Panning for Gold
Panning was the oldest and simplest way to separate gold from surrounding rock. It was the most basic method to obtain placer gold. The basic procedure was to place some gold-bearing materials, such as river gravel, into a shallow pan, add some water, and then carefully swirl the mixture around so the water and light material spilled over the side. If all went well, the heavier gold nuggets or gold dust would settle to the bottom of the pan.
Gold panning was slow even for the most skillful miner. On a good day, one miner could wash about 50 pans in the usual 12-hour workday and obtain a small amount of gold dust.
Gold panning was slow even for the most skillful miner. On a good day, one miner could wash about 50 pans in the usual 12-hour workday and obtain a small amount of gold dust.
