Gold panning

Gold panning is a method of recovering gold from sediment by swirling it in a pan, allowing heavier particles to settle while lighter material washes away.

Specific gravity: Specific gravity is the ratio of a substance’s density to the density of water. Gold’s high specific gravity helps it remain in the pan as lighter sediment washes away.
Gold prospecting: Gold prospecting is the search for locations containing economically recoverable gold. Panning tests stream sediment for signs of nearby gold-bearing deposits.
Gold mining: Gold mining is the extraction of gold from geological deposits. Panning is among the oldest and simplest techniques for recovering gold.
Sluicing: Sluicing separates heavy minerals from sediment by running water through a channel fitted with riffles. A sluice processes more material than a pan while relying on similar gravity separation.
Hydraulic sorting: Hydraulic sorting is the separation of particles by water according to their size, shape, and density. Panning uses moving water to carry lighter particles out while dense gold stays behind.
Placer mining: Placer mining extracts valuable minerals from loose sediment using gravity and water. Panning is one of the simplest methods within this broader form of mining.
Ancient Egypt: Ancient Egypt was a civilization centered along the Nile from the fourth millennium BCE to the first centuries CE. Egyptians recovered gold from alluvial deposits using washing methods described in ancient accounts.
Gold dredging: Gold dredging removes and processes underwater sediment using powered equipment. Dredges handle far greater volumes than panning but require machinery and greater environmental disturbance.
Gold: Gold is a dense, malleable metallic element with the chemical symbol Au. Its density and resistance to corrosion make it recoverable by panning.
Gold rush: A gold rush is a rapid influx of people seeking gold after a deposit is discovered. Portable pans enabled newcomers to search stream beds during historic rushes.

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PyriteRelated: Differences in density and malleability help separate gold from pyrite.