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Yes, I was just window-shopping! :o)

Yes, a chance to see many minerals from around the world. :o)

No doubt the crystals were the stars of the show! :o)

Thanks Dann! :o)

Thanks!

Fantastic - I wouldn't have thought to look there! Fallen trees are a great place to look for rocks. Thanks, I'm based in Surrey Heath but like to explore further now and again. My 'Surrey Ironstone' video was done in Albury, and there are some interesting ironstone and chalk quarries in the area. I'm just waiting for the sun to come back now!! :o)

Thanks mate! :o)

Thank you! Grazie! :o)

@surreygoldprospector576 Thanks to you, always a pleasure to meet another enthusiast. 👍

Thanks Phil! Yes, mine dumps are a great place to find stuff. And the geology of Scotland is very interesting. Lots more going on than here in England.

Thanks for your comment and the information. I took a look at Mindat and it was very interesting. There is a lot of mining history in that location. It listed 56 minerals found there (of which 25 copper-based ones) so didn't help narrow down much, but a great place to have a rummage in the rock piles! I didn't mention it in the video, but I now suspect a lot of the rocks I found had been through the smelter (or at least the crusher) so may have been altered from their natural state.

Sorry - it is not for sale.

Thanks Chambo.

Thanks mate! Lots of interesting stuff around mine dumps.

Thank you!

Sadly, not gold!! :o( I think it was Bornite on the quartz, which is a form of pyrite with copper as well as iron.

@@surreygoldprospector576 thanks for the information. I was blinded by the yellow shine 😆

@@Ltn.Immelmann Ha ha, yes I like the shine too! If it was gold I would be a rich man now!

Hi!

Yes! I love my Scottish gold from my two trips this year. Small but perfectly formed! Hopefully I will be back before too long. :o)

@@surreygoldprospector576 Lol, yep I still have my first tiny piece in a separate vial.

A couple of places I've been in Scotland you do, but in England no (not sure about Wales). You're supposed to ask permission from the landowner for access too, although the places I've been are next to public footpaths, so I haven't yet, but I would if I thought there was a good chance of finding some gold there.

Thanks, mate.

Thanks Aur! I love the little flake I found. It's very bright and yellow (I'm told Scottish gold is the best) and in the shape of a tiny leaf. :o)

I really enjoyed it and would go back - with full midge protection! :o)

Glad you like it - thanks for the comment. :o)

Thanks for the advice. I'm always open to pick up new tips! :o)

Thanks very much for the offer. It won't be till next year now, but I usually go to Totnes a couple of times a year. I'll let you know when I've made plans. Email me (on my 'about' page here) and I'll keep your contact details. Cheers, Nick.

No joy yet in Devon, although I am getting closer I think! You've probably seen it but there's a book "Gold in Cornwall and Devon" that's a good start, and there used to be BGS reports online but they've been taken down now. I've got a couple more spots I want to try before I give up. Good luck with your searches! :o)

Thank you Ltn.! Yes, the hills and rivers were very scenic. I would like to go back there for more. :o)

Thanks! Yes, depending who you talk to Tyndrum is either number 1 or 2 place to find gold in the UK. :o)

Thanks Chambo! :o)

Yes, I am learning new things, which is always good. It makes it more interesting when I am out in nature. I have an eye for sparkly things (crystals and gold)! :o)

Hands up - I've made loads of mistakes along the way, but as long as I am learning and getting better that's OK with me. Prospecting is one of those things where you can't beat just doing it and getting experience.

we was all like that at the start of our gold rush dreams

Saving up for a plane ticket, mate! :o)

@@surreygoldprospector576 Well mate, you'll be most welcome and you'll almost certainly find better pickings here on the Victorian goldfields. My ancestors packed up their lives in Cornwall and came here in the 1850s. If you do make it, you'll be joining a long tradition. Good Luck with you prospecting mate! T.

@@thomaswhitelake Thanks. Yep, you guys are lucky - still plenty of good pickings from what the gold rush pioneers left behind. :o)

@@surreygoldprospector576 Mate, haven't you heard? The streets here are paved with it.

Thanks! It was my first time panning in Scotland and I'm sure I'll be back there again.

Thanks for the information - that's useful. I was looking out for any crystals, but didn't see much.

Thanks mate. I loved it up there - I'm sure I'll be back! :o)

Thanks Chambo. :o)

That's interesting - thanks. I heard they tried to work the mine again more recently but that stopped in 2023.

Yes, I think you're right. It's complicated, as at Tyndrum you pay for a permit (£5 a day) for the mineral rights and permission to prospect the river as well.

Thanks for the info! I was a bit down when I thought there was no gold, so I was really buzzed to find a couple of bits hiding!! I know I can do better now, so I'm sure I'll be back to Scotland again. :o)

Thanks! It's a shame it is so far for me, but I'm sure I will be back there. I remember Chris from Vogus Prospecting (Aussie TH-camr) saying it is sometimes better to not buy more / more expensive equipment, but to spend the money on travelling to a better area.

@@surreygoldprospector576 Tyndrum is just the right place to go and try it. Lots of interesting heavy minerals to be seen and different geology from your home turf.

Thank you Ltn.! The bottle works well on small areas so is great for crevicing. I really like Scotland - I am sure I will be back! :o)

Thanks. Yes, that's an interesting place to visit. I went in 2022 and did a video of it, but the group that owns it wasn't active at the time so you couldn't go inside. But it's worth a trip anyway! :o)

@@surreygoldprospector576 from what I understand, it's only not in operation because it's not commercially viable. Is it the one by the old train station do you know?

The one I went to was called the Bailey Level gold mine, near Drybrook. It stopped producing iron ore in the 1920s, but lately a group of volunteers has put back the mine railway. They seem to have started up having open days since my visit (although you can go anytime as it is not fenced off outdoors). www.lblr.fod.uk/

@@surreygoldprospector576 That's the one, takes me about ten minutes to get there. It looks like they do one open day a year. I might pop along when it's not raining just to have a look around the area. It can't hurt...!

Excellent. Thanks mate! :o)

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks, mate! To be honest I wasn't expecting anything this time, just a practise with what I have at home. It is always interesting to hear what gold there is around Europe - glad you found some in Greece before. :o)

Thank you. You too, mate. I think I need your magic shovels for my gold digging! :o)

🤣🤣🤣🍻@@surreygoldprospector576

Thanks Rob. I think you're right, it is Limonite-Goethite. I was thinking maybe bog-iron (no volcanic iron here, but lots of bogs!), and it turns out it's pretty much the same thing. Oh yes, I did buy myself a new Garrett gold pan - this was just for fun, and for small samples. Happy New Year!

Thanks GS! :o)

Thanks! These were from Surrey Heath, but I keep my eye open to find more everywhere I go in Surrey. :o)

@@surreygoldprospector576 yeahh sure you do!! I'm also planning to go out for a search, I hope it's not Illegal or something.

You should be fine if you stick to rights of way (footpaths, bridlepaths, and commons). I don't dig up the ground, and only take away a few stones. Anywhere in the sandy ground north/west of Guildford is worth checking, particularly Caesar's Camp and Ash Common. I have started looking at the high hills in the Weald (south Surrey) but haven't found anything there yet. I don't know about the east and north parts of Surrey. I do have days when I don't find anything at all, but I treat it as a nice walk in nature, and a find is a bonus. Good luck!!

@@surreygoldprospector576 Yeah I won't dig either but I might need some of them. It is for my collection. I am planning to go this week only. Do you always go solo? I'm excited and nervous as well because the place seems kinda scary. Haha

I don't mind going for a walk with a friend, but when I'm crystal-hunting I prefer to go alone as I enjoy the peace and quiet! However, I can understand going with someone else to a new area might feel safer. I want to get out again soon, but the weather here is a bit rubbish for the next week! You can find the rocks any time, but it needs to be dry and sunny to see the crystals.