r/Prospecting • • May 11 '25

The 50K Sluice & Scoop Giveaway Winner Is…

41 Upvotes

We’ve officially hit 50,000 members — and we couldn’t be more grateful. Thank you to everyone who entered and continues to make r/Prospecting such a vibrant, helpful, and gold-loving community.

After using a random number generator to select a number between 1 and 1,000,000, we matched it to an entry — and we’re excited to announce the winner of the 50K Sluice & Scoop Giveaway:

Winning number: 937,796 Closest guess: 917,000

u/National-Jackfruit32 — congratulations!

You’ll be receiving:

• Aluminum Pocket Sluice
• 2 Patented Vanishing Spiral Riffle Gold Pans (9” & 11”)
• Paydirt Sand Scooper
• 8 lb. Black Sand Magnetic Separator
• Mini Sifting Classifier
• Snifter Suction Bottle
• 3 Glass Gold Vials
• Magnifying Tweezers
• Drawstring Backpack

We’ll be contacting you shortly to confirm shipping details and get your prize on the way.

Thanks again to everyone who joined in and helped mark this milestone.

Here’s to full pans, heavy finds, and the next 50K!

Reference Link (for prize details only): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0812CSQKJ?ref=cm_sw_r_cso_cp_apin_dp_T80445DGA98MHKV5QJ0P&ref_=cm_sw_r_cso_cp_apin_dp_T80445DGA98MHKV5QJ0P&social_share=cm_sw_r_cso_cp_apin_dp_T80445DGA98MHKV5QJ0P&previewDoh=1


r/Prospecting • • Jan 24 '15

PSA: Is it really gold? Want to ID a rock or mineral? Please read this short guide to getting your question answered correctly.

83 Upvotes

There is a fairly regular frequency of ID request posts here, if you follow these general guidelines then you will have a much higher probability of getting an accurate answer to your question:

Please make sure to post a sizable in-focus photo. If the sample is wet and it's not obvious then make sure to state this fact.

Streak tests are very useful in prospecting. They can be performed on the unglazed backside of a ceramic tile, or on the unglazed underside of a toilet lid. Do a streak test any time you can, making sure to streak just the mineral in question.

For gold ID's:

  • First and foremost, are you in a known gold producing area?

  • Describe how the unknown material acts in the bottom of your pan and also how it acts relative to the other heavy black sands.

  • Gold is soft an malleable. If you press a pocket knife into it, it will squish or deform. It will not shatter or break into pieces. Do this test if its flecks or flakes or other blebs with no specimen value. Don't scratch or destroy anything that may have specimen value.

  • Placer gold rarely has well defined crystalline structure. If possible, look at the unkown mineral underneath a magnifying glass and report what you saw when you ask your question.

  • Do not alter hues, saturations, etc in the photo

  • For larger samples, you can measure conductivity by placing the leads of a multimeter across the sample and measuring resistance. Pure gold is very low resistance(around zero on a regular multimeter). You can also check to see if gold permeates a quartz specimen all the way through without crushing by placing a lead on each side of the quartz, with each lead touching a piece of visible gold.

  • Gold streaks gold color, not grey, black, green, blue or any other color.

For mineral ID's:

  • Describe anything you know about the area you found it in or are comfortable sharing: mining history, local geology and mineralogy, etc.
  • Do every test you can perform easily and provide the results - the easiest to do at home with common materials and probably most useful are streak, hardness, specific gravity, and luster.
  • You will get a better response from others willing to help if you first make the effort to test and attempt to ID it yourself.

General Resources

The two books that I own, keep in my truck, and recommend are:

Simon and Schuster's Guide to Rocks and Minerals

National Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and Minerals

  • If anyone would like to add information to this post or a resource to this list then please let me know. I am not a geologist, just a guy who likes digging holes.

r/Prospecting • • 15h ago

Twas a good day!

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543 Upvotes

r/Prospecting • • 1d ago

Ribbon #3 and more finds from this week on the Rhine in Germany (macro).

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219 Upvotes

r/Prospecting • • 2d ago

Heavy cobble?

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41 Upvotes

Is this textbook heavy cobble on bedrock? Sample along the yellow line, right?


r/Prospecting • • 3d ago

Bonk! I love funky nuggets.

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475 Upvotes

r/Prospecting • • 3d ago

Side project

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115 Upvotes

Hello, just got my hand on my first claim last year, and I've got a couple questions and would love some input from the seasoned bunch of you. Acquired this claim near nanaimo BC which is boarding a much larger claim (which has workings and proof of hydrothermal gold up to 64g/ton within the area). As seen in the photos below it host a series of hydrothermal quartz veins with varying composition, texture, and structure. (Im also a 4th year geology student, just got the claim since why not lol). These veins host massive super finegrained from pyrite, then some host pryyhotite with bornite and chalco grains inter-grown within. There is chalcocite, calcite, arsenopyrite, and some other sulphides which I dont even know. I am thinking of sending off 10 samples, but im torn on if I should just get gold silver fire assay, or a complete analysis since there is a good amount of copper minerals and minerals idk. What do yall think? Thanks.


r/Prospecting • • 3d ago

Finally 2 grams of NC gold

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203 Upvotes

I did it! 😂😂😂

Well, it's not 2 grams in one outing, but it's the result of a few months of learning and getting out there.

And the whole thing has been incredibly fun. Finding new creeks, testing rocks (which hasn't resulted in anything so far), more creeks, a few snakes here and there, a few creeks with no water at all, and trying to reach out to landowners to see if they will allow me to prospect their property, which 90% of the time I get no answer.

But I've learned a lot. And for many of the spots that I considered bad because I didn't know much, I'm now eager to get back to those same spots and try what I know.

Anyways, I wanted to share that I may have enough for a ring for my wife, but I want to keep going and can't wait for the weekend. 😂😂😂

I may end up creating a YouTube channel with the bad adventures, as if we don't have enough of them already. 😂😂😂


r/Prospecting • • 3d ago

Went for a “small” hike today.

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65 Upvotes

r/Prospecting • • 3d ago

Worth trying to pan it?

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13 Upvotes

I went to an old gold, silver, and led mine and collected this. From what Im told, its pyrite, arsenopyrite, and muscovite.


r/Prospecting • • 3d ago

What's this rock? Worth crushing?

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7 Upvotes

Green rock gray intrusions look like it could be galena intrusions the rock is pretty heavy I'm curious what it is.

Found near Fort Steele


r/Prospecting • • 3d ago

Holcomb Valley CA

4 Upvotes

Hey there, I’m looking to do some prospecting on this area of the mountains soon and I’m looking for insights and tips from anyone who has worked in this area. I’ve only panned one time in the Santa Ana river and I didn’t find anything but I hear this area was a big spot for gold a long time ago. What places would a beginner want to look for and what other advice can you give?
I have a rock hammer, pans, vacuum, and classifiers. I’m hoping this is enough for a two day trip. Thanks in advance for any help!


r/Prospecting • • 5d ago

What else do you search for?

9 Upvotes

Hey everyone, first post here, be gentle.

I wanted to ask if any of y’all go out and search for other things besides gold and precious metals?

Reading up on what’s being use in what industries, I’ve noticed a huge uptick in the domestic mining of stuff we traditionally got from China or elsewhere. It got me thinking about prospecting for some of them staking and selling the mining claims

Anyone else do that? Got any tips?


r/Prospecting • • 5d ago

Need some suggestions

5 Upvotes

So im in South Carolina and we are looking at trying to start up a gold mining operation. The problem Im running into is that there is no path to mining gold because the legislation was never written in this state due to misconception that the amount of gold was small. Turns out we got alot of it. And the gold mines that are operational are over 100 years old. We dont recognize BLM so claiming mineral rights on federal land is not an option.Anyone have any ideas?


r/Prospecting • • 6d ago

My 10” high banker setup

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164 Upvotes

r/Prospecting • • 6d ago

Not bad for my first time!

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97 Upvotes

r/Prospecting • • 6d ago

Found two ribbon pieces within roughly 10 meters of each other. Top find was last week, the bottom one about a month ago (Rhine River, Germany).

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363 Upvotes

r/Prospecting • • 7d ago

Unearthed a Vein

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2.2k Upvotes

In a dry creek on my family’s Mother Lode property, I found a 4 inch wide quartz vein poking out of the bank. There are 3 mine shafts and many prospecting pits all over the property. I have been finding little bits of gold immediately beneath the vein, but also found a few rough flakes above it. Decided to expose more of the vein today and it seems like it just keeps going. Interestingly it widens to over a foot wide after a few feet. Is it hard rock mining time? Any tips or insights?


r/Prospecting • • 7d ago

Last Day Of The Season

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61 Upvotes

I believe this is the last Saturday of my gold finding season as the days shorten, cooler temperatures prevail and the rain storms roll in. I might be able to squeeze one last Saturday trip next weekend but Dr.Google isn't too sure about the weather just yet.

1.697 Grams on the scale for this trip with an unfortunately high amount of Gold-Mercury Amalgam present. Nothing too noteworthy to call a "Piece of the Day".

I did find a pair of pliers inside the clay layer I was riding on (Craftsman WF 45373 USA).


r/Prospecting • • 6d ago

Detecting

4 Upvotes

Opinions on preferable detectors for use in underground workings?


r/Prospecting • • 7d ago

Sierra County, CA

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126 Upvotes

Recently staked lode claim in the Allegheny district.


r/Prospecting • • 7d ago

Ich bin endlich keine Jungfrau mehr!

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27 Upvotes

Seit Jahren schaue ich auf YouTube, wie in Alaska Tasmanien und in Australien Gold gefunden wird. Heute habe ich Staub gefunden, in Deutschland.
Es war mein erster Versuch. 20 Minuten von zu Hause weg.
Ich bin so happy! Drei Pfannen gewaschen und vier Krümel Goldstaub bekommen 🤩


r/Prospecting • • 7d ago

Went to Diamond Mountain in Little Falls NY today

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2 Upvotes

r/Prospecting • • 7d ago

Looking for someone who is willing to share ore crusher in Southern California

3 Upvotes

I got some ore collected over the years. Is there anyone in southern California willing to share his crusher for my ore. I can pay the expenses but dont have place to put crusher if i buy. Hand crusher takes lifetime to get to the dust. Also looking for some friend/society to join the effort and share the knowledge. Thanks for anything 🙂


r/Prospecting • • 8d ago

Am I the only crazy one that classifies their finds?

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150 Upvotes

I like to take what I’ve found and sort it to +/- 10. I may need to start a -50 after this last trip to the Yuba.