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Colorado Prospector - Gem and mineral prospecting and mining forums _ Prospectors and Rockhounding Field Work _ Gold panning or rock hounding, which is a faster return

Posted by: dbdweller Jun 18 2017, 07:51 PM

I am new to Colorado hunting but have been all over the state since 1984. I am planning on taking the Summer off and going on a adventure.
The flooding in California has really done wonders for panning since 97 so something in me is tugging to head that way. I have done a lot of research for gems and nuggets over the years for Colorado and thinking I might as well do something i can spend while having fun.

My understanding with gems will be knowledge and luck i think. I only hear about 10% of gems that really make any money? I know panning is the same thing but at least you know what you have when you find it and it is the same price pretty much for everyone.

I also have 2 dogs going and one is 13 so she does not run the mountain any more so that kind of hurts for the gems a little i think.

Any help and info would be greatly appreciated and sorry if this is crude, this is my first post.

Posted by: nate Jun 18 2017, 08:58 PM

first of all, welcome!

i cant tell you much about gold, but if rockhounding is what you are after there are many places with varying difficulties of access. I would say start by researching what you want to find. If you want some help with that, the members forum has several areas already researched with how to get there and what to expect on the journey to taking home something pretty. Do you have anything in mind currently? what part of the state are you going to primarily be in and what is your transportation like?

for gold.......i dunno. i think california would be the place to be as you said if its nuggets you want. colorado really doesnt have many nuggets except for one zone that is almost exclusively already claimed. the rest is dust and a few pickers with the very rare glacial nugget. again, i dont have experience with gold, but this is what i have read.

whatever you want to do, make sure you know the area you are heading into and have checked to make sure the area is open for digging/prospecting. lr2000 is the resource for checking that.

Posted by: Crusty Jun 19 2017, 10:08 AM

Unless you're on good ground or moving a LOT of material, small scale mining for gold is a tough way to make a living. But then with crystals, it is a lot of luck. While you may be on good ground, you've got to find a pocket of intact specimens to have them be worth a lot. But the investment in equipment to get at them is a lot lower than the start up of a gold operation.

IN the end, I'd say 90% of folks doing it are doing it more for the experience... very few have the time, energy, and skill to make a living at it.

Posted by: MikeS Jun 19 2017, 05:08 PM

Welcome to the forums dbdweller!

It has been much easier for me to find crystals in Colorado that are worth putting a price tag on as opposed to gold. They both are challenging.
I have put much more footwork into finding crystals but the gold work can tough also.
Becoming a Club Member helps a lot when looking for places to start. Club Members are meeting up this weekend at a gold claim. Learning to research the lands you wish to prospect is key to finding your own spots that are open for prospecting.

Be sure to have a look around. There is lots of good info on these forums.