How to Pan for Gold - Step-by-Step Guide

Welcome to the exciting world of gold prospecting! This guide will help you extract every flake of Arizona gold from your Optik Gold paydirt.

What You'll Need

• Gold Pan (10-14" diameter with riffles)
• Water Source (bucket, tub, or stream)
• Tweezers for picking out gold flakes
• Magnifying Glass to spot fine gold
• Snuffer Bottle or Vial for collecting gold
• Your Optik Gold Paydirt from Chloride District

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prepare Your Workspace

Fill a large bucket or tub with clean water. You'll need enough water to submerge your pan.

Step 2: Load Your Pan

Pour your Optik Gold paydirt into your gold pan, filling it about ¾ full. Don't overfill - you need room to work the material.

Step 3: Break Up Clumps

Submerge the pan in water and use your fingers to break up any clumps of dirt. Gold is 19x heavier than water - it will naturally sink to the bottom of your pan.

Step 4: Remove Large Rocks

Pick out any rocks larger than a pea and check them for gold before discarding.

Step 5: Stratify the Material

With the pan still submerged, shake it side-to-side and front-to-back in a circular motion. This causes the heavy gold to settle to the bottom while lighter material rises to the top. Do this for 30-60 seconds.

Step 6: Wash Away Lighter Material

Tilt your pan slightly forward (about 15-20 degrees) and dip the front edge just below the water surface. Use a gentle circular motion to wash the top layer of light material over the edge. The riffles in your pan will catch and hold the gold.

Important: Go slow! Aggressive washing can lose gold.

Step 7: Repeat the Process

Continue the stratify-and-wash cycle until you're down to about 2 tablespoons of black sand and gold.

Step 8: Final Cleanup

When you're down to mostly black sand (magnetite) and gold, add a small amount of water to your pan. Tilt the pan and use a gentle swirling motion to spread the material in a crescent shape. The gold will separate from the black sand and become visible.

Step 9: Extract Your Gold

Use tweezers to pick out visible gold flakes, or use a snuffer bottle to suck up gold and water, then transfer to your collection vial.

Step 10: Admire Your Arizona Gold!

Congratulations! You've just recovered real gold from the historic Chloride Mining District.

Pro Tips for Maximum Gold Recovery

• Go Slow: Patience is key. Rushing causes gold loss.
• Watch the Riffles: Gold gets caught in the riffles - check them frequently.
• Use Proper Angle: Too steep and you'll lose gold; too flat and you won't wash material.
• Black Sand is Your Friend: Where there's black sand (magnetite), there's usually gold.
• Good Lighting: Pan in bright light or sunlight to spot fine gold easier.
• Practice Makes Perfect: Your first pan might take 20 minutes. With practice, you'll get it down to 5.

Troubleshooting

"I'm not finding any gold!"
Make sure you're going slow enough. Check your black sand carefully with a magnifying glass.

"My water is too muddy."
Change your water frequently. Optik Gold paydirt is low-silt, so this shouldn't be a major issue.

"I lost all my material!"
You're washing too aggressively. Slow down and use gentler motions.

Happy Panning! - The Optik Gold Team