Gold Pan

• One of the simplest and most iconic prospecting tools, the gold pan has practical use even in today's mechanized mining operations. Gold mining at its essence involves sifting of precious metals from rock, sand and soil. Gold pans allow the user to swirl a small amount of material with water while carefully looking for any small shine of gold. Prospectors can use these pans to sift gold directly from riverbeds or to examine the material sifted from larger machines.
  
  

Hand Sluice

• Prospectors of the past used a system of water diversion and filtration known as a sluice. A sluice works by feeding in gold-bearing gravel and water through its wide end and passing it through a series of filters known as "riffles." If properly used, a sluice gradually separates gold from gravel and produces high yields for a relatively simple device. Contemporary prospectors often use a lightweight version of the classic sluice known as a "hand sluice." Hand sluices generally have aluminum bodies, making them light enough to transport, use and remove by hand.
  
  

Shaker Table

• A shaker table, as its name implies, shakes the sifted material to separate out the gold. Most shaker tables consist of large, flat tops with low-profile ridges across their length. As the table shakes, water passes over the material so that the gold travels up the ridges where it flows into a catching container. The user may then dispose of the remaining filtered material. Some shaker tables operate by hand power, but most shaker tables used today have gas or electrical motors.
  
  

Wet and Dry Vacuum

• While prospectors may use brushes or brooms and dustpans to remove gold-bearing dust from small spaces, wet and dry vacuums have become more common. Prospectors generally use this type of tool when gathering samples to determine the suitability of a mining site. Most vacuums of this type use gas power, eliminating the need for an electrical power source and supplying the heavy suction required for gathering heavier material. After gathering the material, the user may then examine the contents of the vacuum to determine if the material bears enough gold to warrant further prospecting.