Can A Metal Detector Detect Gold?

If you are on the hunt for gold, then you need the right equipment to find the shiny, precious metal. Gold is a naturally occurring metal found with many other minerals in the earth, 

So, before you start digging holes, trying to find it, you need something that can detect where the gold is under the ground. So, can you use a metal detector to detect gold?

A metal detector can detect gold. There are some metal detectors that are specifically designed to find gold but most will find all kinds of different materials. While some metal detectors find gold better than others, all metal detectors can be used in detecting gold. 

The size of the gold will determine how it rings up on the metal detector. A smaller piece will display a lower target ID and a lower sound. A bigger piece will display a higher target ID and a louder sound. 

Most naturally occurring gold is in small pieces. These are referred to as gold nuggets. Now, when you are searching for gold nuggets, you will want to use a specifically designed metals detector. It is said that cheap metal detectors won’t work for finding gold nuggets, so, it is recommended to invest in a nice one. 

Now, these may be expensive but they will be worth it in your quest for gold. The reason why you need a special metal detector is because gold nuggets are usually very small so your metal detector needs to be sensitive to find them. Gold is also found in highly mineralized ground meaning you need a metal detector that won’t be interfered by the high percentages of iron that is commonly found in ground alongside gold. 

But, if you choose the right kind of metal detector then, it can detect gold. To see the most popular metal detectors for finding natural gold or gold jewelry just click here. 

What Kind Of Metal Detector Finds Gold?

Almost all metal detectors can detect gold, however, what kind of gold and how well it detects it depends on the type of metal detector. Browsing metal detectors, you may be overwhelmed with all of your choices. 

Gold metal detectors are made with two different technologies and different features. Even the ones that are great at finding gold can be difficult to choose between. So, what kind of metal detector finds gold the best?

The kind of metal detector that finds gold is one that is designed with the sensitivity to find small gold nuggets. There are many metals detectors that can find gold, so you will need to choose which one is best for your gold hunt.

The first type and most common gold metal detector is a VLF or Very Low Frequency. This uses two very low frequency coils that work together to detect gold. One coil transmits and another receives so that it can pick up targets below the ground. When it comes across metal or gold, it creates small “eddy currents” at the target, reads the magnetic field, and senses the phase shift detecting the difference as a target. 

The detector will then alert you with a target ID and a sound. Because of how it operates, VLF detectors are better at detecting shallow targets than pulse induction detectors are. 

The second type of metal detector is a pulsed induction technology that uses one coil that transmits and receives. It sends about 1000 pulses per second of electricity down into the ground to create a magnetic field and when the pulses hit a metal object or the gold you are looking for, it causes longer response signals than if there wasn’t a target. The detector picks up these signals and alerts you. 

Pulse Induction detectors are better at finding deeper targets. Both of these can detect gold, but you need to take into consideration where you will be searching for the gold, how much trash is in that area, and what type of nuggets or jewelry you hope to find. 

There are many metals detectors available for you to purchase. But, if you are looking for gold, you need a specific metal detector to accomplish this task. Here are some of the recommended metal detectors for finding gold:

• Minelab Gold Monster 1000 – This VLF metal detector is lightweight and good for beginners. It is great at handling salty soil and finding small gold nuggets. It comes with headphones, is fully automatic, and is easy to use and read. However, it is not waterproof and doesn’t have an audio threshold.

• Minelab GPZ 7000 – This metal detector is Zero Voltage Transmission (ZVT), has the ability to detect both large and small gold nuggets at extreme depths with maximum sensitivity. It can handle all ground conditions with its balancing and tracking. It has GPS locating and PC mapping so you can log your finds. However, it is heavy and expensive so this isn’t a good choice for a gold hobbyist.

• Minelab Equinox 800 – This VLF Multi frequency metal detector is easy to use and has pre-set modes to help detect gold nuggets. It is all-purpose and doesn’t just detect gold. Light and portable, it is also waterproof. However, it may take some learning to customize settings.

• Fisher Gold Bug 2 – This VLF metal detector has extreme sensitivity for finding small gold nuggets. It has an iron discovery mode which is great for avoiding iron and other rocks. It is also lightweight with a deep target audio boost. However, it is not waterproof.

• White’s Goldmaster GMT – This metals detector comes with an eternal speaker and headphone jack and is waterproof. It handles any type of terrain with its automatic ground balance. It is waterproof and its advanced features allow it to cancel out minerals making it great for finding gold nuggets. However, it isn’t beginner-friendly.

Other great options for gold metal detectors are:

• XP ORX
• Fisher Gold Bug Pro
• Tesoro Lobo SuperTRAQ
• Garrett AT Gold
• Whites TDI
• Garrett ATX
• Minelab GPX 5000
• Minelab SDC 2300
• Nokta Fors Gold+
• Minelab Xterra 705
• Whites MXT
• MInelab Eureka Gold
• XP DEUS
• Makro Gold Racer

Some other popular gold metal detectors can be found here.

Final Thoughts

A metal detector can detect gold, but it has to be a certain kind of metal detector. Gold metal detectors are specifically designed to find small gold nuggets in the ground. They have a sensitivity to the gold allowing them to work better than just a cheap metal detector. 

Although, you will pay more for a metal detector to find gold nuggets, it is worth it if you are serious about your gold hunting.If you are just looking for lost gold jewelry on the beach, at the park, etc. then cheaper metal detectors should work just fine for this.