Metal detecting is a popular hobby among outdoor enthusiasts, especially senior citizens who have a lot of time on their hands. There is a certain thrill that comes with searching for and finding minerals, coins, and relics in nature. These valuables bring a special feeling about the history and the life of the previous generation.
If you are into detecting, you may wonder if all you will do is find coins and relics, or can your metal detector can do more, like detect gold nuggets. This article will address if you can use a metal detector to find gold nuggets, how and where to find them.
Can you find gold nuggets using a metal detector?
Yes, you can. Although not all metal detectors can locate gold deposits in nature, some have specialized functions that can ignore unrelated signals and seek to detect the gold amongst the other overcrowding minerals. Since gold tends to be amongst a myriad of other minerals, you’re going to need a metal detector with ground balancing capability.
Most metal detector manufacturers will claim that their brand can detect gold, but as you may come to find out, most of them are only good for finding coins, jewelry, and relics. So how do you know which metal detector can find gold nuggets?
First, a metal detector made to detect gold will have ground balancing features. Ground balancing optimizes the detection of gold deposits in the midst of other minerals such as iron and hot rock. The balancing feature ‘silences” the detection of the rest of the minerals and prioritizes gold nugget signals.
Secondly, the metal detector should have built-in features that give you the option to find gold. As you shop for metal detectors, you will notice that not all come with a gold-finding option. These kinds will probably detect only coins, nails, jewelry, and relics. But if you want to be a gold nugget hunter, you need a detector with specialized gold finding functions. The smaller the nugget the more likely a detector that isn’t specifically made to search for gold will miss it.
What metal detectors can find gold nuggets?
I went ahead and listed 5 detectors that have the correct features to help you in your quest to find your gold nuggets. These aren’t the only ones of course, but I don’t want to flood you with too many options. If you want to read more about these specific detectors I have listed below, you can find a full review of each product on my gold article.
Entry Level
Mid-Level Gold Detectors
- Garrett At Gold (Water Proof)
- Fisher Gold Bug 2 (I have a full breakdown of the Gold Bug 2 here)
High End Gold Detectors
If you go for an option that’s not listed below just make sure you check the ground balance specs.
Where to find gold nuggets using metal detectors?
Gold nuggets aren’t found just anywhere. If you want the best chance to find these valuables, look for them in places where gold was mined in the early days or where the miners separated the gold from the other junk, such as iron scraps.
You can also follow the trails where gold remains were washed down the stream by water.
However, wherever you decide to prospect for gold, ensure it is legal to do so and have the relevant authorities give you permission.
Conclusion
You can use metal detectors to find gold nuggets, but not all detectors can get the work done. If you want to locate gold like a pro, you need to buy metal detectors with ground balancing features and specialized gold-finding functions.
The best places to find gold nuggets are those regions where gold-mining activities were carried out in the past and downstream where gold deposits may have been swept by water.
