2.2 Gram Nugget

[Mine Shaft]

My buddy said he was going up to our future claim today, and i said hope you find some good Gold. I have found some nice flakes and specks my buddy has found the same with a couple pickers thrown in. Up to this time i have done my home work about staking a claim. We got the green light but don't know if all this digging and sluicing was going to be worth it, in tell my buddy texted me and said i wont believe what he found. I am very excited to say the least lol. The nugget on the right is 2.2 gram the other two were found in the sluice. I forgot to mention the 2.2 gram gold was wedged in tight in a hand sized piece of quartz.

 

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[OwenT]

Wow! and you haven't been at this very long, have you? I'm on probably my 3rd or so year of actually prospecting and still haven't found a good spot with something like that. Working on it though.

 

[firebird]

Nice nugget. If you're finding pieces that big, wouldn't it be worth using a metal detector instead? That piece must have more brothers and sisters still lying in the ground there. The area I'm at has lots of nice pickers but even after going through the area with a Gold Bug 2 I've never found any nuggets.

 

[Mine Shaft]

It was just a hunch about this place, i have been up there 30 times to hunt Deer, and then i thought why not see if there's gold in the river. I am new to this, you are right. Good luck.

 

[Mine Shaft]

Nice nugget. If you're finding pieces that big, wouldn't it be worth using a metal detector instead? That piece must have more brothers and sisters still lying in the ground there. The area I'm at has lots of nice pickers but even after going through the area with a Gold Bug 2 I've never found any nuggets.

Thanks for that info. My buddy did wave his Garrett pin pointer over the rock and got a hit and that was stuck in the quartz lol.

 

[firebird]

Thanks for that info. My buddy did wave his Garrett pin pointer over the rock and got a hit and that was stuck in the quartz lol.

That's nuts! If he's finding that with just a pinpointer he'll probably find even more with a detector.

 

[Goldwasher]

Nice nugget. If you're finding pieces that big, wouldn't it be worth using a metal detector instead? That piece must have more brothers and sisters still lying in the ground there. The area I'm at has lots of nice pickers but even after going through the area with a Gold Bug 2 I've never found any nuggets.

not necessarily if there is a good amount of gravel. It may not be the best way to get the gold in the area.

Yes there could be bigger stuff. There should be a decent amount of smaller stuff in the sluice.

wonder what was the take for the day?

 

[AllenJ]

Awesome gold, congrats sir. It appears you have found a really great spot, the kind we're all looking for lol. Keep us updated, I love seeing pics of yellow as it helps keep me out searching for my spot!!

 

[Mine Shaft]

not necessarily if there is a good amount of gravel. It may not be the best way to get the gold in the area.

Yes there could be bigger stuff. There should be a decent amount of smaller stuff in the sluice.

wonder what was the take for the day?

Yes there is a good amount of gravel mixed in with 4lb - 200lb rocks we have barley scratched the hill side next to the creek. My buddy and i went back today i ran 2 buckets of .152 mesh through my sluice i will post what i got tomorrow. As for total take for my buddy yesterday he said 26 specks & flakes + those 3 nice pieces.This is where we are digging first hole. Now that whole area of large rocks is gone and measures 7ft X 3ft X 2ft deep.

 

[arizau]

Yes there is a good amount of gravel mixed in with 4lb - 200lb rocks we have barley scratched the hill side next to the creek. My buddy and i went back today i ran 2 buckets of .152 mesh through my sluice i will post what i got tomorrow. As for total take for my buddy yesterday he said 26 specks & flakes + those 3 nice pieces.This is where we are digging first hole. Now that whole area of large rocks is gone and measures 7ft X 3ft X 2ft deep.

Are you sure of the mesh size you ran through your sluice? That at once gave me pause so......this is what I came up with in a google search for 0.152 mesh. https://www.themeshcompany.com/prod...eter---SS316-Grade---Woven-Wire-Mesh-113.html,

By your posts it seems you have an excellent prospect......Good luck.

 

[Mine Shaft]

Are you sure of the mesh size you ran through your sluice? That at once gave me pause so......this is what I came up with in a google search for 0.152 mesh. https://www.themeshcompany.com/prod...eter---SS316-Grade---Woven-Wire-Mesh-113.html,

By your posts it seems you have an excellent prospect......Good luck.

Hi arizau, i classified the materiel through .152 screen into my bucket. Thank you. I was off on my classifier hole size lol its .187 or 3/16 dia

 

[Goldwasher]

Hi arizau, i classified the materiel through .152 screen into my bucket. Thank you. I was off on my classifier hole size lol its .187 or 3/16 dia

Prospecting vernacular is mesh size by holes per inch.

10 mesh ten holes , 4 mesh 4 holes (quarter inch)

If your finding gold that size. Go with a bigger screen. And still theck it before you toss the oversize visually. Or pile it and check with a detector after.

You should go with 1/2 inch or so.

A clue to the size of gold the old timers were getting ( upper end) is their home made punch plate.

Big holes mean big gold.

3/16 is too small for California unless your on the beach. Slow going compared to 1/2 inch.

With good flow a milk crate is an awesome classifier. into a big tub or halved plastic 55 gal. drum. You can stockpile alot of material quick.

It's the way to go if you have good flow in the creek for sluicing.

 

[Mine Shaft]

Here is my take from yesterday, my first chunky piece of gold very happy and 9 specks. Thank you Goldwasher for that info, your right i look at the 3/16 classifier and wonder about what might be trapped in there. I got 1/2" i will use it from now on.

 

[arizau]

Here is my take from yesterday, my first chunky piece of gold very happy and 9 specks. Thank you Goldwasher for that info, your right i look at the 3/16 classifier and wonder about what might be trapped in there. I got 1/2" i will use it from now on.

You might want to re-sieve with your 1/2" or a milk crate* what you tossed out when you ran last....and before that. Gold encased in dirt clods (they should dissolve in the sluice) and/or pieces more like what your partner found (first post above) could be recovered. Makes sense to me considering what he found. That is the main reason I questioned the size you were sieving to in my previous post.

Good luck.

*I really like Goldwashers idea about sieving into, a water filled I assume, tub with a milk crate to stockpile sluice feed. Wish I had that luxury here in the desert not to mention running water.

 

[CDCGoldProspecting]

Nice pieces there. Congrats!

 

[Mine Shaft]

Thanks Goldwasher, my buddy's got a halved 55gal there is good flow in the river but it dropped 1" in one week should be good through the summer.

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

Nice gold. So you finally found some river with gold that isn't already claimed? That's good news.
Now you have a spot to further explore.

 

[Mine Shaft]

Not much of a river but there's Gold in them there hills lol. Thank you IMAUDIGGER.

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

If it throwing nuggets, you may not find a lot of fine flour gold.
Don't let that deter you.

 

[Mine Shaft]

If it throwing nuggets, you may not find a lot of fine flour gold.
Don't let that deter you.

Lol, i won't.