Panning For Gold: Easy Ways To Get Gold

Gold panning is a simple process involving the use of a pan to extract gold from a placer deposit. It is one of the simplest and oldest ways to extract gold from a streambed, and is a popular hobby for geology enthusiasts due to its low cost and relative ease. Gold panning involves collecting alluvial deposits and submerging them in water, before using vigorous motions to separate the gold from lighter substances such as dirt, sand or clay, which wash away. Gold is a heavy element, so it will sink to the bottom of the pan. This process is called stratification. Once the gold has been separated, it can be collected by the prospector.

Choosing the right gold pan

Gold pans come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. The right gold pan for you will depend on factors such as your budget, the weight you can carry, and the type of material you'll be panning.

The first thing to consider is the size of the pan. Gold pans typically range from 6 inches to 24 inches in diameter, with the normal size being somewhere between 14 and 16 inches. Large pans (15-24 inches) allow you to process more material at once, but they can be heavy and tiring to use for extended periods. Small pans (10-12 inches) are great for kids, easy to handle, and perfect for panning cons or concentrates. The standard size (14-16 inches) offers a good balance between usability, portability, and capacity. A good rule of thumb is to choose a pan that fits between your elbow and wrist crease when held against your forearm.

The shape of the pan is another important consideration. While most pans are round, there are also square, hexagonal, and triangular options available. The traditional round shape is the most popular among prospectors due to its versatility and efficiency. Round pans with deeper bottoms, known as "drop center pans," are particularly effective at retaining gold. Square pans, on the other hand, require a different technique and do not allow for swirling, only working the riffles.

The color of the gold pan is mostly a matter of personal preference. Gold pans come in various colors, including black, blue, green, hot pink, and purple. Black pans make shiny gold stand out, but they can be difficult to use outdoors as the magnetic black sand blends in with the pan. Blue and green pans are excellent for revealing gold and garnets, and they don't blend in with the environment as easily. More exotic colors like hot pink and purple are fun and help highlight the gold, but they may cause eye strain after prolonged use.

The type of riffles in the pan is another key consideration. Riffles are one of the most significant innovations in gold panning, as they help trap the heavier gold while allowing lighter rocks, sand, and other materials to be washed out. There are two main types of riffles: large and small. Large riffles are better for dealing with larger materials like river rocks but are not as effective at catching small pieces of gold. Small riffles are ideal for capturing fine gold dust and working with mostly sand or concentrates. Many pans feature both large and small riffles to offer maximum flexibility.

Finally, you'll need to decide between a plastic or metal gold pan. Plastic pans are the most popular choice due to their durability, lightweight, and resistance to bending or breaking. They also float, won't rust, and come in a variety of colors. Metal pans, on the other hand, offer an authentic old-time feel, but they are heavier, prone to rust, and can be more difficult to use as gold likes to hang out with other heavy metals that a magnet could attract. Metal pans also require additional maintenance, such as blackening the pan to make the gold clearer against the surface.

Finding a good spot to pan for gold

Gold is often found in areas that have already been mined in the past. So, if you're looking for a good spot to pan for gold, it's best to do some research on where gold has been found before.

Gold is a heavy metal, and it is often found in riverbeds and streams, where the flowing water washes away lighter materials and leaves behind heavier materials like gold. So, when you're looking for a spot to pan for gold, look for areas with water that is at least six inches deep and has a slow current. You'll also want to look for areas with large rocks or fallen trees along the water's edge, as these can create eddies or swirling areas that slow down the current and allow gold to settle.

Another good place to look for gold is in areas with a high concentration of gold ore. Gold is often found in areas with other minerals, so look for quartz veins, mica, feldspars, biotite, hornblende, pyroxenes, amphibolites, and granulites. You can also look for areas with important rock types like granite, schist, and gneiss.

If you're looking for a more challenging spot to pan for gold, consider caves, creeks, and gulches surrounding lode mines. Lode mines are mines that produce minerals encased in rock, and gold is often found in these areas. Just be sure to exercise caution, as mining can be dangerous.

Finally, don't forget to check for any man-made evidence of mining, such as old mine shafts, rock piles, or trenches. These areas may have been left behind by miners, and gold could still be waiting to be found.

Classifying your paydirt

Once you've found a likely spot to dig your paydirt, you can start digging. It's a good idea to take a 5-gallon bucket and classifier to where you are digging. This kind of classifier is designed to fit on top of a 5-gallon bucket, making it easier to classify your material into the bucket as you dig. This means you only need to carry the classified material to where you are doing the panning.

The classifier really just strains out the bigger rocks. Classifiers come in lots of different mesh sizes. This one is 1/2 inch mesh, meaning that it will screen out anything larger than 1/2 inch. It's not absolutely necessary to use a classifier, but it does help a lot by keeping big junk rocks out of your pan and just letting through the smaller material more likely to contain gold.

You can classify your material under water. Simply submerge the pan and classifier in the stream and shake and rotate the classifier over the gold pan, allowing all the smaller material to fall through into the pan. The big junk rocks are retained in the classifier and can be discarded.

One way to make life easier is to fill the bucket to the top with water. Classifying is easier in water. However, wet dirt is heavy, so don't overfill the bucket and dump out the excess water before hauling it to your panning site, or you will tire yourself out.

Every source on panning warns of the possibility of throwing away a big gold nugget with the rocks in your classifier. They all recommend sorting through and carefully examining the contents of the classifier rather than just tossing them away. The odds of tossing out a nugget too big to fit through a 1/2 inch classifier are low, but it's still a good idea to check.

Choosing the right classifier

It's good to know the size of the gold in your area when deciding on the right size classifier for the material you’re going to process. If there are nuggets up to a half-inch in diameter in the area, you’d want to start with a half-inch classifier. Be sure to look through the material left behind before discarding it or you may throw away a fortune. If most of the gold recovered in the area is known to be small flakes or flour gold, you’ll want to classify the material down finer before sending it through your plant. Be sure to test-pan your material to see what size gold you’re generally working with.

Gold weighs a lot more than the granite and other stones that often fill your bucket. By classifying material into an equivalent size, you will maximize the effectiveness of the equipment used to process the material.

Gold classifiers come in many different sizes or “mesh”. These meshes are usually measured in fractions of an inch. Meshes smaller than one-eighth of an inch are often referred to differently. For example, mesh that blocks material larger than one-twentieth of an inch is referred to as “twenty mesh”, mesh that blocks material larger than one-fiftieth of an inch is called 50 mesh, and so on.

Using a magnet to separate gold from magnetic black sands

Gold panning is a common way to recover gold from rivers, creeks, and the sea. It is often done in combination with sluicing and suction dredging. The gold is then separated from the mixture of sand and water in a pan. Magnetic black sand particles will be attracted to each other and pinch particles of gold between them. This is why you can pick up magnetic black sand with a magnet, drop it in a pan, and find gold in it.

Gold panning with a magnet can be done while the pan is dry or wet. The magnet pulls black sand and other magnetic materials away from the concentrate, making it easier to extract and separate fine gold from other minerals. However, pure gold is not magnetic, so it will need to be separated from the clumps of black sand by roasting, tumbling, or using a stamp mill.

There are many tools available for using magnets to extract gold from black sand. For example, the Pocket Black Sand Magnetic Separator pulls the magnetic sands out of your pan or sluice box. It has a 5lb pull, is water-resistant, and has a metal pocket clip. Another tool is the Big Orange Gold Magnet, also known as the "Black Sand Magnet".

Finishing pans and sniffer bottles

Once you have panned your gold-bearing concentrate down to a small amount of black sand and gold, you are ready to use a finishing pan and sniffer bottle to complete the separation process.

A finishing pan is a small, black plastic pan with a smooth surface, used specifically for the final stages of gold panning. Its color contrasts well with the gold, making it easier to see the gold particles. Carefully transfer the remaining black sand and gold material from your regular pan to the finishing pan, being careful not to lose any of the precious gold.

Now, add just enough water to cover the remaining sand and gold. Gently agitate the pan, moving the contents in a circular motion. As the water swirls, the black sand will start to move outwards, forming a thin layer on top of the water. Continue this motion, and you will see the gold start to concentrate in the center of the pan. At this stage, you can carefully tilt the pan, allowing the black sand to spill over the side, leaving the gold behind.

A sniffer bottle is a small plastic squeeze bottle with a narrow, tapered suction tube. Fill the bottle with water, and use it to gently suck up the remaining black sand and gold from the pan. Squeeze the bottle gently to create a small amount of water pressure, and direct the suction tube at the gold in the bottom of the pan. The water pressure will wash the gold into the tube, where it can be caught in the bottle's small chamber. The narrow tube ensures that only the gold is captured, as the black sand is too heavy and will fall away.

Using a sniffer bottle takes practice, but it is an effective way to ensure you recover even the smallest flecks of gold. With a steady hand and a good eye, you can finish your pan and be rewarded with a vial of gold flakes and particles, ready for further refining or selling.

Frequently asked questions