Digging for gold with simple tools such as metal detectors and pans is a popular hobby in Australia and the United States. There are also good opportunities to find gold in Norway, and gold nuggets of several grams have been found in streams and in mountain areas.

Gold veterans have a saying: “Gold is where you find it.” This means that if you are searching for gold, you should look in areas that are known to have reported gold occurrences. In Norway, gold mining has taken place in several places: Eidsvold, Bømlo, Bindalen, Svartdal and in different rivers on the Finnmark Plateau.

In 1758, the first gold mine operation in Norway started in Eidsvold after the discovery of visible gold in one of the old mines that Odalen Coppar Mine ran in the first half of the 1700s. Later, gold was found in Bømlo, Telemark and Bindal, Nordland.

Until Biddjovagge Gold and Copper Mine was started in 1985, Norway’s contribution to the world’s gold production mainly was regarded as a byproduct from copper, zinc and lead production. Until disbanding in 1991, the Biddjovagge Mine produced approximately 13.640 pounds of gold from an ore containing an average of 25.3 pounds of copper and 0.14 oz ounces gold per ton of ore.

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This map made by the Norwegian Geological Survey shows where you can find gold in Norway.

Many Norwegians associate gold exploration with panning along rivers and streams on the Finnmark plateau. In 1866, gold was found in the river gravels (so-called alluvial gold) near Karasjok. In the following years – until the Second World War, it was found gold in several rivers.

Gold was mined in many places, especially south of Karasjok. The total production was probably not more than a 100 kg in total, although it was found gold nuggets up to 0.6 ounces. This corresponds to the gold content in four wedding rings.

Buy yourself a metal-detector and a pan, and visit Norway as a real gold miner!

Text by: Thor Lanesskog, ThorNews

Source: www.detektor.no

Categories: Nature