Gold Mining Tips

In the 1800s, a series of colossal gold discoveries triggered mass migrations that reshaped continents and changed the course of history. In this episode of Gold Mining Tips, Andrew takes you back to the great gold rushes — from the California Gold Rush of 1848 that drew 300,000 people to the American West, to the Australian rush that saw half a million people sail from the British Isles alone, to the brutal Klondike stampede and the Witwatersrand discovery that built Johannesburg. You'll learn the scale of these migrations, the discoveries that sparked them, and the lasting legacy they left behind — including the gold that the old-timers missed. If you've ever wondered about the history of gold fever on a global scale, this episode is your guide.

2026 has been a remarkable year for gold — and beginners are finding it in some surprising places. In this episode of Gold Mining Tips, Andrew rounds up the real stories and real locations where new prospectors are finding gold this year. From a 48-gram nugget found by three Finnish farmers near a forest road in Lapland, to a drying lakebed in Indonesia that sparked a local gold rush, to the continuing productivity of Australia's Golden Triangle and the historic public lands of the American West, Andrew explores what's working and why.

Every old diggings, rusted tool, and crumbling stone wall is a chapter in the story of gold mining — and a clue to where gold still hides. In this episode of Gold Mining Tips, Andrew explores the archaeology and history of gold mining, showing how historical methods and abandoned mine studies can help modern prospectors find gold that was missed. You'll learn the evolution of placer techniques — from the pan and rocker to the long tom, sluice, hydraulic mining, and dredging — and hard rock methods including fire setting, hand drilling, stamp mills, and mercury amalgamation.

Historic mining towns exist because there was gold there — and the creeks around them still hold colour today. In this episode of Gold Mining Tips, Andrew teaches you how to find gold in creeks near historic mining towns. You'll learn why these towns are confirmed gold occurrences, how to research the best creeks using history and geological maps, and the specific techniques that work in worked ground.

Knowing how to find gold is not the same as knowing how to run a mine. In this episode of Gold Mining Tips, Andrew tackles project management for small-scale mining operations — aimed specifically at hobbyists and prospectors considering the leap to commercial production. You'll learn the four phases of mine development — planning, permitting, construction, and operations — and why each phase must be completed before the next begins. Andrew explains how to prove your resource, design your mine, estimate costs with realistic contingencies, and navigate the permitting process.

You've found the reef and crushed the ore — now how do you separate the gold from the rock? In this episode of Gold Mining Tips, Andrew explains the fundamentals of gravity concentration for small-scale prospectors. You'll learn the principles behind the four main types of gravity concentrators: jigs, spiral concentrators, shaking tables, and centrifugal concentrators like the Knelson and Falcon. Andrew explains how each machine works, what particle size range it handles best, and where it fits in a small-scale gravity circuit.

Is your gold deposit actually worth mining? In this episode of Gold Mining Tips, Andrew tackles the economics of gold mining — the numbers that determine whether a project goes ahead or gets shelved. You'll learn the critical difference between mineral resources and mineral reserves, how cut-off grades are calculated and why they're the single most important economic concept in mining, and the three stages of feasibility studies. Andrew also explains NPV, IRR, and payback period, the metrics investors use to evaluate projects, and shares his "back-of-the-envelope" test for quickly assessing a deposit.

Is that glint in your pan real gold, or is it fool's gold? In this episode of Gold Mining Tips, Andrew teaches you how to tell the difference instantly. You'll learn his "gold test triangle" — three simple field tests that never fail — and the visual clues that separate real gold from its imposters. Andrew covers the main culprits, including pyrite, chalcopyrite, mica, and marcasite, and explains why they fool us. He also shares his "pocket test kit" for identifying gold in the field, what to do if your specimen turns out to be pyrite, and how to train your eye by handling real gold and fool's gold side by side. If you've ever been fooled by a shiny rock, this episode will make sure it never happens again.

The best gold in the world is worthless if you don't make it home to enjoy it. In this episode of Gold Mining Tips, Andrew tackles the most important topic of all: safety. You'll learn the most common prospecting mistakes that can lead to injury — from underestimating water, heat, and terrain to mishandling tools, ignoring wildlife, and falling prey to gold fever. Andrew covers fast water and flash floods, desert heat and dehydration, unstable banks and hidden mine shafts, tool safety, wildlife encounters, and the mental errors that catch even experienced prospectors.