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Using A Metal Detector To Search For Gold

Marlene Affeld — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Today I went through my mining supplies, sorting things out and putting gear away for the winter. I noticed my metal detector gathering dust in the corner of the shed. Shame on me. It is a great tool and I have neglected it. I have a Fisher Gold Bug – a few years old. Although several very fine new detectors with great add-on features have come on the market since I purchased the unit a few years ago, it is a reliable workhorse that gets the job done.

I plan to do some traveling this winter, escape the snow for a few weeks and visit friends and fellow prospectors in the desert. My Goldbug is going with me. I am by no means an expert but I have had a lot of fun and found a few treasures. Metal detecting is addictive and I am looking forward to once again testing my luck. The price of gold is skyrocketing and I would sure like to find a nice nugget for my efforts.

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Rarer Than Diamonds – Montana’s Yogo Sapphires

Marlene Affeld — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 15:00:21 +0000

Brilliant, beautiful and highly prized, the Yogo sapphire is the most precious gemstone mined in the United States and is an official gemstone of Montana. Breathtaking to behold, the Yogo sapphire is found only in Montana.

Yogos are unique among the sapphires of the world. Whereas most of the sapphires found around the world vary greatly in color and quality, the Yogo sapphire’s unusual “corn-flower” blue color is natural (rather than heat treated) and color and clarity are uniformly high. Yogos are nearly flawless. Another unusual quality of Yogo sapphires is that they retain their magnificent brilliance under artificial light. The majority of Yogo sapphires are the signature blue; however, exceptionally beautiful shades of purple are occasionally found.

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North To Alaska – The Rush Is On!

Marlene Affeld — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 15:00:07 +0000

My passion for prospecting and my enduring love for the wilderness of Alaska were born on the beaches of Nome in 1993. I couldn’t stop whistling, North To Alaska! It was my good fortune to spend seven adventure packed weeks that summer on the crew of a gold camp 15 miles west of Nome. I have returned twice on the same crew, my latest expedition in 2007.

Current Nome, Alaska Weather Conditions

Nome’s weather is dominated by the Bering Sea and can change rapidly. In the summer, highs average in the mid-50s, with lows in the low to mid-40s. The coldest three months are December through February, when the highs average about 13 degrees and the lows average a little below zero.

The beaches are often still covered in ice pack and snow in May. June offers the best combination of clear skies and warm temperatures. As the summer progresses, more rain can be expected. Severe storms are common and the window of opportunity for working the beach sands diminishes as September approaches.

There Is No Place Like Nome

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Tips For Beginning Gold Panners

Marlene Affeld — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 15:00:06 +0000

Panning for gold is a fun and potentially profitable activity and not that difficult a skill to master. Have patience, gold panning is like any learned skill, one gets better with practice.

Read the creek or stream bed and find a likely spot. One of the best places is behind boulders were eddies have formed.

Fill your gold pan with gravel and/or sand.

Pour water into your gold pan or dip it in the creek to fill.

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