How to wash gold: features, practical recommendations and feedback

Gold, with the exception of platinum, is the most expensive metal on the planet. Its unconditional advantages include plasticity, high specific gravity, resistance to external influences and, of course, a wonderful sun shine. Gold does not rust and does not dissolve practically in any known aggressive substances. Metal is rare, but in small quantities it is everywhere - in the ground, in water, in ashes and even in plants. Gold can be extracted either by industrial or artisanal methods. Eaters most often wash it, of course, in rivers and streams. This procedure is technically simple, but usually very laborious. In this article, in all the details and understand how to wash gold.

Where to look?

Gold - metal chemically inert. That is, it does not form any kind of compounds with other substances. Therefore, in nature, gold is most often found in the form of nuggets. The dimensions of the latter are very different. Small accumulations of gold can even be invisible to the naked eye. In nature, there is also gold sand or small nuggets weighing 1-3 grams. Such valuable "pieces" can be found in many rivers and streams - even where there have never been prospectors. But sometimes in nature you can find very valuable large nuggets - weighing 10 grams.

или найти его? Where can I wash gold or find it? подобных месторождений: рудные и россыпные. There are only two main types of such deposits: ore and placer deposits. The huge advantage of the latter is that they do not need to crush ore and dig deep mines when developing them. Alluvial deposits are formed in rivers because of the washing out of quartz gold-bearing rocks by water. The stream carries away pieces of metal from the earth downstream. At the turns of the river or stream, or next to any obstacles, grains of sand or nuggets stop their movement, gradually accumulating. Such places are called "nests". It is here that prospectors usually work.

How is gold mined in rivers

Of course, in the water or on the shore (when the river bed or stream changes), the metal does not lie directly on the surface. To those who seek an answer to the question of how to properly wash gold, one should keep in mind that nuggets in alluvial deposits are always mixed with stones, sand, clay, silt.

In fact, in order to extract them, and apply a method such as washing with a tray. Gold, as already mentioned, has a large specific mass. Basalt stones, sandstone and other rocks usually weigh less. Therefore, when they are washed, they simply drain with water. The very same gold remains at the bottom of the tray.

What to bring with you

About how to wash gold in the river, we'll talk a little lower. First, let's look at what is necessary for this procedure. Of course, first of all, the prospector, who decided to get nuggets, will need to take a tray with him. In addition, you will need a pipette and several containers for gold itself. Nuggets often have very small dimensions and it's difficult to pick them up with your fingers. To do this, you need a pipette. To store very small grains of sand is good, for example, a usual medical bottle. Of course, large nuggets can be put in any container.

Also, you should take a sieve with you. You can do it by cutting about half a plastic bucket and making a lot of holes in its bottom. After all, the rivers often contain not only sand, but also large stones. The sieve is necessary in order to screen out them. To scoop up the soil, you also need a small shovel. гребок для взмучивания, к примеру, тяжелой глинистой породы. Sometimes a prospector needs a paddle for stirring, for example, heavy clay rock.

And, of course, a person who decided to find gold should wear rubber boots. Also useful are two pairs of gloves. Rubber will protect your hands from getting wet. Under them is to wear ordinary household gloves with pimples. In the river, water can be warm. But in the stream, it will surely turn out to be very cold.

How to wash gold: technology

Actually, the procedure for extracting nuggets from river soil is not difficult. Preliminarily remove large stones:

• The sieve is placed on top of the tray;
• With a shovel, the soil from the river or stream;
• The mass is poured into a sieve and sieved;
• From above, water is poured into the sieve to wash away the remaining particles of soil from the stones;
• A sieve with stones is removed from the tray.

The washing itself is then carried out. In order for the case to move faster, this procedure should be carried out by experienced prospectors in a small stream. The answer to the question about how to wash gold looks like this:

• The tray with gold-bearing primer is carefully lowered into the water;
• Make them move to the right and left until the turbidity dissolves;
• Begin to perform circular movements, sifting the sand.

Continue this procedure until the whole soil is washed. Next, carefully examine the bottom of the tray. Nuggets weighing two or three grams are clearly visible to the naked eye. However, very small grains of sand may be found in the remains of the soil. It is important not to miss them.

How to work with a comb

This procedure is carried out on clay soils after screening out large stones. For stirring the strokes, it first plunges into the nose of the tray. Then he climbs the bottom upward. Do this so that the soil with clay and silt rolls down into the middle part of the tray. Movement strokes should be repeated quickly - about once a second. As a result, mud and clay will come to a suspended state, heavy particles will drown, and pebbles will be displaced upward. Continue the work with the strokes until the water stops to fizzle.

At the final stage, the tray must be pulled out of the water and removed from the top of the pebbles. Then you can start washing the remaining sand.

What are the trays?

How to clean gold by hand, we found out. Now let's take a closer look at what the equipment necessary for this procedure is, in particular, the tray. There are several varieties of similar devices used by prospectors for washing:

1. Asian buckets and basins. Such utensils are sometimes used by Ural prospectors. The disadvantages of such equipment include small volume, uneven drainage stream, the possibility of losing small nuggets due to a small rim. Can not be used when using such a tray and strokes.
2. Trays of Chinese and Korean type. Such adaptations are quite convenient in washing. However, they are expensive. It is difficult to make such a tray independently. Make the equipment of this variety from one piece of raw thick wood (without twigs and cracks) by hollowing out the middle.
3. Yakut trays. Such devices are made of both sheet iron and tesa. They are most often used by private prospectors. Wooden trays are more suitable for rough washing in rich deposits. On the metal one can even see the smallest grains of sand.

How to make a metal tray: practical recommendations

How to wash gold in streams in this way is understandable. A simple person who decides to find nuggets in the vicinity, should take with him a metal tray. For the manufacture of such a device, sheet iron is suitable:

• 0.8 mm for small trays;
• 1 mm for medium;
• 1.2 mm for large ones.

For work in water, it is best to take galvanized metal. Firstly, it will not rust with time, and secondly, on the light zinc surface gold grains of gold will be more noticeable. Cut the metal according to the scheme (you can see below).

The procedure is as follows:

• On the sheet contours of pieces are drawn;
• Is produced by cutting;
• On each cut out piece lines of bends are drawn;
• The sheet is bent to give the tray an appropriate shape;
• Sharp corners are rounded with scissors;
• At the edge of the tray, a wire 6-8 mm thick is rolled;
• On the sides on both sides riveted ring-handles.

Making a tray of metal (as well as from wood), it should be borne in mind that the angle between both its planes should be 140 degrees.

Is it possible to wash gold in a river: what does the law say?

Unfortunately, it is forbidden to walk freely and look for nuggets in our country. Everyone can wash gold in Russia, in principle. However, this kind of activity should be properly designed. Unfortunately, licenses for gold mining in our country, unfortunately, are not sold. But if you want, you can conclude a contract with an enterprise that has a similar document.

Gold-mining companies in Russia, unfortunately, there is not too much and the territory of their activities is limited. Perhaps someday the government will allow free diligence (as it was, for example, in the USSR). But at the present time it is not worthwhile to walk with a tray along streams and rivers simply without a permissive document. If a prospector without a contract finds gold, he faces a large fine.

Instead of concluding

So, we hope to answer the main question of the article in detail: how to wash gold in the river and how to do it best. Metal trays are convenient and easy to manufacture. However, if you want, you can buy a small plastic tray, for example, via the Internet. Such adaptations are inexpensive and it is relatively easy to find them on the Web.