Gold Panning

Ever seen things on T.V. where people pan for gold and actually find some? I always thought it was always in California where the gold was. But it turns out, gold can be anywhere! I was looking up gold panning on YouTube once and found that there were several places where gold could be found. I live in Georgia, so I checked and found out there were places close by, like Dalonega, Villa Rica (which is called literally the City of Gold), and Buchanan. I pan, but alot of people use different methods, like dredging or sluicing, but it all goes back to the pan. I have seen people get nuggets from these places. Nuggets! For the basics, you need a gold pan, a sieve, a handheld and/or large shovel, a snuff bottle, tweezers, a bottle or glass jar to put the gold in, gloves, and, if you like, a metal detector, but not a magnet. Magnets only pick up cobalt, iron, and nickel. I use chest weighters to get to spots, but you can use waterproof boots if you wish. Always look for black sand, which may line the edges of a bank, quartz, which is where most gold can be found, and , for me, gray clay. You will have to mush all the clay and shake it through the sieve before panning it out. It is worth it, trust me. And you might be able to use some of the quartz rocks for jewelry, though you may want to put it through a rock tumbler first to clean and smooth out any sharp edges. Quartz is natural glass and might cut if it has any sharp edges. A friend and I have done this before (hence the gloves). Rock tumblers can be found anywhere from Wal-Mart to Hobby Lobby. Be on the lookout for any snakes if you go out on hot days. You will also see a TON of wildlife. I have seen snakes, turtles (box and snapping), crawfish (crawdads), fish, kingfishers, salamanders, once a deer leaped into the creek right infront of me! It was an amazing sight. Be careful of any insects you may find underwater, they may bite (my friend found that out too). Be sure to wear a hat, for you can get a sunburn or ticks. As long as you are careful, there is nothing to worry about. ^_^ If you have any questions on comments, just write them below and I will check them out soon.