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Recovers alluvial gold using panning, sluicing, and classification techniques. Use for prospecting, sampling streams, or maximizing recreational gold recovery.
How this skill is triggered — by the user, by Claude, or both
Slash command
/agent-almanac:gold-washingThis skill is limited to the following tools:
The summary Claude sees in its skill listing — used to decide when to auto-load this skill
Recover alluvial gold from stream deposits using panning, sluicing, and classification techniques.
Recover alluvial gold from stream deposits using panning, sluicing, and classification techniques.
Gold is heavy (specific gravity 19.3) and concentrates predictably. Read the water and geology before digging.
Where Gold Concentrates:
INSIDE BENDS:
Water slows on inside curves of a stream. Heavy materials
(including gold) drop out of suspension here. Sample the
gravel bar on the inside of bends.
BEHIND OBSTRUCTIONS:
Large rocks, fallen trees, and bedrock ledges create
low-pressure zones behind them. Gold settles in these
"shadow" areas.
BEDROCK CRACKS:
Gold works its way into cracks and crevices in bedrock.
Cleaning out bedrock cracks (crevicing) can be very productive.
PAYSTREAKS:
The heaviest concentration follows a line (paystreak) along
the inside of the bend, continuing from one inside bend to the
next. Experienced prospectors trace this line.
WHERE TO SAMPLE:
+--------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Feature | Sample Location |
+--------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Inside bend | 1-2 feet above waterline in gravel bar |
| Behind boulder | Downstream side, in the calm pocket |
| Bedrock exposure | In cracks and depressions |
| Stream confluence | Where tributary meets main stream |
| Old flood channels | Elevated terraces above current stream |
+--------------------+------------------------------------------+
Geological Indicators:
- Black sand (magnetite/hematite): gold's travel companion.
Where black sand concentrates, check for gold.
- Quartz veins in surrounding rock: gold often forms in
quartz veins; erosion releases it into streams
- Iron staining (rust-colored rock): indicates oxidation zone,
which can host gold deposits
Expected: You have identified 2-3 promising sample locations based on stream dynamics and geological indicators.
On failure: If no clear indicators are visible, sample multiple locations systematically — one pan from each distinct feature (inside bend, behind obstacle, random gravel bar). Even a single color (flake of gold) confirms the stream carries gold.
Prepare the raw material for panning.
Collection Protocol:
1. Fill a bucket from your chosen sample location
2. Dig to bedrock if possible — gold concentrates on or near bedrock
3. If bedrock is deep, sample the bottom 6-12 inches of gravel
(gold migrates downward through gravel over time)
Classification:
1. Place a 1/4 inch classifier over your gold pan or bucket
2. Shovel material onto the classifier
3. Shake and wash through — fine material drops into the pan,
large rocks and gravel remain on top
4. Inspect oversized material briefly (nuggets can be caught
by the classifier) then discard
5. Classified material is now ready for panning
Expected: A pan or bucket of classified material (gravel and sand smaller than 1/4 inch), sourced from a geologically promising location.
On failure: If you cannot reach bedrock, sample what is accessible. Shallow samples are less likely to contain gold but are still worth testing — flood events can deposit gold at various depths.
The gold pan separates gold from lighter material using gravity and water.
Panning Technique:
INITIAL WASH:
1. Submerge the pan in water (stream, bucket, or tub)
2. Break up any clay or cemented material with your fingers
3. Remove large stones by hand (inspect each for attached gold)
STRATIFICATION:
4. Shake the pan vigorously side to side (NOT circular) while
submerged — this settles heavy material to the bottom
5. Tilt the pan slightly and allow lighter material to wash off
the front lip
6. Shake, tilt, wash. Shake, tilt, wash. Repeat.
FINE PANNING:
7. As material reduces, you should see black sand concentrating
8. Reduce water flow — gentle swirling now, not vigorous shaking
9. Tilt the pan at a shallow angle and let a thin sheet of water
wash across the concentrate
10. Gold (bright yellow, stays at the bottom) separates from
black sand (dark, slightly lighter)
RECOVERY:
11. Use a snuffer bottle to suck up individual flakes/pieces
12. Or carefully pour off water and collect the concentrate
13. Transfer gold to a vial with water for storage
Common Errors:
- Circular motion washes gold OVER the riffles and out of the pan.
Use side-to-side shaking for stratification.
- Too aggressive: panning too fast loses fine gold. Be patient.
- Not enough initial shaking: gold must sink to the bottom before
you start washing off material.
Expected: All heavy material (gold, black sand, garnets) concentrates in the bottom of the pan. Gold is visible as bright yellow flakes, flattened grains, or (rarely) small nuggets.
On failure: If no gold is visible after a careful pan, the location may not contain gold — or the gold may be too fine to see (flour gold). Check with a hand lens. If still nothing, move to a different sample location.
For processing larger volumes of material.
Sluice Box Operation:
1. Set the sluice in running water at a slight angle (about
1 inch of drop per foot of length)
2. Water should flow smoothly over the riffles — enough to move
sand but not enough to flush the riffles clean
3. Feed classified material into the top of the sluice gradually
4. Let the sluice work — gold is trapped behind the riffles,
lighter material washes through
5. Clean the sluice every 20-30 minutes:
- Remove the sluice from the water carefully
- Wash the riffle mat into a bucket or gold pan
- Pan the concentrate to recover gold
Sluice Calibration:
- Too much water: gold bounces over riffles and is lost
- Too little water: material builds up and buries the gold
- Test with a lead split shot: drop it in the top of the sluice.
If it is caught by the riffles, gold will be too.
Expected: Higher volume processing with gold concentrated in the riffle mat, recovered by final panning.
On failure: If the sluice is not catching test material (lead shot), adjust the angle or water flow. The sluice should catch everything heavier than quartz sand.
mineral-identification — understanding rock and mineral types helps read geological indicators that point to gold-bearing areasnpx claudepluginhub pjt222/agent-almanacIdentifies minerals and ores in the field using hardness, streak, luster, cleavage, crystal habit, and chemical tests. Useful for prospecting and geological observation.
Plans geological field surveys with objectives, mapping scale, sampling strategy, and data collection methods for structural geology, stratigraphy, or mineral exploration.
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