Question about Metal Detector

[gunDriller]

I have some test grains of gold. They are literally about the size of a grain of table salt.

I would like to be able to detect similar size pieces gold in the countryside, in concentrations of 10 grams per ton - not very much at all.

If a metal detector can do this at all, it will need to be very sensitive.

Can a metal detector detect pieces of gold that small, if it's close to them, for example 1/2 inch ?

I have about 8 teeny chunks of gold. I was thinking that if you get enough metal concentrated in one place, you can detect it.

I'm just wondering what the limits of the metal detectors are.

I don't know exactly how they work, but I have the impression that industrial-strength metal detectors sort of measure conductivity. So I would think that how wet the ground is would matter. In this case, I want to be able to do the test with the gold dust mixed in some very very dry ground.

I'm going to call a metal detector shop & ask them. But I thought I would ask the brain trust here too ;)


http://www.accuratelocators.com/pulseinduction_graphics/newblanket.gif

Looking it up, there is a blanket antenna for a pulse induction unit.


Also there is the more conventional metal-detector-looking-ish metal detector.

Like this -

http://www.accuratelocators.com/testimonial_graphics/david_rainey/rainey_med.jpg

What I have learned so far is that the 'normal' looking one, Very High Frequency, operate from 50 to 70 KHz and cost $800 to $900 new.


Then the pulse induction ones, like the one with the blanket, I think they are more expensive.


There's an interesting article, about Gold Meteorites found using a pulse induction unit.

http://www.accuratelocators.com/gold_found_testimonial.html

http://www.accuratelocators.com/testimonial_graphics/rods_gold_blanket1.jpg