I put this in the Do It Yourself section because this topic is definitely going to have to be a DIY task. Now, it depends on where you live as to whether you can find GOLD. On the East Coast, there is a gold belt that runs from about Dahlonega, Ga. to Great Falls, Va., just west of Washington DC. Don't draw a straight line from point A to point B because the Gold Belt sort of curves all over the place. You'll do better if you can get yourself a geological map that shows where the Sulfide belt is located. In Virginia, I know exactly where the Sulfide belt is located and have "GOTTEN PERMISSION" to check a couple of creeks to pan for gold. At first, I thought that I knew what I was doing and wasted an hour of panning the gravel. All I got for my trouble was a terrible back ache. Then I dug the gravel out of the way and went into the Crap that was between the gravel and the bedrock. BAM! I got a nugget on the first pan full. When things go bad, and they will, you may need to hunt for Gold, Silver, Platinum, and other natural minerals that will have value. Hmmmm... How do you tell the difference between GOLD and FOOLS GOLD(PYRITE). Hit it with a hammer and if it mashes like LEAD, then its GOLD. If it smashes into a Redish Black powder, then its PYRITE. But, But, But, doesn't PYRITE often have a small GOLD content. Yep, but unless you have a massive processing facility, it ain't worth the effort to extract it. Now, at this point, someone is going to ask. OK, smartass, how do you know all this? Well, I've been a Rockhound for about 50 years and love hunting and finding valuable minerals in Virginia and North Carolina. If you are a newbie to prospecting and want to have a chance to find some Gold, then do an internet search for Gold Prospecting Clubs in your state. There is a Club about 40 miles West of me in Blackstone, Va. but I'm a bit too old to hang with the younger folks that belong to that club. However, I do keep a backpack in my SUV that has everything I need to pan for Gold and search for Gems. Once you know what to look for and spot the appropriate material, you can stop and check out a spot. If you make a prospecting Backpack, make sure you have your mining papers in it. Your mining papers are a roll of Toilet paper. I can garantee you that you'll need it.
