Colorado was one of the most prolific producers of both gold and silver in the United States. There was a time not so long ago when thousands of men scoured the mountains in search of rich ores. Literally thousands of mines and prospects were once scattered across Colorado. Remnants of the early mines are still […]
Nearly all prospectors focus their efforts on precious metals. Gold, silver and platinum get the most attention simply because they are so valuable. They are valued in ounces. You could buy a nice home with a big double handful of gold or platinum. Base metals are valued differently, most often market priced by the pound […]
While space is often considered the final frontier, from a mining perspective it is the exploration of the sea that merits attention. Our seas also have much to offer in the way of mineral resources, and up until now they have been mostly untapped. Let’s examine what exactly can be dug up from our seafloor. […]
Mineral extraction is one of the most significant drivers of Wyoming’s economy. In fact, the Equality State is among the United States’ top producers of natural gas, coal and crude oil. What most people don’t know is that Wyoming is also home to rich deposits of gold and silver, with its own gold rush originating […]
The Richest Hill on Earth. Once upon a time that was the nickname of the city of Butte, Montana. The minerals there not only made miners wealthy, but many immigrants took advantage of jobs that paid well enough to make themselves a very comfortable living. In the 1860s, a basin a mile high sitting just […]
The Smuggler Mine is situated right on the slopes of Smuggler Mountain on the northern edge of Aspen, Colorado. This mine is well known for being a major producer of silver. The prospecting activities in the area of Smuggler Mine began in the late 1870s when Colorado was declared a state. At that time, the […]
Old hard rock mine dumps are often overlooked by prospectors, who often gravitate toward the placer deposits in creeks and rivers rather than hillside deposits. This can be a mistake. Even though a lot of mine dumps will be unproductive, some of them can be very rich if you learn how to hunt them correctly. […]
Mining is one of the major contributors to most of the economic activities undertaken in various places across the globe. To this effect, a number of mines have been operating in different locations, with different capacities. Even for someone familiar with modern mining, the size and scale of some operations can remain quite spectacular. The […]
You have probably heard people say things like “Ain’t technology wonderful?” Well, it can also be surprising. One of the most famous relatively new technological advances is the drone. UAVs can be used for all sorts of tasks, but I bet you never though of using drones to find gold. Since they are used for […]
I had a discussion with a fairly newbie gold prospector recently. He has been finding some decent gold, mostly down in dry creek beds on club claims and known gold mining areas. He mentioned his confusion about where gold actually occurs, and how anyone would ever go about finding the source of the gold, rather […]