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Name: Gold
Symbol: Au
Atomic Number: 79
Atomic Mass: 196.96655 amu
Melting Point: 1064.43 °C (1337.5801 K, 1947.9741 °F)
Boiling Point: 2807.0 °C (3080.15 K, 5084.6 °F)
Number of Protons/Electrons: 79
Number of Neutrons: 118
Classification: Transition Metal
Crystal Structure: Cubic
Density @ 293 K: 19.32 g/cm3
Color: Gold
Gold is heavy! Gold is 19 times heavier than anything else you will be likely to find in your pan. This is the key to locating and recovering the precious metal. Au, is the scientific symbol for Gold. Gold, silver and platinum were deposited as an intrusion by volcanic pressures into fissures in harder material such as granite. Gold is associated with quartz because the same geologic forces of heat and pressure are necessary to create both. Other indicators created by the same geologic factors would include orange to yellow colored stains in the rock created by iron and copper oxides. These oxides create what is known to prospectors world wide as "black sand", and being heavy, will be mixed in where you find the gold. Water and weathering erode the deposits and the gold being dense works it's way down to the lowest levels ultimately sitting on the bedrock. Look for places where the stream has cut down to the bedrock, Gold will find it's way down to an impenitratible level.
Prospecting for gold 101: While you can find small amounts of natural gold just about everywhere, finding concentrated gold deposits takes a little knowledge of just how gold gets around. Gold is very heavy. Actually, gold is about 19 times as heavy as water - about 3 times as heavy as iron. Knowing this makes finding it much easier. Because of its weight, gold will always sink to the lowest level as possible. As rain, wind, freezing & thawing, and geologic disruptions move the earth around, gold is freed up and relocates to the lowest point. For example, take a rain storm on the side of a hill. As the rain falls, little rivulets form, flowing down the hill forming larger and larger streams. As the water moves, it erodes the earth and rock beneath it freeing the trapped gold. The gold, caught up in the fast moving water, will cascade down the hill looking for the first crack, undercut, or obstruction along the way to sink into. Over the years, more and more freed-up gold will collect in these cracks, making for some fine pickings if you are willing to look for them. Same thing goes in a stream bed. Look for where the water slows during a flood. If the gold has a chance, it will sink. Sample or test where the stream bends or widens, or where there are natural obstacles or falls. Even a rock or boulder in a stream will disrupt the flow of water, causing the gold to fall to the bottom and collect. Don't be afraid to 'turn over a few stones'! Where to look for gold - Gravel bars usually found on the inside of the river bends. Although the gold here is mostly small flakes to very fine, there sometimes is a lot of it.
- Where the stream levels out after a steeper part such as downstream of rapids or waterfalls.
- Newly formed gravel bars.
- Small streaks of gravel laying on the bed rock but you will need some sort of sucker to retrieve it if it is underwater.
- Down stream sides of large boulders and other obstacles which because of size or other factors appear to have been there for a long time.
- Pot holes in the bed rock
- Cracks in the bed rock. In popular prospecting areas, the large, obvious cracks have most likely been cleaned out many times. Look for lines of moss running along the bed rock. There is almost always a small crack under the moss and these cracks can contain a surprising amount of gold.
- Moss and grass roots near the river.
- The high benches. As a stream cuts deeper into a canyon, it can leave patches of gravel high on the canyon wall. These are called benches. Look for round or rounded rocks well above the present high water level. Round or rounded rocks have lived in a river at some time in their lives.
Always keep in mind that these are the most likely places to find gold. There is an old saying: "Gold is where you find it." What this really means is, you may find a spot that looks perfect and not find any gold at all or you may find a spot that looks like it would be barren but you find a "bonanza." Just try to keep your mind open to all possibilities.
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 HOW TO PAN FOR GOLD Fill the pan 3/4 full of gravel, then submerge it deep enough so it is just under the surface of the water. Give the pan several vigorous shakes back and forth and from side to side, but not too vigorous as to wash material out of the pan. The idea is to make a slurry out of all of the material in the pan. Once loosened from the dirt/ore matrix the gold, having a specific gravity 19 times more dense than water, will easily settle to the bottom of the pan.
*Important Tip* Be sure to break up any lumps of clay or root balls where fine gold and gold dust often collects.
2. Change from the shaking motion to a gentle circular movement so the material starts revolving in a circle. This process will cause most of the dirt and clay to dissolve and wash out of the pan. Pick out the larger rocks after making sure that they are washed clean.
Repeat 1. and 2. of Step A to get the smaller rock to the surface and to cause the heavier concentrates to settle.
Step B: Washing off lighter sand and gravel
1. Hold the pan just under the water and tilt it slightly away from you. Begin to swirl the water from side to side, with a slight forward tossing motion. Take care, but with sufficient force to move the surface and the lighter gravel out over the edge of the pan.
2. Leveling the pan and shaking it or stratifying the material in the pan from time to time and shaking it back and forth will cause the light material to come to the surface and the gold and black sands to settle to the bottom.
Repeat process 1. and 2. of Step B until there is only about one cup (or less) of heavier material left in your pan. This material is usually called black sand or concentrate.
Step C: Washing off black sand and concentrates
*Important Tip* At this stage I always use a second pan or tub to pan into so I don't accidentaly loose any of the fine gold.
At this point, raise the pan completely out of the water, leaving about an inch of water in the pan.
Tilt the pan slightly towards you and swirl the water slowly in a circular motion to check the pan for nuggets and pieces that are easily picked out by hand.
Remember: try to only touch the gravel that you are removing so the oil from your hands doesn't float the gold dust out of the pan.
Then submerge the pan again in water and repeat process 1. and 2. of Step B for final concentration. This is the most critical part of panning. Make sure this final process is accomplished with as much diligence as possible so you do not wash out the gold.
If you have a plastic pan, the use of a magnet can quickly aid in the separation of gold from the black magnetic sand concentrate. Apply the magnet to the bottom side of the pan and move it in a small circular motion with the pan slightly tilted. This will work well to isolate the gold from the black sand.
Pick the gold flakes out with your tweezers and put them in your small glass vial.
*Important Tip* To speed up the final steps, squeeze a couple of drops of the dish soap into the pan. This breaks the surface tension and keeps the gold from being easily washed out of the pan.
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Gold Price Conversion Table Grain Price | DWT Price | Oz. Price | $ .80 | $19.20 | $384.00 | $ .85 | $20.40 | $408.00 | $ .90 | $21.60 | $432.00 | $ .95 | $22.80 | $456.00 | $1.00 | $24.00 | $480.00 | $1.25 | $30.00 | $600.00 | $1.30 | $31.20 | $624.00 | $1.50 | $36.00 | $720.00 | $1.60 | $38.40 | $768.00 | $1.65 | $39.60 | $792.00 | $1.70 | $40.80 | $816.00 | $1.80 | $43.20 | $864.00 | $1.85 | $44.40 | $888.00 | $1.90 | $45.60 | $912.00 | $2.00 | $48.00 | $960.00 | $2.25 | $54.00 | $1,080.00 | $2.50 | $60.00 | $1,200.00 | $2.75 | $66.00 | $1,320.00 | $3.00 | $72.00 | $1,440.00 | $3.25 | $78.00 | $1,560.00 | $3.50 | $84.00 | $1,680.00 | $3.75 | $90.00 | $1,800.00 | $4.00 | $96.00 | $1,920.00 | $4.17 | $100.00 | $2,000.00 |
24 Grains = 1 DWT
20 DWT = 1 OUNCE
12 OZ. = 1 POUND
In the United States the purity of gold is designated by karat. Pure gold is 24k, but, because of its softness, it is not suitable for making jewelry. Other metals such as copper, silver, nickel, and zinc are added to gold to strengthen it. What is added and how much is added determine the color and karat of the gold. To make this easier to understand let's take an imaginary ring and examine it. The color of the metal is immediately apparent. Gold comes in several colors, but let's pretend that this ring is pink gold. Inside the ring is stamped 10k. What do these things tell us? First, that the gold was mixed with copper, silver and zinc to make yellow gold. The pink look was achieved by using a larger quantity of copper. The 10k mark assures that 41.67% of the metal is pure gold, and the other 58.33% is copper, silver and zinc. It also indicates that the piece was made in the United States. (other countries do not use 10k). A 14k stamping would mean that the ring contained 58.33% gold and 41.67% other metals. If the ring was marked 18k, it would contain 75% pure gold and 25% other metals. In Europe gold is stamped according to its fineness. Pure gold is 1000 fine; 18k gold is 75% or 750 fine. Consequently, an 18k ring made in Europe would be stamped 750. Below is a chart of the most common karat markings. US / Karats --% of Gold --Fineness 24 -- 100% -- 1000 22 -- 90% -- 900 18 -- 75% -- 750 14 -- 58.33% -- 583 10 -- 41.67% -- 417
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Found on "Frenchman's Flat," Rich Hill, AZ, a very rare sample of a "Crystalline" gold nugget. The odds say you'll find 10,000 nuggets before you discover one like this! Now that is rare.
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