
  Follow this simple procedure as advised by Mr. Jean Louis in the program Start Your Own Gold Mine: 1. Find some proper hard surface on which you may crush the rocks which you wish to check for gold. Also obtain a hammer. It is advisable that you use clean, plastic bags, to cover the rocks while crushing in order to protect yourself. Further, eyes-protection such as goggles and hand gloves may be also necessary for safety. Instead of the hard surface and hammer, most advisable would be to use a proper…
• Panning for gold out of crushed rock
  Follow this simple procedure as advised by Mr. Jean Louis in the program Start Your Own Gold Mine: 1. Find some proper hard surface on which you may crush the rocks which you wish to check for gold. Also obtain a hammer. It is advisable that you use clean, plastic bags, to cover the rocks while crushing in order to protect yourself. Further, eyes-protection such as goggles and hand gloves may be also necessary for safety. Instead of the hard surface and hammer, most advisable would be to use a proper…
• Transferring the rock material into the gold pan
  Follow this simple procedure as advised by Mr. Jean Louis in the program Start Your Own Gold Mine: 1. Find some proper hard surface on which you may crush the rocks which you wish to check for gold. Also obtain a hammer. It is advisable that you use clean, plastic bags, to cover the rocks while crushing in order to protect yourself. Further, eyes-protection such as goggles and hand gloves may be also necessary for safety. Instead of the hard surface and hammer, most advisable would be to use a proper…
• Prospecting for gold in rocks
  Follow this simple procedure as advised by Mr. Jean Louis in the program Start Your Own Gold Mine: 1. Find some proper hard surface on which you may crush the rocks which you wish to check for gold. Also obtain a hammer. It is advisable that you use clean, plastic bags, to cover the rocks while crushing in order to protect yourself. Further, eyes-protection such as goggles and hand gloves may be also necessary for safety. Instead of the hard surface and hammer, most advisable would be to use a proper…
• Prospecting for gold in rocks
  Prospecting for gold in rocks is a basic procedure that each prospector shall know and use. Whenever there is alluvial gold found, one shall also prospect for gold in rocks. The lode gold is the original gold and usually found in rocks. Such gold is not yet liberated from other minerals. Prospecting for gold in rocks is easy. Follow this simple procedure as advised by Mr. Jean Louis in the program Start Your Own Gold Mine: 1. Find some proper hard surface on which you may crush the rocks which you…

Related pages

• Prospecting for gold in rocks
  Prospecting for gold in rocks is a basic procedure that each prospector shall know and use. Whenever there is alluvial gold found, one shall also prospect for gold in rocks. The lode gold is the original gold and usually found in rocks. Such gold is not yet liberated from other minerals. Prospecting for gold in rocks is easy. Follow this simple procedure as advised by Mr. Jean Louis in the program Start Your Own Gold Mine: 1. Find some proper hard surface on which you may crush the rocks which you…
• Prospecting for gold in rocks
  Follow this simple procedure as advised by Mr. Jean Louis in the program Start Your Own Gold Mine: 1. Find some proper hard surface on which you may crush the rocks which you wish to check for gold. Also obtain a hammer. It is advisable that you use clean, plastic bags, to cover the rocks while crushing in order to protect yourself. Further, eyes-protection such as goggles and hand gloves may be also necessary for safety. Instead of the hard surface and hammer, most advisable would be to use a proper…
• Crushing rocks while prospecting for gold
  Rocks are being crushed while prospecting for gold. Metallic surface may be used or other larger rock surfaces. Care shall be taken to carefully wash the surface, the hammer, including the rocks to be crushed and basin and gold pans so to avoid the salting with previous gold particles. Artisanal miners in this area were of the opinion that rocks need to be dried before crushing, that is not true, and with the care you may crush even quartz without rocks flying everywhere around. Keep your eyes safe…