Metal detectors and other tools are being used by modern gold prospectors to find gold!
With the price of gold on the spot market at record highs, hobbyists are using interesting methods to find gold in areas that produced a significant amount of gold for prospectors during the 49ers gold rush, and with success. They are using gold pans, dredges, high banks, and dry washers to find nuggets and dust in rivers, streams, steam banks, and even desert areas.
The president of one of the leading Internet gold buyers recently stated: “When we open a seller’s property, we expect to find jewelry, coins and occasionally some small bars. We have even received small jars containing gold flakes. However When we recently opened two mailing envelopes from a seller in Northern California, we discovered a small plastic bag containing nearly three ounces of small to medium sized natural gold nuggets.
While this vendor was not specific about the location, he did tell us that most of these nuggets were found within the last ten months by prospecting with a metal detector in and around gold-bearing streams that had produced significant amounts of gold in the middle of the year. -1800. Others were taken from deep cracks in rocks along stream beds where they got trapped when streams were at flood stage and much, much higher. He added that this collection of nuggets represented many hours in the field and that he hated to sell his collection, but he badly needed the cash to keep his car from being repossessed.”
Apparently this is an interesting hobby that can really pay dividends with a bit of luck.”
Most gold buyers want to buy gold of any kind, including raw gold nuggets and flakes directly from Mother Nature. These companies don’t care what form the gold is in, how old it is, or where it originated. Everything goes through the same process when it is received. The purity is analyzed and the price is determined based on the spot market price at the time of receipt and the amount of pure gold that is received. These companies buy rings, chains, watches, coins, bars, scrap gold, and yes, even nuggets and flakes mined by today’s recreational prospectors.
One thing is virtually certain. As long as the market price of gold remains high and global financial downturns continue, people will be looking for any possible way to find gold that they can sell for quick cash change.
