There are plenty of untapped areas where it is possible to find precious metals in sand. For those that have the time and inclination, there are several techniques that a hobbyist can use to determine the presence of precious metals and increase his chances of stumbling upon a significant find.
1. Adjust the metal detector to detect low quantities of metal. If the precious metal is deep or very old, it may not be picked up at the normal frequency.
2. Look for "black sand" in the surrounding area. The presence of black sand may be an indication that the environment has the potential for harboring gold or other precious metals.
3. Pace off a square area that sits parallel to the water and where the sand is not too deep. Run the metal detector over the sand in a regular and overlapping pattern.
4. Dig in the sand with the shovel when you get a reading. Place any potential finds in a bucket.
5. Discard any garbage or junk metal in a small garbage bag.
6. Test each potential find by scraping the metal against the test stone in your precious metal test kit. Wait for the metal streak on the stone change color, apply the testing acid to the stripe and compare the resulting change with the key included in the test kit.
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