Should I be worried about potential loss of gold nuggets while classifying?

[firebird]

Spent all day yesterday panning at Merced River near Briceburg. Was only finding tiny flour gold but found lots of it. However I wasted a lot of time too scrutinizing all the larger gravel that I'm classifying before throwing it away for fear I might end up throwing away a larger nugget. Are my fears justified? Been thinking of getting a smaller handheld metal detector too like the Garrett Prop Pointer, would it be worth it for classified gravel or are the chances too low?

 

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[Duckshot]

Welcome to the Tnet forum Firebird.

How exactly are you "scrutinizing" your gravel before you toss it? My gold pan does most of the scrutinizing for me.

Sometimes with larger classified material to 1/4" or so I'll cheat. Ill get it shook down in the pan then shake and slowly dump at the same time. It's surprising how the bigger the gold the harder it wants to stay in the bottom of the pan.

 

[arizau]

Spent all day yesterday panning at Merced River near Briceburg. Was only finding tiny flour gold but found lots of it. However I wasted a lot of time too scrutinizing all the larger gravel that I'm classifying before throwing it away for fear I might end up throwing away a larger nugget. Are my fears justified? Been thinking of getting a smaller handheld metal detector too like the Garrett Prop Pointer, would it be worth it for classified gravel or are the chances too low?

If you are classifying before panning raw dirt, then don't! Save your classifying for the concentrates you have accumulated by the end of the day. You will spend much less time doing that then classifying before panning. Some of the larger pieces that don't make it through the classifier may be coated with dirt that contains some gold. Panning will wash them and free any gold that may be attached. Proper panning will clear worthless larger rocks or pieces and quickly. Also, you can actually just scrape much of the worthless material off the top and out of the pan without fear of losing gold as long as you have swirled and agitated the material sufficiently to wash it and settle the heavies (gold and black sands).


Good luck and welcome

 

[Goldwasher]

If you are classifying before panning raw dirt, then don't! Save your classifying for the concentrates you have accumulated by the end of the day. You will spend much less time doing that then classifying before panning. Some of the larger pieces that don't make it through the classifier may be coated with dirt that contains some gold. Panning will wash them and free any gold that may be attached. Proper panning will clear worthless larger rocks or pieces and quickly. Also, you can actually just scrape much of the worthless material off the top and out of the pan without fear of losing gold as long as you have swirled and agitated the material sufficiently to wash it and settle the heavies (gold and black sands).


Good luck and welcome

Yep

and

If your crevicing it may be something to worry about. Just digging at a gravel bar or bank not so much.

On a river also not so much. Unless your on a good layer in or close to bedrock.

if your using a typical 1/2 to 5/8" classifier just do the same scoop out of it that Azau mentions and look into the classifier then toss.

A pinpointer would be slow as heck the best way is to scan your reject pile with a regular (good) metal detector.

In all reality don't worry about it classifier or not until you start finding a fair amount of pickers or anything close to the size that wouldn't fit through your classifier.

also don't go using a 1/4 inch classifier at the river in the motherlode It's slow and you could miss a piece that way.


I just rake everything out of the way until i'm on a paying layer anyway. With wet gravel and a rake the gold is concentrating in your hole you can grab and chuck rock and cobble and never have to classify or pan it.

It's much faster.

 

[Bejay]

Classifying material comes in all forms when working placer materials. If you wet classify the chances are slim that you will toss gold....but a quick look before is always worthy of some attention. A highbanker classifies...and one is constantly watching to see what comes of the classifier...….again the wet aspect makes it quick and easy. Dry classifying is a different game entirely depending on the material you are working. A dry washer classifies and one is constantly paying attention to what comes of the unit. Most who know their stuff; and work in the desert will do a quick metal detector scan of their piles before departing. I have known some metal detecting individuals who go out in the afternoon and scan others piles.


I personally know of two instances where classifying led to large (dirty) nuggets being disposed of. In one instance the nugget was seen as the individual was tossing the material....it took a little effort for him to rediscover the nugget as he saw the glitter of it going through the air. The other instance was a couple who were dry washing and were always scanning (detector) their pile before they left; and they found a dirty 3/4 oz nugget in their pile....(desert).


If I am digging material on one of my placer claims I always pay attention to what I am tossing....and the quartz specimens in the material always get a better look. Sometimes I keep a small quartz pile separate and re-look at each one at the end of the day. After years and years of placer mining one tends to know when to be safe and when not to. Like they say...better safe than sorry. I know of many a nugget that has been lost by the digger and re-found by someone who scans others piles. Wet vs dry is always a different game.

Bejay

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

Classifying material comes in all forms when working placer materials. If you wet classify the chances are slim that you will toss gold....but a quick look before is always worthy of some attention. A highbanker classifies...and one is constantly watching to see what comes of the classifier...….again the wet aspect makes it quick and easy. Dry classifying is a different game entirely depending on the material you are working. A dry washer classifies and one is constantly paying attention to what comes of the unit. Most who know their stuff; and work in the desert will do a quick metal detector scan of their piles before departing. I have known some metal detecting individuals who go out in the afternoon and scan others piles.


I personally know of two instances where classifying led to large (dirty) nuggets being disposed of. In one instance the nugget was seen as the individual was tossing the material....it took a little effort for him to rediscover the nugget as he saw the glitter of it going through the air. The other instance was a couple who were dry washing and were always scanning (detector) their pile before they left; and they found a dirty 3/4 oz nugget in their pile....(desert).


If I am digging material on one of my placer claims I always pay attention to what I am tossing....and the quartz specimens in the material always get a better look. Sometimes I keep a small quartz pile separate and re-look at each one at the end of the day. After years and years of placer mining one tends to know when to be safe and when not to. Like they say...better safe than sorry. I know of many a nugget that has been lost by the digger and re-found by someone who scans others piles. Wet vs dry is always a different game.

Bejay

I always like to pay special attention to what other miners have discarded.

I feel classifying prior to panning is appropriate if you are panning river gravel where the fines only account for a small percentage of the classification.
If you submerge your screen in the top of a bucket, the rocks are getting washed prior to dumping. Pretty easy to glance at the screen for nuggets each time. Someone posted up a picture of a slick foot operated device that shook AND dumped the screen.

Trying to get every single color ultimately leads to less gold being found (in my opinion).

“It depends” is the correct answer.

 

[Bejay]

No question Classifying "in water" leaves little room for error. "It depends" is no doubt always the factor one must consider. But I have often seen miners classify "out of water" and with that the "it depends" is a for sure situation one might want to address. That said considerations for all the "it depends" situations may warrant the ability for miners to share their experiences.


For sure discussing the "trying to get every single color" is a topic that warrants consideration. Nuggets and pickers is one thing....colors is a whole different can of worms. I had an Az mining partner who wanted to spend every amount of effort to get every single color. He went to the extreme to crush and amalgamate the black sands that were left after the fine gold recovery systems we employed. A lot of time and effort for "not much"....IMHO. I guess each person has to feel comfortable with what they are doing and recovering at the end of the day. Even at that......there is always a loss factor. Most of us old timers can relate to "lost" gold in systems that recovered huge amounts of gold. Yep...it depends is a for sure situation.


Bejay

 

[mytimetoshine]

When panning most material, I prefer to classify to 1/2. Take a quick peek in the classify for nuggets before tossing. To each their own is what it really comes down to. The chance of missing a nugget either way is slim. The chance of finding one in the first place, even slimmer.. Worry less, shovel more

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

The old timers selected a hole size on their “punch plate” that equates to their perceived likelihood of finding enough nuggets to warrant all of the additional material that would have to be washed.

Some places it was 1” others just a chisel tip. I’ve actually ran into a situation where the gold was screened out rather than barren rocks. Anybody that has crushed rich ore knows what I mean.

 

[spillercanyon]

Absolutely!!!!!!

See my thread: http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/gold-prospecting/580966-wife-scores-big-one.html

 

[Bonaro]

Fine gold is common and the larger the nugget, the more rare it is..usually. Knowing the history of the area you are in will help you choose your classification. For instance, if your area has been known for match head to pea sized nuggets but not many larger you can screen everything to 3/8" and toss the oversize with little fear of losing anything. Then screen again to 3/16" and save that oversize for later inspection. Or you can run that oversize in a small sluice and you will catch any nugget that was larger than 3/16".
Or you can just screen once and run a metal detector of the oversize.
I work in a area that give up really nice nuggets now and then. Nothing gets tossed without checking