How can i pickup gold flakes from a river in the mountains?

Question

i see gold flakes in a little river in the mountains but i don't know how to get them out.

Answer 1

You are probably seeing fools gold.  You do realize that even if it is real gold, it probably belongs to someone else.  The only exception might be if you own the land (on both sides) that the river runs through, and have FULL mineral rights.

Even then, you might have to stake a claim in your state.  If you don't own the rights, and pan for gold, you will be a thief.  In some states it is still perfectly legal to shoot claim jumpers, just as it is still perfectly legal to shoot horse/cattle rustlers.

~Garnet

Permaculture homesteading/farming over 20 years

Answer 2

Sounds like you're seeing flakes of Mica.  There are some places around here where you can emerge from the water looking like you're covered in glitter.

Answer 3

In the Sutter's Mill region of California panning was a popular choice and helps sort out the fool's gold.

Answer 4

A lot of what looks like gold flakes will be fools gold, an iron pyrite.

But to find out get some out with a bowl, and swish them out onto some cloth. Inspect the flakes to see that the flakes are really gold.

Gold is a very ductile metal.. you can flatten it into a very thin but tough foil and of course gold is a very good conductor of electricity.

By contrast fools gold will fracture easily and conducts electricity very poorly, You can not bend into a circle it because it breaks.

Answer 5

I have seen some people use a sheep's fleece in the river to collect the gold.  But, as the previous answer, use a cloth or even cotton wool.