Some people don't believe there is treasure yet to be found out there. I believe this picture alone would disprove that statement. This is the "Butte Nugget" found in northern California in 2014 in Butte County. A prospector was metal detecting and suddenly had a strong hit. Expecting to find some old iron "garbage" left years ago, he unearthed this giant gold nugget. It is 75 Troy ounces (2.33 kilograms) of pure gold! Needless to say the exact location of the find was kept secret by the prospector because there are probably more waiting to be found.
This nugget sold for over $400,000 US at auction. Not surprising since it is the largest nugget found in California in recent history. Personally if I had found it I would have kept it, and never told anyone... That way I could look for any sister nuggets without competition! Just have a look at this beautiful monster:
Finding a gorgeous nugget like that is most likely a once in a lifetime event. I've never found a nugget that was even one Troy ounce. But I have found many much smaller nuggets over the years. I also have recovered lots of fine gold and gold dust as well.
A great example is this nice little nugget I found in Ventura County, California while panning for gold. It weighs just about 3 grams and is a real beauty! Nothing compared to the Butte Nugget, but still really exciting find.
I usually hang onto my nugget finds like this that are noteworthy, at least for me. It builds wealth for my son and my family in the future when I'm long gone. But I like to think that my efforts will benefit them in the years to come.
Most of the time while panning gold I would be thrilled to find something like the pan below:
That is a lot of gold to find in one pan, but every now and again you get lucky! Most of the time you will find exactly zero gold, as any one who has panned before can tell you. I have had trips to my favorite spots and walked away nearly empty handed, and others with a nugget like I shared above. It really is a great hobby, but do not expect to get rich (although it has happened.)
In case you're wondering what the black stuff is in the picture above, it's black sand or magnetite. It's composed of mainly iron and can be found most anywhere, and since it's relatively heavy it can be found in most pans when searching for gold. The rule of thumb is that gold always comes with black sand, but black sand does not guarantee there is any gold.
There is gold literally everywhere in the world just lying on the ground, underneath it, or under water. If you want to find some for yourself try to hook up with a local prospecting group. They can help you get started and likely let you tag along to some promising areas. It's a great hobby, and I know several prospectors who have literally millions in gold they have found over the years. The first step is to research very carefully, and the second is to get very lucky!
If you have any questions, suggestions, or comments feel free to leave them below. Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate all of your support!
And since I am posting in the #freecompliments community I just wanted to remind everyone to take some time today to be kind. A little kindness can make a huge difference in someone's life. Please check out the community and consider joining us!
And my disclaimer:
Gold prospecting is a very fun hobby, but it can be expensive. It's very possible that if you invest too much into equipment it may take a long to to get a return on your investment, and some people never do. Also please remember that not all detectors and dredges are the same, always research carefully before buying them. And please stay away from dangerous areas, no treasure is worth dying for!
All photos are mine unless otherwise noted.
References:
https://www.goldrushnuggets.com/buttenugget.html
Re-blog lottery
Now for the winner of the re-blog lottery! Today we had 37 people who re-blogged my post, thank you so much! The people who re-blogged were:
Voluntary daily reminder list for those who request to be on it: 
If you want to be added to the list as well just feel free to ask!
Thank you everyone! I have been working to improve my engagement and all of you have really helped out! If you have any recommendations or suggestions please feel free to let me know. I'm always looking to improve my posts.
Good luck to everyone!
And the Wheel of Names results:
Winner #1:
Winner #2:
Congratulations 
Congratulations 
Now for today's re-blog lottery! You just need to re-blog my post you will be placed on the Wheel of Names for a spin to possibly win up to 5 HSBI units! New twist, one winner on the first spin wins 3 HSBI, and a second spin for a chance for 2 HSBI, so two possible winners or one really lucky one could win both spins! An upvote is not required but is always greatly appreciated. Bots aren't allowed to win the prizes. Contest ends at 14:00 (2 PM) California Pacific time tomorrow. If I somehow missed your re-blog please let me know and I'll add you to the next draw.
What are HSBI units? They are units that you can purchase to sponsor someone and you in turn receive a unit as well. This way we both benefit! They give you occasional upvotes on your posts for a lifetime, and the more you accumulate the more often you receive upvotes and the bigger they can be. You can read some more here:
If you have more questions feel free to ask.
If you are interested in precious metals or even want to learn more about them feel free to come join us #silvergoldstackers
This is a new group focusing on on boarding and retaining new Hive members. Feel free to ask how you can help out!