Welcome to the Fascinating World of Gold Prospecting
When ex-FIFO worker and musterer Johnathon Campbell found gold in 2017 in an area south of Karratha (Western Australia), it sparked an unprecedented interest over the “Pilbara Gold” on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), as it was compared to the Witwatersrand Basin which is host to the largest gold reserve on earth. But is the Pilbara Gold what it seems …
Western Australia is Australia’s most popular metal detecting destination, attracting thousands of recreational gold prospectors from the eastern states of Australia. Much of Western Australia’s appeal for gold prospectors rely on the remoteness and arid wilderness scenario, with the added opportunity to strike it rich. The gold prospective area in Western Australia is very large, but generally gold occurrences stretch …
Western Australia is one of the best places for gold prospecting in the world, and hence attract many people who are just starting, as well as professional prospectors. It is important to know that there are a set of rules that apply to all gold prospectors and fossickers in Western Australia. It is also critical to be aware that the …
Many prospectors randomly scan an area until a nugget is found. However, this unorganized method resuls in a large proportion of ground being uncovered, potentially leaving behind valuable gold. The best way to guarantee that an area is thoroughly scanned with a gold detector is by planning ahead and creating a grid. A grid is defined as a pattern of …
The year 2018 brought numerous indications of a strong market activity in the gold industry, a positive note for all gold prospectors. Total gold demand increased to 4,345.1 tonnes, investments in bars and coins accelerated, gold used in technology increased, and total production grew to over 4,490.2 tonnes. The World Gold Council (WGC), recently released the gold demand trends for …
Using a metal detector to find gold involves a series of swing movements at a constant height off the ground. Once a target is detected, the signal is re-checked over the area as it is being dug, getting closer to the anomaly, until the object is found. Gold Detecting Techniques To use a metal detector to find gold, the detector …
Modern metal detectors are an advantage over previous prospectors. Hence, it is not uncommon to find valuable gold nuggets over areas thought cleared, by using modern technology. But, how do metal detectors actually work? It is thought that the first metal detector was accidentally discovered in 1925 by a radio engineer who noticed that a metallic water tank would cause …
If you are planning a gold prospecting trip, it is important to be aware of the Australian gold season dates. In Western Australia, the gold prospecting season is limited by climate conditions. Western Australia is the largest state in the Australian continent. Its land size spans over 2.5 million km2, accounting for over 33% of the total Australian land mass. …
When reading online about gold, there are numerous terms such as ounces, fineness, karats, ppm and ppb, which may be confusing at first. In this post I explain the meaning for these terms from a prospector and geological perspective. What Is an Ounce of Gold? When people talk about “ounces” of gold, they refer to the weight of the gold …
For over 5000 years, and well into the 20th century, jewellery and gold coins were the only important uses of gold. Today, approximately 75% of the total demand for gold is used in jewellery, 10% is used for other industrial and miscellaneous uses, and the remaining 10% goes to private investors and monetary reserves. Gold in the Jewellery Industry Gold …
Gold is a hard to find precious metal with chemical and physical properties that makes it unique. It has been treasured around the world through history because of its scarcity and durability. Today, gold stands above all other commodities as a long-term store of wealth because the supply of gold can’t be increased by “printing” more, like paper money. Therefore, …