If you are new to the sport you may not know that gold hangs out with black sand.  This is because of the weight and density of these two elements.  So what is a dredge?  A dredge is a motor operated "water vacuum".  It floats on a water source like a river, stream, or gently moving body of water, and through the hose sucks up the dirt from the bottom, working its way around cracks, rocks, and natural obstacles that catch the gold.  Once sucked up it goes down riffles (a sluice), which further refines the dirt.

This leaves only the concentrates, what you may know of as "paydirt".  So you know the quality of dredged paydirt versus regular dirt.  If you took a one pound bag of dredge dirt, versus a one pound bag of regular dirt(even if it contains gold), 9 out of 10 times the dredge dirt will have the most gold because it has already eliminated the regular sand, rocks, and worthless material.

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NATURAL GOLD ALASKA PLACER NUGGET BULLION 225 grams 1800 DREDGE PAYDIRT SLUIC    US $19.00

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So what does placer mean?  It just means gold found in a waterway (whether dried up or still existing).  To obtain the precious dirt, a miner must go to this old riverbed and dig the dirt.  But before shipping it to you, it should be run through a sluice or dredge to make the panning part easier, and up your results in the process.

If you want better gold paydirt returns, you get it straight from the source, like the placer!

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Any miner that is selling their gold concentrates, most often referred to as pay dirt or paydirt, wants to prove to you they have good dirt.  To prove it they will send you a free or cheap sample of dirt, that contains "color" (prospector term for gold).  They want to earn your trust, and know that they may only have one chance to do so.  That is why free or cheap paydirt can be obtained.

Here are just a few sources that will "pan out" for you:

• Felix Paydirt - from their Bonanza and Alaska mines
• Tom And Perry
• R&R Paydirt
• Prospector John
• Many Others who don't advertise, but will if you contact and ask.  (It never hurts to ask!)

Before you start practicing, you will need to order the dirt.  This might require sending an envelope and covering shipping to get the sample, but most samples will cost you under $10, which is a steal considering some paydirts can run into the $50 -100 per pound range (still a worthwhile deal).

Getting a sample of gold paydirt is a great way to try this great sport known as hobby prospecting.  Even if you aren't serious there is a chance you might catch the fever (also known as the bug) after you see the color in the bottom of the pan.

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First off, I have only run across a few bad paydirt sellers. Almost all are legitimate, and they are selling a good product, even if the quality or how "good" the dirt is can be up for argument, they are not trying to scam anyone. The biggest scam however, and is nearly undetectable is called salting or sprinkling. This is when a seller buys gold flakes and a nugget or two and mixes it with regular ordinary dirt. Really not illegal, it is unethical, and a bad experience for all.

Here is what you can do to avoid bad paydirt:

• Research - look the company up online.  See if they are registered with the BBB, Verisign.net, and other online certified merchant programs.
• Look in GPAA Magazine.  The gold prospector's magazine only allows GPAA members and companies they trust advertise within their pages.
• Ask other people's experience - you can find other hobby prospectors online, in the forums, or at GPAA meetings.
• Look for online feedback and reviews - Check our site for mining company and paydirt reviews, look at eBay's feedback system, or check again in the forums or elsewhere.
• Get a sample from the company first - Many, but not all paydirt companies will send you a free sample just to try their dirt.  They know they have high quality dirt, and are so confident in their product that they are willing to give some of it away.
• Work out any issues with the seller first - sometimes problems may occur in shipping, or orders mixed up, or whatever.  People make mistakes.  A reputable company will fix the mistake quickly.
• Check for toll free numbers or contact information.  Call the company up and see how knowledgeable they are on their product.
• Remember their are always stinkers - The case of the matter is is that paydirt is "the luck of the draw".  Sometimes you will get dirt chock full of gold and color, other times you may only get a few flakes.  That's sometimes how it goes, but if you REPEATEDLY get skunked from the same company, quickly discontinue their product, and report them to the BBB or elsewhere to resolve the current issues.

Using these tips will help you avoid bad paydirt and non reputable sellers.  Remember to research, ask questions, and verify reputability.  Doing this will leave less time to scrambling, and more time to panning.

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1

Most people don't realize they can often find paydirt near where they live, especially if they live out west. There are two places to find gold dirt: as a placer, which means dirt near streams, rivers, dry washes, etc. or a lode, which is rock or soil in concentrated areas, usually further back in the woods and mountains. We will focus on the placer type of soil as this is the easiest to find.

First, I know it may not be fun, but you need to research your area. The only way to know where to go is find gold bearing places in your area. If you have any rivers running through your city, research them first. Next, research local ghost towns and the mining history in your area. The library, newspaper, and museum are great resources to check with.

Once you have located your hunting area here are a few tips on getting the best gold.

• Dig on the inside bend of rivers and streams.  This is where the gold catches
• Dig in the stream or river in front of rocks, dips, or logs.  Anywhere the gold will get stuck
• Make sure to not destroy stream beds
• If at a mine or town, look for the old tailings of discarded mineral, soil and ore left by old miners. This is a great resource.

Using these tips you can dig your own paydirt and save you some bones.

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1

In our article: How To Identify Gold Flakes we discussed the sure fire way to identify gold flakes in your pan, but what about nuggets and other pieces of gold including flakes?  Use the tips below to get the best out of your paydirt panning adventures.

1. When pressure is applied to pyrite, such as with a pin or tweezers, the pyrite will break, even shatter.  Gold, if small may break into two pieces, but will never shatter, and most likely will adjust to the shape of the pressure.
2. Iron pyrite is hard, and not malleable.  Gold is very malleable, soft.
3. Iron pyrite is light.  Gold is heavy, with considerable density and mass.
4. Iron pyrite will not shine in the shade.  Gold will shine in the shade.
5. Pyrite is magnetic(but not always).  Gold is not magnetic.
6. Pyrite is hard, shingled, and has sharp jagged shapes.  Gold is smooth.
7. Pyrite reflects light.  Gold is naturally shiny, and does not reflect light in the same way.

Using these tips will help you spot gold versus the dreaded "Fool's gold".

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There is a misconception that gold is shiny.  This is a mistake, especially when it comes to flakes.  That's why so many are tricked into thinking they have gold when it is iron pyrite.  Gold has more of a matte sheen.

Identifying gold flakes is not easy, but once you start seeing real gold, it becomes second nature.

There is a simple test to identify gold flakes.  When you see a flake that catches your eye, that is gold in color, or shiny, move that flake into your shadow or a shadowy area.  Does it look the same, or did it lose its shine?  If it lost its shine than it is not gold.  If it still has that matte shine, then more than likely it is gold, but that is not always the case.

It is hard to describe the identification of gold flakes.  However, trying with paydirt, which is paydirt from mines that guarantee gold in it, you will quickly learn what is gold and what is not.  Remember, flakes that shine in the sun, but lose their shine in the shade, are never gold.

Real color does not reflect the light in a shiny way, and will look the same brilliance in the shade as it does in the sun.

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1

Having the tools beforehand is important to have the best time when gold panning. It may not be as big of a deal, and you can improvise, if at home panning paydirt. But if you are out in the wilderness, it can ruin a weekend if you don't have these required tools.

Here is the list of essential gold panning tools:

• Gold Pan - Choose green or black color for best luck.  We recommend pans with catcher ruffles
• Filters - Usually purchase with your pans, these shakers can filter out large rocks, moss and items that will slow down your panning
• Snuffer Bottle - this retrieves the fine gold.  Essential unless you want to lose a lot of gold
• Shovel - Both a hand and full size shovel is a good idea depending on if you are panning at home or out at your mine
• Rubbermaid bin - This can be used to catch the panned dirt to repan.  Good idea if you want to maximize your gold return.  For best results, put sponge material or astroturf to catch particles
• Tweezers

Mostly applying to hobby panners at home, the list is longer if you are going out in the wild to prospect.  Using these tools will make for a good experience, and help you get more gold!

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