How To
Ask The Experts
December 2015 by Chris Ralph
• How do I separate silver from lead ore?How to Stake Your Own Mining Claims—Part I
Many new prospectors start out prospecting in public areas and club claims, and this is perfectly fine, but the next step in the progression of becoming an experienced prospector is to locate and stake your own mining claims. Testing Ores for Free Gold
I get a number of questions from people about testing and treating hard rock ores. The simplest way, but also an expensive one, is to just have an assay test done by an independent assay firm. As an alternative...
Ask The Experts: How do I identify gold in hard rock that may be mixed with other metals?
Q: Aside from the softness scratch test and other methods of identification, what feedback would you have on identifying gold in hard rock that may be mixed with other metals that affect its color?
How to Evaluate Mineral Claims—What to Know Before You Buy
Even though they have put down thousands of dollars, the buyers often stop paying on their claims part way through the process after they realize they’ve been duped, but the company just sells it again to another buyer.
What Equipment Do I Need?
Getting started in prospecting often requires the purchase of some equipment, but one can spend as little as $10 and be finding gold or spend thousands and also be finding gold—yet you will probably have many more opportunities and possibilities with more and better equipment.
Mining Claims—What to Know Before You File
During the initial assessment year (the year of location), the claim maintenance fee must be paid at the time the notice of location is filed with the Bureau of Land Management. Failure to pay the claim maintenance fee will void the claim.
Hard Rock Milling: A Matter of Scale
Most prospectors understand placer mining a lot better than hard rock mining and don’t realize the amount of work that goes into processing different types of hard rock ore.
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• SB 838 and the Salem Witch Hunt
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• Researching Mineralized Areas
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• Using Geologic Maps
• Canadian Company Recovers 1,111-Carat Diamond
• Lost Sally's Gold
• Time to File Claims in Southern California
• Colorado Disputes Key Part of EPA Mine Report
• Picking Our Way Through Bedrock
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• Melman on Gold & Silver
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