How to know if you are in a gold bearing River?

[TheCaribbeanDigger]

Hi good people of TN! I have been prospecting for gold in a local river. I find black sand, I find lots of quartz, I search inside of river bends and gravel bars. Of course looking for gold it's pretty daunting especially when you only have like a month of expirience![emoji23] But, how do I know if I'm in a gold bearing river. I live in Puerto Rico and we had a rich history of gold. Though the majority of the people here say the spanish took all of the gold but I kinda disagree on that.... Please, I'm not asking where to find it but clues, pointers on how to know if there's actually gold. I found a single speck like 2 weeks ago but, I have searched in a couple of places on a big turn, big area, big gravel bar (like 5 feet tall like 100 feet long by 50 feet away of the current) and in a couple of side walls. No more gold?

 

[TheCaribbeanDigger]

What I say is that what are good characteristics or indicators of a gold bearing river?

 

[BrettCo124]

I'm new to the hobby, but I will give this a try from what I've learned so far: Have you tried google to see if your River has a history of bearing gold? From what I've been taught so far, black sand is not an immediate indicator of gold being present. If there is a waterfall, big or small, check beneath it. The water will create a hole where it's striking, and gold will drop out in to it. Also, if the river meanders, check after a curve where the water slows down. Gold will settle out there. Lastly, if the river meets up with bedrock anywhere, try searching right there. If you are permitted to dig, try and get down to where the bedrock floor is. That is where gold sits, and is typically the best place to look in rivers and creeks. Hope that helps.

 

[OwenT]

Have you tried google to see if your River has a history of bearing gold?

This is the key. Quartz and black sand commonly run with gold, but unfortunately they are also present many many other times where there is no gold. Try to do all the research you can on gold mining in Puerto Rico. Which areas of the island or which rivers specifically produced gold and how much. Don't believe that stuff about the Spanish, the old timers never got it all. Don't give up.

 

[gollum]

The Spanish were VERY LAZY miners. If a vein didn't have a LOT of visible gold, a Spaniard would not touch it.

Mike

 

[Alex Burke]

I found these papers for you to check out they are probably long complex and boring lol but here you are
http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1998/of98-038/pdf/manuscript.pdf

https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/4f4e4aafe4b07f02db66cf59


I found one other paper that had very little info but this paragraph was interesting so I copied and pasted it here:

"Heavy mineral studies along the north coast of Puerto Rico found a strong seaward sorting with relatively heavy minerals such as monazite and magnetite enriched on the inner shelf relative to pyroxenes and amphiboles. The high degree of nearshore sorting may indicate a likelihood of the occurrence of placers, particularly in the inner shelf zone. Gold has been mined in the drainage basin of the Rio de La Plata which discharges to the north coast of Puerto Rico, although no gold placers as yet have been found on the coast".

 

[yodi]

I would just pan

 

[Tony_agr]

I once read that if you find a single flake there are at least 100 more like it or larger in the hole, maybe Deeper?.. Actually I heard that on a "gold trails" video.. got it by joining the GPAA..

 

[bottlecap]

From what I have found so far the only way to know is to check Seriously though I am new at this and every spot I have checked has NO history of gold whatsoever on the internet, I just go to a spot that looks good and give it hell for a couple hours. I just spent a few hours today breaking my back without one spec to show for it. Luckily I found another spot that was really good but I say just keep checking spots. Start with the closest most convenient spot to home and work your way out from home until you hit some glorious yellow glints of sweet nectar in your pan. You put some time in and you'll find some!

 

[kcm]

My 2 cents:

I've lived in Minnesota for 20 years. Within a couple of years of moving here, I researched about the possibility of gold in Minnesota. I heard of a very small, short-lived something-or-other that happened in NE Minnesota, as well as a tiny bit of glacial gold on SE Minnesota. That's it. That's ALL I could find!! That is until..... Just recently, some of the members here on Tnet have verified that there IS some gold to be found in other areas - including near the area that I had first moved to! As bottlecap said, don't trust that gold is ONLY in this area or that area. Maybe it just hasn't been found or hasn't been made public yet. Not to mention, we have equipment today that allows us to find and then capture extremely fine gold. So for you, I would say to learn about the conditions within rivers that gold is commonly found, then look for similar areas in Puerto Rico.

 

[Aufisher]

If there is gold in the area I can usually find some in 2-3 test pans. Look for low lying cracks if possible.

 

[TheCaribbeanDigger]

Well I found gold on another river!! These are todays finds!

 

[Aufisher]

Great job! Some of those look thick!

 

[SunshineMiner]

I would stay on that river, and possibly even head upstream! Take some pictures next time you go out, maybe some people can lend a hand as to where to dig

 

[TheCaribbeanDigger]

I found these today afternoon sluicing with my kids! I processed like 1/2 a bucket of material that I took out behind this big boulder. I'll definitely head back to the same spot this sunday!

 

[kcm]

That there's some right purdy gold! Keep working your way upstream until you don't find it anymore, then start looking off to the sides and up.

 

[TheCaribbeanDigger]

This is where I'm prospecting. Literally I just got started and that's the only spot behind the boulder where I have searched! So I'll be pretty busy I think.

 

[TheCaribbeanDigger]

Todays finds!

 

[ecmjamsit]

With those colors showing, I would be looking to dredge it!

 

[Aufisher]

Looking nice and chunky. Lode must be close!