It is reasonable for prospectors to wonder what else of value they can find during their prospecting trips. Aside from platinum and other worthwhile metals, silver would represent a rewarding finding. However, some challenges have caused silver seekers to extract it through other means.
Panning for silver, it is possible in the right geological and geographical sites. Since it has a specific gravity of 10.5, it will drop to the pan’s bottom along with other heavy elements during the panning process. However, its color and features pose some challenges for small-scale prospectors.
Let’s have a look at what to know before setting off on a silver-searching exploration.
Table of Contents
Silver Prospecting
Silver is a rare chemical element that can be found in nature in the form of “native silver.” [1]This is a free and pure element that often comes as an alloy of gold or other metals. Rarely prospectors can find nuggets or flakes of silver. While valuable, silver is still worth less than gold or platinum, a characteristic that leads prospectors to discard it while searching for gold.
Silver Ores
Silver ores are extremely rare and difficult to identify. Silver is more commonly found in ores that have been mined because of another metal they contain, such as lead, zinc, or copper. Nonetheless, gold deposits became the driving force behind several Silver Rushes in Mexico, Bolivia, Peru, Chile, Canada, and the United States. New silver ores are identified regularly.
The ores that contain silver as their most substantial metal value are referred to as “silver ores.” Silver is the main constituent within these, but other metals and minerals are often part of the mix. Today, only a quarter of the total silver produced derives from silver ores. The remaining three quarters are extracted as a byproduct of mining for copper, zinc, or lead.
Extraction of Silver
Panning for silver could be an enjoyable recreational activity for prospectors. However, commercially, the extraction and mining of silver are complete through several chemical reactions, which help to separate the metal from other surrounding elements and impurities.
Indeed, today, commercial silver has a purity of 99.9%, but finer silver is available. In order to achieve such levels of purity, miners need to apply several processes during extraction operations. These tactics aim at recovering the small amounts of silver present in other metals’ ores.
Panning for Silver: Benefits and Challenges
Nonetheless, panning for silver, it is possible in specific locations. While you will not be successful everywhere and knowledge of the trade is essential, panning for silver can be an exciting activity. However, there are some intrinsic advantages and disadvantages of this metal that requires an entirely different skill-set from the one employed in the recovery of gold.
It is essential to notice that panning for silver is only an available option when silver comes in the form of deposits. Indeed, if it is still attached to the ore or rocks, you will not be successful just by using a pan. However, silver deposits are extremely rare and only form occasionally. Watch the video below for more details.
Benefits
Some characteristics of silver are beneficial for prospectors looking at panning for this metal. For this activity, you will need to ensure that you are in a silver-bearing location and aware of what to look for in your pan. However, there are two features to keep in mind:
- High specific gravity
One of the most valuable characteristics of silver for a prospector is its specific gravity. Silver’s specific gravity is 10.5, which is not as high as the one of gold (19.3) or platinum (21.4)[2]. However, it is still higher than the average specific gravity of the heavy elements found in black sands (7)[3].
This characteristic allows the silver to remain trapped in most recovery systems that leverage gravity, such as gold pans and sluice boxes. Prospectors can pan for silver, in the same way, they would for gold. However, there are some adjustments to make that we will explain in the last section of this article.
- Silver is not magnetic
While the silver color can cause it to blend with other substances in the black sand mix, the fact that this metal is not magnetic can help in its recovery process. Indeed, if you have opted to use a magnet to separate gold from the black sand, it will lift the magnetic materials, leaving the silver on the pan.
While this method might not help you isolate the silver in the concentrates, it can facilitate the recovery process.
Challenges
There are several challenges associated with the recovery of gold through the use of a standard gold pan. The appearance of this metal and silver rarity in the form of deposits or nuggets are significant obstacles, especially for beginner prospectors. Moreover, most of the particles of silver come as finely ground silver – or flour.
- Tarnished silver
In most cases, it is challenging to identify deposits of silver in your pan. Indeed, to the eyes of a novice prospector who is not familiar with this metal, the particles might not look like silver. In nature, silver is tarnished and not shiny[4]. If you are used to identifying silver as polished silverware, you might struggle to recognize it.
However, for better hints on what you are looking at in your pan, consider that silver comes in the form of a silver-colored rock heavier than surrounding particles.
- Color
Even if you have become familiar with what silver looks like in nature, its color can deceive prospectors. Indeed, it is easier to identify gold – even fine particles of it – due to the bright coloration. On the other hand, silver can easily blend with the different materials that compose the black sand concentrates, such as hematite and iron. In this case, the metal’s weight and non-magnetism can distinguish it from other elements in the mix.
What to Consider When Panning for Silver
As we have seen, panning for silver leverages the same techniques of panning for gold. However, prospectors might be required to master a whole different skill-set from the one needed to pan for gold. This is mostly due to the characteristics of silver and the way this metal behaves in nature.
Two considerations to make are:
- It is with much less than gold
Panning and prospecting for gold might be challenging, yet the rewards can be exciting and justify the efforts. Learning how to identify silver in your pan can be beneficial to add value to your findings, yet panning exclusively for silver is not worthwhile.
Indeed, this metal is rare in the form of deposits and extremely hard to identify. Even if you have managed to collect a few grams of silver, this might need to be refined. At the end of the process, you might have earned only a little more than a few dollars (depending on the current price of silver).
- You will need to pick your equipment wisely
If you are still determined to pan for silver, you should keep in mind that you might need to invest in alternative pieces of equipment compared to the ones used for gold panning. For example, the color of your pan is essential in this case. Black pans will cause the black sands to blend with the background, making it harder to identify valuable particles.
Conclusion
Panning for silver can be an exciting activity, but it comes with several challenges that even expert prospectors should keep in mind. Aside from the color and appearance of this metal, the fact that it is rare in the form of deposits can be a drawback. Additionally, it is worth less than gold or platinum, making your efforts not as worthwhile.
