Gold panning is one of the oldest and most effective methods of separating placer gold from sand and gravel. The principle is remarkably simple: gold is considerably denser than the surrounding material, allowing it to settle to the bottom of the pan while lighter sands, gravel and other minerals are gradually washed away.

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Although the basic technique can be learned quickly, good gold panning is about control rather than speed. The objective is to repeatedly loosen and stratify the material, allowing the heaviest particles—including gold—to work their way to the lowest point in the pan before carefully removing the lighter material above them.

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An excellent tip for a beginner is to pan into a pan to ensure no gold is lost.

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1. Fill the Pan

Begin by filling your gold pan approximately halfway to two-thirds full with gold-bearing gravel. Remove any obviously oversized stones, checking them carefully before discarding them.

If the material contains a large amount of coarse gravel, it can first be classified through a screen. This makes the panning process faster and easier.

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2. Completely Wet the Material

Submerge the pan beneath the surface of the water and thoroughly break apart any compacted gravel, clay or sediment.

Every particle should be completely wet and free to move. Clay should be broken down carefully, as fine particles of gold can sometimes remain trapped within it.

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3. Stratify the Material

With the pan underwater, gently shake it from side to side using short, controlled movements.

This is one of the most important stages of the entire process.

The shaking action allows the contents of the pan to stratify according to density. Heavy minerals and gold migrate downward while lighter gravel and sand rise toward the surface.

Gold is extremely dense—approximately 19.3 g/cm³—so once it has settled to the bottom of the pan, careful panning will tend to keep it there.

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4. Wash Away the Lighter Material

Tilt the pan slightly forward and allow water to wash across the surface.

Using gentle forward-and-back movements, allow a small amount of the uppermost gravel to spill over the edge of the pan.

After several washes, level the pan and shake it again to re-stratify the remaining material.

The process is repeated:

Shake → Stratify → Wash → Repeat

Do not rush this stage. Removing too much material at once increases the possibility of losing fine gold.

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5. Reduce to the Concentrates

As the amount of material in the pan decreases, the remaining concentrate will usually become noticeably darker.

This is commonly referred to as black sand and consists of relatively heavy minerals such as magnetite and other dense mineral grains.

At this stage, considerably more care should be taken. Gold may now become visible along the bottom or behind the riffles of the pan.

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6. Final Panning

Once only a small quantity of concentrate remains, use a very gentle swirling or rocking motion with a small amount of water in the pan.

The lighter black sand can gradually be moved away while the heavier gold remains behind.

This final separation should be performed slowly. Very fine or flat pieces of gold can move surprisingly easily if too much water or excessive force is used.

For valuable material, carrying out the final cleanup over a second pan or container provides additional protection against accidentally losing gold.

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7. Recover Your Gold

Visible pieces of gold can be collected using a snuffer bottle, pipette or tweezers and transferred into a suitable vial.

Before discarding the remaining concentrates, inspect them carefully. Beginners in particular should consider panning the material a second time—small flakes of gold are remarkably easy to overlook.

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The Golden Rule of Panning

Let gravity do the work.

Successful gold panning does not depend upon aggressive movement. It depends upon repeatedly allowing the heavy material to settle and then carefully removing the lighter material above it.

Once you understand this principle, the movements of the pan become much more intuitive.

Stratify the material. Remove the light material. Protect the heavies. Repeat.

With a little practice, an apparently ordinary pan of gravel can be reduced to a small line of black sand—and, with luck, the unmistakable colour of natural gold.