Tools, Techniques and Recommended Products

As a affiliate marketer I get fees if you buy certain products through my website. I ONLY recommend things I’ve used extensively and love. If you like the info here, please do buy through the links here, it’s the only thing that covers the costs of building & running the site and it won’t cost you extra.
Any prospector wants equipment that is great at catching gold, easy to transport, dependable, and of course, affordable. I’ve spent a lot of time researching, field testing and listening to other prospectors about their experience. All of this as convinced me that there are a few facts:
- different conditions require different gear: waterflow, regulations, type of paydirt, and type of gold all guide your choice of gear for an outing
- there are fans of almost every piece of gear on the market
- some gear really is better than the others
- some gear should be avoided by almost everyone
- innovation (and absurdity) will continue as creative prospectors continue to experiment
- newbies who don’t find websites like this one will continue to buy gear that really doesn’t work well…or at least not easily
Be sure to check out the article for specifics on various pieces of gear. There are also articles about prospecting techniques, prospecting supply stores and local clubs. To see my summary opinions on what works for casual use, start with this article: https://findinggoldincolorado.com/specific-gold-prospecting-gear-recommendations/
Also consider joining the Facebook group ‘Finding Gold in Colorado’ to join the community of Colorado oriented gold prospectors and adventurers. Get your questions answered, advice found, and prospecting buddies arranged too!
This site costs money to keep up. The only way it pays for itself is shopping referrals. If you appreciate the info here, please click thru one of my Amazon ads the next time you want to shop online. It won’t cost you anything extra and it keeps the site going: Gold Prospecting on AMAZON
Articles

Staying Safe While Prospecting
May 29, 2025 · 1 comment
As you head out into the wilds, or even just wander down to the neighborhood creek to go prospecting, it is wise to think about safety and being prepared for problems. There are …
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Epithermal Gold Deposits
March 26, 2024
Just ignore the fact that it purports to be about Newfoundland and Labrador! Here is an amazingly good article on epithermal gold deposits. Highly relevant to Colorado because it …
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Chills and Thrills (winter prospecting) magazine article!
March 26, 2024
https://findinggoldincolorado.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/ChillsAndThrills_KevinSingel-1.pdf Check out this magazine article I wrote! It was published in the Gold Prospectors …
Read more →Ben Parker: Colorado Gold Placer Mining Hero
June 26, 2023
Ben Parker is justifiably one of the heroes of the Colorado gold prospecting community. He was a student at Colorado School of Mines over 60 years ago. For his dissertation, he …
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Welcome New Prospector!
July 7, 2022 · 1 comment
Hi all, the following article is from Paul Schiffer. Paul is a relatively new prospector who has taken a very intense approach to the initial learning process so I thought he would …
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Making a Ring From Your Gold
May 14, 2022 · 1 comment
How to use your placer gold from gold panning to make a gold ring.
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Gold Prospecting in different types of Streams
April 15, 2022
Learning about different types of waterways can make us smarter prospectors. Here’s how!
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Finding Gold in Colorado Books
November 8, 2020 · 11 comments
Our book collection! Here at Finding Gold in Colorado, we have stepped up to create and publish the books Colorado prospectors want and need. We currently offer four books: …
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Finding Gold in Colorado: Prospecting Log
November 8, 2020
We are thrilled to announce the launch of a new tool every prospector should put to work! Keeping track of where you dig will help more than you may realize. By tracking our …
Read more →Think Like a Miner
October 28, 2020
Think like a miner. Hmm what does that mean if you are a small scale prospector in a public access prospecting area? Well, a miner is someone working a mine. Maybe on their own …
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Gold Panning In Southwest Colorado
October 20, 2020
The southwest part of Colorado was the last area properly explored by US gold prospectors as they migrated across the state. Many towns such as Ouray, Telluride, Silverton, …
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Gold in black sands?
February 19, 2019 · 10 comments
Is it worth chemical or heat processing of the black sands from placer mining?
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Prospector Library
January 28, 2019 · 1 comment
The key books every Colorado prospector needs.
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Logo Gear Available
January 2, 2019 · 3 comments
Like this website and the Finding Gold in Colorado books? Want other prospectors to know you’re in the know? Then check this out! Lots of cool gear with the official logo on it. …
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How to: Buy a Mining Claim -the smart way
December 20, 2018 · 9 comments
Many small-scale prospectors dream of owning their own mining claim but don’t want to face the challenge of locating a new one. Instead, the idea of buying an existing claim …
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Gold Panning in Utah? You need this book!
December 9, 2018
Our next-door neighbors in Utah have some beautiful lands worth exploring. This is also true for gold prospecting in Utah. While there was never a real gold rush in Utah, there …
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Prospecting bench gold placers
November 30, 2018 · 2 comments
Gold bearing placer streams in Colorado are generally many thousands of years old, sometimes millions of years old. In that much time, a stream can move around and erode much …
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Ore Dump Gold Prospecting
November 14, 2018 · 7 comments
When exploring old mining districts across Colorado, prospectors may run into hard rock mines with ore dumps nearby. These large piles of brocken rock from underground can contain …
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Prospecting Colorado Skim Bars
November 2, 2018 · 4 comments
Many of the waterways of Colorado are gold bearing and carry flood gold downstream during high water seasons. As many placer gold prospectors quickly learn, flood gold accumulates …
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Finding Gold in Colorado Book Index
October 19, 2018 · 2 comments
Finding Gold in Colorado Book Index: The following index will be included in books published in late 10/2018 and onward. It is provided here for those who own the earlier version …
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Helpful websites for the small scale Colorado prospector
October 8, 2018 · 2 comments
In the course of the research for my book (buy it here) and otherwise, I found quite a few online resources to be helpful. So, to give others a hand, here is my random collection …
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Respect Claims
September 20, 2018
A professionally done claim marker This is a claim marker for a claim next to one of the spots in my book. It’s accurate and quite clear in what it is marking. Even without this, …
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Map of dig areas by chapter for Finding Gold in Colorado Books
September 18, 2018 · 2 comments
To help those of you planning trips, this simple map shows you which areas of the state are covered in each chapter of the book Finding Gold in Colorado - Prospectors Edition. This …
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Buy the Book! Finding Gold in Colorado: Prospector’s Edition
May 27, 2018 · 16 comments
The preeminent guidebook on gold prospecting across Colorado is now available here and ‘in stores everywhere’. Awarded recognition as the “#1 New Release” in its category on Amazon …
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Specific Gold Prospecting Gear Recommendations
March 26, 2018 · 10 comments
As a affiliate marketer I get fees if you buy certain products through my website. I ONLY recommend things I’ve used extensively and love. If you like the info here, please do buy …
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How to locate your own placer mining claim in Colorado
January 25, 2018 · 7 comments
A supplemental corner marker (non-standard), placed 8 feet up on a tree to dissuade vandalism. At some point, many casual prospectors get the itch to have their own claim. Then …
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Getting your gold refined - Prospectors Gold & Gems
January 7, 2018 · 2 comments
Prospectors Gold and Gems (PG&G) is an important asset in the commercial gold mining infrastructure of Colorado…available to prospectors all over. It is also more than that, it’s a …
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Welcome to the Mountains...Now Behave!
December 2, 2017
Some of my readers here are planning a visit to the Rocky Mountains as part of a family vacation, prospecting adventure or other sojourn. If you are inexperienced with real …
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Don’t Stop Now! (prospecting year-round)
November 3, 2017 · 7 comments
Your author doing some off season digging in Colorado. The trees are brown, but the gold is still yellow! Don’t stop now! It’s the perfect time of year to get out digging…of …
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Where to look for gold & How to catch it
August 10, 2017 · 1 comment
My favorite educational videos - learn to pan and to read a creek or river to find gold.
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Is it gold? ...Free Mineral Sample Identification
May 14, 2017 · 1 comment
I think most of us have climbed around on old tailings piles, or walked a creek bed, while picking up interesting stones. As gold prospectors we are attracted to rocks that aren’t …
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Using a Gold Cube
April 4, 2017 · 11 comments
The Gold Cube is absolutely a standout product for us small scale gold prospectors in Colorado. Our beautiful state is known for having fine gold that prospectors back in the gold …
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A good reminder - bring your heavies home!
April 2, 2017
That little scatter of gold above Ike’s forehead is a good reminder to bring your concentrates home no matter what! Why you ask? Well this gold comes from an outing to the BLM …
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Prospecting Stores across Colorado
January 13, 2017 · 8 comments
There are quite a few places around here to buy prospecting supplies. When you need gear, please shop via my links or support your local shop. There’s nothing like looking at your …
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Finding spots to dig in town (metro Denver)
May 28, 2016 · 11 comments
Digging in the city means participating in recreational gold prospecting as a guest of a local government, parks & rec district or similar organization. While the tools of …
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So where did all this gold come from anyway?
May 15, 2016 · 10 comments
The gold in metro Denver is in almost every waterway big enough to have a name. In the early days of the gold rush this was confusing and frustrating for the first American …
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Finish processing your concentrates after a day of digging
January 22, 2016 · 15 comments
How to steps for processing your placer concentrates without any fancy equipment.
Read more →Gold Prospecting Clubs in Colorado
January 2, 2016 · 5 comments
A quick summary of prospecting clubs in Colorado with some perspectives on each.
Read more →Prospecting 101 (How To Read A River)
November 29, 2015
Prospector Jack does a great job showing where to prospect…much better than just “telling” right? You have located a prospect. So now what. This is what I look for. I look for what …
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