Panning: Removing the Gold

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     1. Fill pan about 2/3 full with all debris from a small area from the streamside.  In the case of cracks or under large items, remember - dense materials filter out first (deepest). 

     2. Fill the remainder of the pan with water and agitate the mixture to separate the mixture into the materials' respective densities.  Any motion will work as long as the mixture of the material and water is homogeneous (moving).  Remember to include weeds and grass in the initial material to be panned, the roots commonly pull up material from the very bottom of the crack. 

     3. Tip the pan to remove the least dense materials and small stones.  The most dense materials will collect in the lowest corner of the pan. 

     4. Locate and remove the gold.  The next step below!!

     Now comes the time to see how your efforts have paid off!  In your pan you should have about the same amount of water as material (2-5 tablespoons).  Remember that any gold will be in the bottom of this small amount of material and at this point will still be hidden.  Hold the pan horizontally and tip it slowly to make the water run around the bottom outside corner of the pan in a circular motion.  As the wave passes over the material left in the bottom of the pan, the force of the water will push a small amount of the material with it when the small wave strikes the amount of dense material.  This will expose new material at the very bottom of the sand with each successive pass of the water.  

     The amount of water relative to the amount of material is fairly critical but easy to determine.  Too much water will cause all the material to move and too little will not move the material at all.  Look closely for when you have reached the bottom most part of that small pile, you should be able to see any gold that you have searched for.  This last operation may be performed several times to make sure that you have searched the most dense materials thoroughly.  

     If you see any small bright yellow pieces of material, it is most likely to be gold.  Do not be concerned about Fool's Gold, the color of gold is known to most people.  When you see these small fragments, look carefully at the color.  The color of gold is very distinctive and is easily identified.  Fool's gold, also known as iron pyrite, breaks down and oxidizes quickly in a stream.  Gold will remain in its identifiable form forever as gold does not oxidize.  The particles get smaller in size however, through time and being washed down stream.  

     Removal of small particles of gold: This step can be slow and tedious and is best done at home since your time in the field is usually limited.  After you have verified the presence of gold in the previous step, you can put the concentrates in a container for later processing in a tub or a large cat litter box.  A few drops of a surfactant such as Jet-Dry® (dishwasher additive) will help keep small gold particles from floating.  

     The removal of larger-sized pieces of gold is easily done by just picking them up with your fingers.  Many times, the size of the gold is so small that this is impossible. When this happens, wet the bottom of your finger and press it against the gold fragment.  Lift the finger carefully and dip it in the small bottle filled with water. All small particles can be transported into storage this way.  You will be surprised at how the small fragments of gold are easily seen, removed and stored.  

     Another good method to remove the gold is with the use of a sniffer bottle.  It is a plastic bottle with a cone shaped cap.  There is a tube protruding out of the cap and extending down into the bottle.  The bottle is squeezed and released with the tube under water and near the gold.  The gold is sucked into the bottle and because the tube extends into the bottle, squeezing the bottle again will squirt the water but not the gold back into the pan.  By the way, when squeezing the bottle, ALWAYS point the tip of the bottle into your pan.  Sometimes gold flakes get stuck in the tube and will come out with the water.  Once filled with water, the sniffer bottle may be used to move the black sand away from the gold by squeezing it very gently - just enough to move the sand but not move the gold. 

     A third use of the sniffer bottle is to put the gold into a small vial.  With gold and water in the bottle, remove the cap, remove the tube and gasket from the cap and replace the cap on the bottle. With the bottle upright, put the vial over the tip, invert the bottle and shake.  The gold will drop into the vial.  The gold will appear magnified if the vial is full of water.  Placing the cap on the vial while both are under water will eliminate air bubbles.  

     A few parting words:  Our nation's waterways are used for a variety of recreational purposes such as fishing, swimming and kayaking as well as prospecting. Please respect others by leaving the area as good or better than you found it.  Leave as little evidence of your prospecting as possible by filling in your holes and packing out your (and others') trash.  Respect private property and mining claims by not prospecting in these areas unless invited.  Some claim owners don't mind if you pan on their claims - It never hurts to ask.  A claim is only a right to the minerals on them so you may cross a claim to get to another area.  Most prospectors are friendly and helpful but since their time in the field is usually limited, they may not appreciate long conversations or answering many questions.  Try not to set up your operations right next to someone else.  At least ask if it is alright.  Let common sense be your guide.  I hope this helps you to find your fair share of gold! 

Good Hunting !!!!

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