While gold panning is the preferred way of prospecting for beginners and intermediate gold hunters, this activity requires skills and knowledge. Some techniques can help you see better results from your efforts and retrieve more gold. However, refining your panning abilities is an excellent way to increase your chances of finding satisfying nuggets!
The gold panning techniques that work include preparing for panning, creating a state of suspension, and washing and cleaning the pan. Once you have panned the material down to the black sand, you can then inspect the device for gold and retrieve the “color.”
There is a little more you should know to ensure you see satisfying results from your efforts. Read on.
Table of Contents
What Is Gold Panning?
Before jumping on the techniques that can help you retrieve more gold, it is essential to understand the basics of gold panning. Gold panning is the oldest prospecting method and involves the use of a gold pan[1].
This strategy to recover gold is the favorite one for beginner prospectors and for anybody who enjoys prospecting as a recreational activity. Indeed, this hobby is perfect for anybody who loves to spend hours outdoors and feel the excitement of finding some “color” in their pan.
Panning for gold is the most accessible of all prospecting methods, as it only requires an inexpensive pan and can be performed in most public lands. Of course, it also yields some disadvantages that have encouraged expert prospectors to move onto other types of prospecting techniques, such as sluicing and dredging.
However, if you prefer to keep your costs low and enjoy time outdoors with your whole family, there is nothing better than gold panning!
Learning From Others
When it comes down to the techniques that can help you achieve the results you were hoping for, most of them depend on the area in which you are prospecting. Generally, there is only one way of exploration for gold, yet your knowledge of the geology of the place and the site’s history can help find more of this precious metal.
One of the best ways of mastering this skill is to practice it regularly and learn from other expert prospectors around you. Alternatively, several videos, such as the one below, can offer you a visual demonstration of how to pan for gold successfully.
While the panning process is only one, some techniques can help you to increase the amount of gold that you will be able to retrieve. Below, you can find all the methods to use for each step of the process. Additionally, there are some tips to improve your results.
Preparation for Gold Panning
Preparing for gold panning can either be a short process – if you have tried this activity before – or a lengthy one. However, preparing for the process is arguably the most crucial step of all.
Firstly, you should start by learning more about the geology and history of the location. Indeed, panning for gold happens on the banks of a river or creek, but these water bodies can be extremely extensive in some cases. Not all sections of the same stream will yield the same results.
Here are the factors to consider before setting up your equipment:
- Gold follows the shortest path.
When gold is transported down a river by the water current, it is likely to follow the shortest path. Therefore, it will run parallel to the shortest sides of the river’s curves and twists. Especially if you are preparing to pan for gold near a twisting creek or stream, position yourself on the inner side of a curve, rather than on the outer side[2].
- Identify an area where a river slows down.
If the river you wish to prospect is flowing rapidly or downhill, follow its course along until it slows down or reaches a flat surface. In this section, the current is likely to be less intense than it was, unable to carry any particles of gold along. Therefore, these will drop rapidly to the streambed, where you will be able to retrieve it[3].
- Identify an area where a river enlarges.
Similarly to the instance above, if the course of the river you wish to prospect is narrow and the water is flowing rapidly, follow it until it expands. If this happens abruptly, the water will lose power and pressure, allowing the gold to sink to the bottom[4].
- Calculate the right water depth and velocity for your panning operations
Before starting to pan for gold, you should ensure that the location in which you are panning is the correct one. To do so, make sure that the river is flowing slowly, but the water is not entirely still. You should aim for a spot in which the water is at least 6in (15cm) deep in terms of water depth. Make sure there is a log or rock nearby on which to lean on or grab.
Alongside these tips, you should also ensure that your pan and other pieces of equipment are ready for the operation. To do so, you should have at least one pan, classifier, bucket, shovel, magnifying tweezers, gold vials, and a suction bottle.
Once everything is ready, it is time to retrieve the streambed material you are interested in analyzing. Fill up the pan almost to the top, to process as much content as possible in just one process. However, beginner prospectors should avoid filling the pan, as this can increase the risk of losing gold particles at the beginning of the panning process.
Once the pan is filled with the streambed material selected, bring it to your panning spot and submerge the pan. Ideally, you should lay it on a flat surface, rock, or against your legs. This strategy will help you keep it in place during the next step of the process[5].
Stratification and Suspension
Once you have submerged the pan, wait for the water to moist the content of your pan. Then, you can use your fingers to break down any lumps in the material. These can be many, deriving from clay and rocks, and the content needs to be completely smooth.
However, you should make sure that your strokes are not too strong to push the material outside of the pan’s sides. Additionally, you should proceed with a kneading movement to remove all the lumps that the clay might have created.
If you find any rock in the process, wash them off so the clay can leave the pan. One of the essential tips to keep in mind during this step is to remove all the clay before beginning the panning process.
Then, grasping the pan with both hands, start moving it back and forth or following a clockwise-anticlockwise movement. While this step will require you to put enough strength into the action to break down the pan’s material, it is also essential to stop the content from spilling from the sides of the pan.
As the content starts to become looser within the pan, you will notice the lighter materials to become suspended in the water. This is the perfect status for them to be transported off the pan by the water.
If the prospector executes this step correctly, the pan’s heavier materials will rapidly drop toward the bottom of the pan[6].
Washing the Pan
Washing the pan is a critical skill to learn for prospectors to refine their technique. However, depending on the material you are processing this step can take several different variations. Indeed, not all materials will react in the same way to the stimuli created by the prospectors.
In some cases, the gold will rapidly fall at the bottom alongside other heavier materials in the mix. In some other instances, you will need to keep kneading the material until there are no more agglomerations of materials.
As you start to swirl the content in the pan underwater, the force of water will sweep off all the lighter material at the surface of the pan. Now, move your hands toward the center of the pan and tilt it slightly forward, so one-half of the pan is higher than the other one.
While doing so, remember to keep the riffles of the pan away from your body. This step is essential to keep all the gold within the pan as you tilt it in the water. The circular motion that you will begin while in this position will allow the lighter materials to escape the pan while pushing the heavier particles right at the bottom of the pan[7].
Cleaning the Pan
This prospecting technique is one of the most important prospectors to master when deciding to use a pan on their prospecting activities. This step involves washing away surface particles and grains while protecting the heavier materials at the bottom of the pan. This step does require the prospector to have refined panning skills to be performed correctly.
During the phase, you will gradually tilt the pan forward, and, with a back and forth movement, you will continue to stratify the different materials. This step is challenging, but it can also drastically reduce the amount of material in the pan.
While performing these actions, don’t forget to keep checking the pan for any signs of gold. Indeed, larger nuggets and flakes could escape the pan if not caught promptly[8].
Inspecting the Pan
Now that everything left on the pan is the heavier material, it is time to inspect the concentrates for gold. The black sand[9] remaining in the pan is most likely formed by a mix of magnetic and non-magnetic heavy materials that can populate the bottom of the stream.
Since the gold could be underneath this black sand, add some clear water to the pan and swirl it lightly to uncover any possible grain of gold still lying there. Indeed, while not getting rid of any particles in the concentrate, the water motion causes the sand to move across the pan’s bottom. By moving, some other particles of “color” might start to show.
Even in this case, the efficiency of this technique relies on the fact that gold is usually heavier than the other elements in the black sand concentrates.
Storing the Gold
The last technique that gold panners should be aware of is the one you might need to use to separate the gold from the black sand and store it safely. For this step, many prospectors prefer to use a black sand magnet that can eliminate some of the magnetic particles from the concentrate.
However, once these are off the mix, you can use suction bottles to bring all the particles into a vial. Then, once you are in a more controlled environment such as your home, you can proceed to analyze such concentrates through the use of a micro sluice box.
Sampling
Aside from the techniques that we have seen above, there is another reason that causes many prospectors to opt to pan for gold. Usually, this is for sampling terrain. Indeed, before filing a mining claim, a prospectus should be sure that the ground is gold-bearing and yields a suitable potential.
To gain this type of knowledge, many expert prospectors opt to use a gold pan to sample the terrain[10]. Indeed, this technique allows them to understand the soil composition and whether there is a valid potential for gold-bearing grounds.
Hence, even if expert prospector might decide to invest in better-suited tools and pieces of equipment such as dredges, they also need to have mastered the art of gold panning.
Factors to Consider When Panning for Gold
While the process of gold prospecting is very similar across the world, some specific conditions can disrupt the procedures. In some instances, you need to learn a separate skill to adapt to the requirements of a particular location. Here are some you should consider. However, in the case of a specific site, it is always suggestible to speak to local prospectors for more information.
Using a New Pan
Using a new pan does not bring severe disruptions to your operations if you are using a plastic pan. However, if you have opted for a more traditional metal pan, you should keep in mind that you will need to break in such devices to guarantee their efficiency.
Indeed, metal pans often boast a layer of oils over their surfaces. This can be particularly detrimental to the process of retaining the gold in the pan. Indeed, without a proper set of riffles along the edge, the gold, as well as other particles, is likely to flow off the pan.
Therefore, expert prospectors divide to place such pans upside down over hot coals to burn off the oils that coat the pan’s surface. While this method does not ruin the pan, it is an extremely delicate step.
Alternatively, many modern prospectors opt to implement their kits with ready-to-use plastic pans. These are often much more accessible, inexpensive, easy to use, and lightweight. Additionally, prospectors will not need to break them in for best results, but only follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Size of the Pan
The size of the pan is a major influential factor when it comes down to panning. Many prospectors make the mistake of choosing the largest pan available to process larger quantities of materials within shorter timeframes. While this can increase the chances of finding gold, it can also be detrimental to the whole process.
Indeed, larger pans are more challenging to handle and maneuver. Underestimating how much a full pan can weigh is a fatal error to make, especially if you are not expert in the best panning techniques. Indeed, a panning process can last several minutes, and handling such heavy pans can require you to have refined skills and enough stamina.
Moreover, if you are planning as a recreational activity, such large pans can make prospecting far less enjoyable than it would be thanks to the correct use of an appropriate pan. Instead, even if you might have to limit the quantity of material processed, you should opt for a more comfortable mid-sized pan.
Of course, you should try to avoid pans that are too small as these will significantly reduce your chances of finding gold. However, such small pans can be particularly useful when sampling a terrain or in the finishing stages of a standard panning process.
Knowledge of Geology
Another factor to consider when deciding to attempt panning for gold is your knowledge of the area’s geology and history. While some prospectors would report that “gold is where you find it,” there are indeed some signs that can indicate the presence of gold-bearing grounds in the area.
While you don’t need to be an expert on all the prospecting sites in your country, it is always recommendable to reach out to the local relevant authorities before undertaking any trip. They will be able to indicate the sections of land that are free for prospecting.
Instead, you could ask for the local topographic maps if you would prefer to identify an area that is better suited to your own prospecting needs. Learning how to read those maps can take some time and practice, but they can indicate what the grounds that boast better chances of holding gold are.
Indeed, from a topographic map, you can see and understand the course of a river, and pinpoint where elevations are. These are all essential information to decide where to start your prospecting trip.
Practicing Gold Panning
Practicing gold panning and refining your skill is one of the best ways to start seeing better results on your prospecting trips. However, not all prospectors are lucky enough to live next to gold-bearing grounds, rivers, or mines.
In this case, many gold hunters that want to refine their techniques opt to invest in paydirt concentrates[11]. This product is designed to offer prospectors the chance of practicing their panning techniques and tuning their detectors.
Bags of paydirt can be found online or in gold prospecting gear shops. Such kits are often mined from actual gold-bearing grounds and mines, and packaged to offer enough chances for the prospector to find gold.
In many cases, however, the bags are “seeded” with nuggets and flakes to ensure that all buyers can find something within the packages. While these products are excellent for practicing, they are not designed to increase your profits.
Indeed, just like betting, only some bags are effectively worth more of what you have paid for them. In many other cases, you will struggle to match the price you have paid for them, even if you are an expert prospector.
Nonetheless, if you don’t have other opportunities to practice your planning skills and are planning your next prospecting skill, bags of paydirt can be handy.
Other Prospecting Techniques That Work
In this article, we have explored all of the techniques you should be aware of to increase your chances of finding gold through gold panning. However, there are other prospecting methods that you should consider if you wish to retrieve higher quantities of gold.
However, even in this case, having an in-depth knowledge of the geology and history of the place is essential to make the most out of these methods. Additionally, you should remember that panning is the most inexpensive and accessible prospecting method on which all gold hunters can rely. The strategies we are about to see do require more significant investments and, in some cases, special permits to use them.
Sluicing for Gold
Many prospectors who decide to upgrade their equipment opt to invest in a sluice box[12]. Sluice boxes, just like in the case of pans, leverage the property of gold of being much denser than the surrounding materials. However, these also make the most out of gravity and the force of water.
These devices boast a series of riffles along the bottom edge, but they are also equipped with mesh nets and carpets that ensure that the finest particles of gold remain trapped during the sluicing process.
Unlike gold pans, sluice boxes allow prospectors to process streamed material 10 to 200 times faster than through panning. However, in this case, there are other skills that you need to acquire.
Firstly, you will need to understand better how the water velocity affects the box. A current entering the box too rapidly is likely to push any retrieved particles out of the riffles. Oppositely, not enough pressure will cause all the streamed material to remain trapped in the obstructions of the box.
Additionally, allowing the water to flow through an empty sluice box can be highly detrimental to the process. Therefore, you will need to learn how to set up the box properly along the course of the river. Once stable, you will then need to pour the material steadily through the entrance of the box.
Lastly, when using a sluice box, it is essential to keep in mind that you might still need to process the residue that remained trapped in the devices. You can do so through the use of a finishing pan or a micro sluice box. In this case, to avoid losing any fine gold particles, you should opt to perform this procedure in a more controlled environment rather than outdoors.
Electronic Prospecting
Electronic prospecting is an incredibly efficient way of retrieving gold in its rock form. Indeed, using a metal detector might not be as useful in recovering fine gold or smaller particles away from the surface[13].
Metal detectors are highly powerful devices that can help a prospector identify valuable deposits deep underground. However, before investing in a metal detector, it is essential to remember that these devices do not react well to gold targets.
Indeed, highly mineralized grounds often associated with gold tend to represent a significant interference for these instruments. In turn, a prospector will only be able to identify the minerals rather than the gold lying underneath.
However, just like sluice boxes, a prospector can learn how to tune the detector properly to sound better on gold targets. Of course, the gold hunter will need to perform several drills to test the responsiveness of the device. Additionally, wearing headphones throughout the process is essential to capture the slightest sound.
Suction Dredges
Suction dredges are the favorite method of extracting gold for more serious prospectors. They are used in mines, and they can process massive quantities of streambed materials at once. However, these are not as suitable for beginner prospectors.
Indeed, aside from creating major environmental disruptions, they also require substantial initial investments. Ultimately, if you are planning on prospecting in several locations, you should keep in mind that dredges are not permitted in most public lands without explicit permission.
Conclusion
While the method to pan for gold is only one, several techniques can help you increase your chances of finding gold in your pan. These include preparing yourself and your equipment correctly for the process, setting up your operation in the right locations, and executing careful and steady movements.
Additionally, you should always understand the limits of your abilities, and pick the pan size that suits your needs best. Alternatively, you could opt to invest in other prospecting methods such as sluice boxes or metal detectors.