Gold Prospecting Equipment

In the last 10 years, the price of gold has tripled, and the long-term price trends still point up. If you’re looking for a hobby with potential financial benefits, gold prospecting is a great choice.

Having the right gold prospecting equipment will change your entire approach to this fun activity. With the right tools and equipment available, your chances of finding this precious metal are much higher. Here at DredgeNZ, we’ve gathered all the necessary equipment that you’ll need to start your panning and prospecting journey.

PROLINE 6″ Dredge

If you’re thinking about starting your gold prospecting operation, a Proline Dredge can help you gather more gold nuggets and flakes in no time for exploration and mining projects. The best part is that it can be operated by one person.

SLUICE BOX – A52 – KEENE

Using the classic gold pan on its own can take a lot of time. That is why we recommend using a Sluice Box to gather all the gold without any hassle. Our Sluice Box has been a trusted tool for decades, allowing you to work on panning and prospecting at full capacity.

Gold Hog Stream Sluice

Our Gold Hog Stream Sluice features a regular flow mat and a low flow mat, making it easier for you to filter all the gold pieces and solid rock particles separately. It’s a powerful tool to increase mining productivity.

EZ-SLUICE

For lightweight gold panning and prospecting projects, nothing beats the Tee Dee EZ-Sluice. With its new flare design feature, your first gold nugget will get trapped in the exposed surface area of the box which is ribbed for further gold catching.

Le Trap Sluice Box

If you’re just starting your gold prospecting and panning journey, it is important to begin with handy tools and equipment. Our Le trap Sluice Box is made of lightweight wear-resistant green plastic, making it easier to take it with you to any location at any time.

Visit our website to check out our collection of tools and equipment for your gold prospecting needs.

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For many gold prospectors, the enjoyment and excitement of prospecting is not merely the hunt for gold, but also the adventure and opportunity to interact with nature. Gold prospecting is a great hobby that offers the chance to discover nature’s abundance as well as a chance to hit the jackpot.

If you’re new to the world of gold prospecting or struggling with prospecting, DredgeNZ is the right store for you. We are committed to supporting you in your gold panning and mining efforts. We offer a variety of reliable tools to make your search faster and easier.

Basic Gold Panning Equipment

Gold prospectors know that prospecting requires extensive patience and dedication. Unlike many hobbies that require a large investment, gold panning and prospecting can be inexpensive. Most of the equipment and tools may be found around your home.

A few basic pieces of equipment should be enough to help you begin your gold prospecting journey. Here are some of the most basic and inexpensive tools and equipment to get you started.

• The Gold Pan

Considered the most basic tool in gold panning, the gold pan is also one of the most important and effective tools to help you with your prospecting.

• The Sluice Box

While the gold pan is one of the most effective tools in panning, it could take you time to pan all the gold in a particular location, making it difficult to get them all in a day. To speed up the gold panning process without taking up too much of your time, a sluice box can be useful.

• The Shovel

Shovels come in different sizes for different situations. Finding the right size for a particular location could help you locate gold without the hassle of wasting your time only using your bare hands.

• The Pick

In gold panning, environmental and weather changes can be your greatest enemy.  Gold is often washed away and mixed with old river stones and soil, so to help you quickly get the gold from hardened rocks and dirt, a pick is a great tool.

• The Classifier

Since pieces of gold are mixed with gravel and sand, the classifier is essential to reduce the material that needs to be put through the sluice or has to be panned by hand. The classifier is a round screen that fits perfectly on top of a gold pan or bucket to separate the finer material from the bigger rocks.

• The Gold Map

If you would like to spend more time and money looking for gold, the gold map is crucial and a must-have in your prospecting journey. It helps you locate gold easily without scratching and excess effort. All it takes is your persistence to dig, identify and process the gold.

Gold Panning Kit: Sluice Box

Whether you are a beginner or struggling using the classic gold pan, a Sluice Box is a perfect tool to help you with your panning. Sluice Boxes come in different sizes and materials that are very handy for gold prospectors.  They are designed to easily screen all the rock materials with suspected gold.

If you’re looking for the best and inexpensive tools to help you with gold panning DredgeNZ is an excellent choice. With various selections from our store, you can start planning for your next prospecting location right away.

Visit our website to check out our collection of tools and equipment for your gold prospecting needs.

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Gold Panning has inspired thousands of people to become amateur gold hunters. Many of them are spending most of their time in search of high-value gold so the quest for gold has fueled a surge in the sales of gold panning tools.

Although panning has a downside on panners’ safety and the environment, it has brought a notable impact on a country or community’s economic growth. In New Zealand, a lot of prospects are in search of high-value gold. Although this may seem like a test of luck for many, professional panners have discovered the best spots to pan for gold.

Thankfully, innovation has helped in the discovery of these elusive metals. A wide range of equipment is used to locate gold quickly. And here at DredgeNZ, we are with you in your quest for gold panning and mining. We offer a variety of reliable tools to make your search faster and easier.

Based on our knowledge and experience, here are some of the best spots for gold panning in New Zealand, right amongst active gold mining and gold dredging claims:

Otago and Marlborough

Usually, gold mining requires a permit from NZP&M. However, there are some public fossicking areas in Otago and not too far away from Marlborough where you can freely enjoy recreational gold mining without the need for a permit. Follow this link to find out where these areas are.

Golden Bay

Golden Bay is not named for its sunshine but its gold. As early as 1853, traces were found in the Aorere Valley. As the name suggests, Golden Bay was once a gold rush town, and the Aorere Goldfields Track will take you back in time to the old gold-mining days.

Coromandel Peninsula

Coromandel was one of the first places in New Zealand to discover a rich history of golds, causing prospects to migrate to the area in search of fortune. Gold helped develop the early economy on The Coromandel by attracting people, investment, shipping, and resources.

Hokitika

Hokitika is one of the best spots to look for gold. There are a handful of areas  set aside for recreational gold fossicking near Hokitika. Some have a picnic, barbecue, and camping facilities, and most are easy to access. Alluvial gold is present in all these areas, although the concentrations can sometimes be low. Follow this link to find out where these areas are.

The community in Hokitika is also rich in artisans and cultural heritage, making them one of the best spots not just for gold panners but also for travelers worldwide.

If you’re planning to start a quest for gold in the places we’ve mentioned, make sure to list down essential tools to help you in your journey in locating these high-valued treasures. We recommend buying from an expert like DredgeNZ to ensure that you get the right tools and helpful tips to guide you on your expedition.

In recent years, the value of gold has been steadily increasing. Thanks to the success stories of miners and panners, many prospects are inspired, hoping to make a fortune from their gold hunting journey.

If you are just a beginner in gold mining, chances are you won’t find any rich ground to mine without serious research. Now don’t get us wrong; there is rich ground out there that is still open and unclaimed. You need to get out there and find it, though, and that takes time and experience.

Having the right equipment and tools can go a long way in helping you with your gold-digging experience. At DredgeNZ, we are committed to supporting you in your gold panning and mining efforts. We offer a variety of reliable tools to make your search faster and easier.

What is panned gold worth?

Experienced prospectors understand that one must weigh gold to find its actual value. So while panning, a scale would be necessary to see the exact amount.
Some experienced prospectors that have tallied gold often are able to visually estimate the value of gold while still in the pan. They use their pricing experience to know the value of gold when they see it in the pan. Since it’s an estimate based on size rather than weight, they usually hesitate to discuss this technique too much.

How does gold panning work?

Unlike many pastimes, panning for gold is a small investment for a potentially large reward.
Rivers go through seasonal cycles, from the spring flood stage to reduced flow rates in late summer and fall. Gold breaks loose from streamside banks and bottoms with each high-water process, landing in places where the water slows down.
The principle behind gold panning is straightforward. Gold is heavy. Just about everything else is lighter. If you load a pie-pan-shaped container with gold-bearing gravel and sand, proper agitation in water should cause the gold to sink to the bottom while washing away the lighter stuff that rises to the top.
To make it simple and easier to understand, here is a step-by-step way to pan gold.

1. Gather all the equipment needed for gold panning.
2. Locate the spot to do your gold panning. We recommend that you search for more information about the area.
3. Once you’ve found your perfect stream, you need to find a place to pan and places to dig.
4. Pan Out Your Paydirt and Recover the Gold
5. Clean Out Your Snuffer Bottle and Enjoy Your Gold

Gold prospecting methods

Today’s state-of-the-art gold detectors are capable of detecting tiny pieces of gold. Although searching for gold requires patience and persistence, professional gold panners have methods to make their search easy and convenient. Here are some of the methods used for gold prospecting

1. Biological Prospecting

Plants, humus, and microscopic organisms have been effectively utilized to help mineral prospecting, and under specific conditions, they may allow the miner to find covered mineral residues. Many factors are involved, however, that is not possible to predict conditions under which biological prospecting will be helpful.

2. Geophysical Prospecting

Geophysical prospecting combines physical science and geography studies to help the miner in investigating both mineral and energy fuel stores. Utilization of a portion of these strategies and procedures requires complex and exorbitant instruments.

3. Magnetic Prospecting

Magnetic Prospecting depends on the characteristic attractive properties of certain minerals like magnetite. When held near a magnetite-rich rock, the needle in a compass behaves erratically because the Earth’s magnetic field is distorted by the magnetic field of the rock.

Gold panning tips

The best way to learn about panning for gold is to observe the techniques of successful panners. You should also remember that prospectors have been scouring the deserts and mountains for a couple of hundred years now.

Most of the significant gold districts have been found already, so researching and finding these historic gold mining areas is necessary. Once you’ve found a gold-bearing spot, now the fun begins! Select the right equipment for the job and start mining. Keep at it, and you will be successful.

Happy prospecting!