At a time when uncertainty reigns supreme and inflation is at its highest, a lot of people are looking for security and safety in the king of safe havens: gold. With the soaring of its market price it is not difficult to think of a return to the race in its search just like in the days of Klondike, but this time directly in the Italian rivers. And just out of curiosity, here is a guide on how to find gold in Italy.
The GOLD RACE is back? Where to find it IN ITALY as in the days of the Klondike
# Gold, a refuge good
In times of market volatility, high inflation, uncertainty and geopolitical risks, investing in the ultimate safe haven asset is considered a winning strategy. This is how gold, seen as a time-honored guarantee of limited quantity, has been trading at its highest levels for over a year. Spot gold, the price at which it is sold at a specific moment in time, reached a high of $2,025 an ounce last Tuesday, March 8, a threshold that is unprecedented only in August 2020 and a huge increase over the $1,800 for which it was trading at the beginning of February.
Given the current trend, experts exclude that gold can begin a long downward path, so it remains the king of safe haven assets, and it is not to exclude the beginning of a real race in its search, reminiscent of the past started in 1896. Today, however, you don’t have to go to Canada, you can search directly in Italy.
# The biggest mine in the world
Even in Italy, in fact, it is possible to find gold in nature. In the ground, in the rivers, on the beaches and even in the streams you can go in search of it anywhere and, given its rising price, it is an opportunity that many are riding on. So precisely where to look for gold?
There are two categories of gold that can be found in the world: primary and secondary, and they are found in mines and streams respectively. Primary gold is found in rock formations, many times along with other precious minerals, and when a large amount is found, these can become a gold mine. Some of the largest are found in South Africa, the United States, Indonesia, Australia and Canada, but gold can also be found in Switzerland and Russia. Currently, the largest gold mine in the world is located in the Witwatersrand Basin in South Africa. It is estimated that 40% of all gold mined in the world came out of this mine.
# “Secondary” gold: nuggets in the rivers, also in Italy
But the gold of interest for Italian research is instead the secondary one. In fact, this type is present in small streams and in the sands of some rivers coming from the erosion and washout that the waters have produced on the rocks they have crossed. The water carries the gold, which is deposited along the bottom of the watercourse covering itself with soil, mud and sand. The gold can then be filtered and collected in nuggets, like during the California Gold Rush.
But is it really possible to collect it? The answer is yes, even today in Italy the search for gold is regulated by law n. 1443 of 1927, which underlines that all the goods of the subsoil are government property. Its research could therefore seem illegal, instead, gold sands and gold hunting are not contemplated in the law. It follows that looking for gold in rivers and streams is legal, obviously keeping in mind the regional regulations issued by the different areas of Italy.
# The equipment to become a professional researcher
Having confirmed its legality, all that remains is to figure out how to gear up for this research. First of all, it is of great help to have some basic knowledge about mining sciences and techniques to better understand where gold can be found. After that it is essential to understand how to deal with different types of soil, hard, compact, clay, stony, so as to be equipped for every eventuality.
Today on the market, even on Amazon, you can find everything you need to assemble a kit for what could become a new sport. The basic equipment requires first of all a common multipurpose shovel, like that of masons and gardeners, this will serve to collect as much material as possible. After digging with the shovel, you will need a pan, plate or batea to place the material, work it in and finally shake it out with a sieve, another essential component to the kit, so that only the material that weighs the most like gold remains.
Another popular tool to simplify the search is the metal detector. In fact, exploiting some principles of electromagnetism, it is able to identify, locating with precision, metal masses buried underground. Also the gutter is a useful device, a sort of ladder made up of a teppettino, a synthetic cloth, a metal grid and metal steps. Thanks to this tool, the material is introduced directly with the shovel without passing through a sieve.
# Lombardy is one of the most popular destinations for research.
Now that how has been clarified, all that’s left is to figure out where. Although gold is mostly found in rocks and soil around us, it is found in such low quantities that it is often not worth trying to extract it. However, even in Italy there are some places where there is enough gold to be able to find it.
In our country gold can be found especially in the northern areas, the most fertile land is Piedmont, but also the Po valley is not to be ignored, because of its richness of rivers and streams that flow from the Alps into the Po river. Lombardy, Veneto and Liguria are among the favorite destinations for researchers, in particular the most popular places for expert hunters are: Ticino, Elvo, Orco and Sesia. Even Valle d’Aosta and Sardinia are not to be underestimated, in the stream Liganus in previous times was reported the presence of gold. Obviously in the torrents are found mostly straws, which reach a measure of a few millimeters. To find gold nuggets, instead, it is necessary to go deeper, where there are auriferous veins.
In addition to Italy, even the nearby Switzerland is considered one of the favorite destinations, it is here where in 2000 a prospector found in Disentis a nugget of 1.4 kg. Today, however, the most popular place for gold miners is Napf, near Bern. In short, gold has always fascinated mankind, which has been coveting it since time immemorial. Surely its research is not a simple undertaking, but as we have seen, not even impossible, and in these times why not try looking for some straws, of course, without sinning of greed keeping in mind how King Midas ended up.
MICHELA PARLATO
(Original article of Sara Ferri)
