Gold Panning Equipment and Fine Gold Recovery Gear
Fine gold is easy to lose and hard to catch. This page is the gold panning equipment and recovery gear that catches it: gold pans and classifiers from XP and Minelab, Gold Cube fine gold concentrators and their attachments, and picks and bottles. History Seekers is an authorized dealer for Gold Cube, Minelab, and XP; call 256-284-2247 for which piece to buy first.
Which gold panning equipment do I need?
Starting out: one pan and one classifier. The XP Gold Pan Starter Kit packs a pan and classifier, the Minelab Pro-Gold 15 in (38 cm) dual-riffle pan is the pan prospectors keep, and the Minelab Pro-Gold Pans and Accessories Kit and XP Gold Pan Premium Kit are the complete starter boxes.
Working concentrates and catching fine gold: the Gold Cube 3 Stack and 4 Stack Deluxe are the fine gold concentrators. The Gold Banker is the stainless feed hopper for the Cube, the Nugget Zone traps coarse gold before the stack, and the Ultimate Banker Setup Kit is all three in one box. Every Gold Cube part is on the Gold Cube fitment page.
Classifying faster: the Gold Cube Trommel takes a shovel load at a time, the Golden Rule Pro Pack and Clean Up Pack stack over a bucket, and the XP #5 and #10 classifiers size material at the creek.
Finishing and digging: the XP 11 in (27 cm) finishing pan, the Banjo Pan continuous-flow pan for cleanup, Minelab specimen bottles, and The Pick or the Sidewinder.
Guides
The Gold Panning Equipment Guide walks the recovery chain and what to buy first. For nugget detecting, see gold detectors and the metal detectors for gold guide. The story is more important than the artifact.
Frequently asked questions
What gold panning equipment do I need to start?
A riffled gold pan, a classifier to screen out rock before you pan, a snuffer bottle or specimen bottle for the gold, and something to dig with. The XP Gold Pan Starter Kit and the Minelab Pro-Gold Pans and Accessories Kit each cover that list in one box. A fine gold concentrator such as the Gold Cube comes later, when you have more concentrates than you can pan by hand.
What is a Gold Cube and who needs one?
The Gold Cube is a stacked fine gold concentrator: three or four vortex-matted trays that a small pump feeds with water, built to recover the fine gold a pan loses. It is for prospectors who bring home buckets of classified material or concentrates, and it is sold as a 3 Stack, a 4 Stack, and in kits with the Gold Banker and Nugget Zone.
What does the Gold Banker do?
The Gold Banker is the stainless steel feed hopper that sits on top of a Gold Cube. It takes unclassified material, screens it, and meters it into the stack, and with the Nugget Zone attachment it traps coarse gold and nuggets before they reach the trays. The Ultimate Banker Setup Kit bundles the 4 Stack, the Gold Banker, and the Nugget Zone.
What is the best gold pan for a beginner?
A 15 in (38 cm) riffled pan: the Minelab Pro-Gold 15 in (38 cm) dual-riffle pan or the XP 15 in (37 cm) snake skin pan. Both are large enough to work a full scoop of classified gravel and shallow enough to learn the swirl on. Add an 11 in (27 cm) finishing pan later for cleaning concentrates.
How do I pan for gold?
Classify the gravel first, submerge the pan, shake it side to side to settle the heavy gold to the bottom, then tilt and wash the light material off the front riffles a little at a time until only black sand and gold remain. The Gold Panning Equipment Guide walks the full recovery chain step by step.
Do I need a classifier?
Yes. Screening out rock before you pan or run a concentrator speeds everything up and stops large stones from washing fine gold out of the pan. Start with one coarse screen; the Golden Rule packs and the XP #5 and #10 classifiers add finer sizes for cleanup.
