A Gold detector is just a metal detector designed specifically to get gold and gold nuggets. These specialty metal detectors are made to find gold in a number of different forms, these forms of gold can include:

• Lode or hard rock deposits in a vein and often combined with other materials.
• Placer deposits, either in a stream or in dry sand and gravel.
• Nuggets of pure gold, which is often found on their own or in veins of placer deposit.

This gold finding ability is what sets these detectors apart from a broad purpose instrument. Deciding on the best machine will enable you to attain the very best success in your gold prospecting adventures.

Arming yourself with the proper instrument could save you a lot of grief in the field and keep you from spending a lot of money on the wrong metal detector. As a minimum an excellent gold detector needs to have the following features:

1. Deep seeking All Metal mode.The deep seeking all metal mode offers precise (and usually adjustable) ground balance. Most contemporary metal detectors which can be build for general purpose use feature automatic ground balancing. This really is fine for newbies and the weekend hobbyist, but most hard core gold prospectors prefer the capability to adjust the bottom balance themselves. This will enable more accurate prospecting although proper ground balancing is really a skill that will take time to master.

2. Iron discrimination.Iron discrimination is another key feature you need in a this type of detector. In the iron discrimination mode, your gold detector can identify hot rocks and small trash items like iron nails and other ferrous trash when you waste your time in digging them up. You would desire to make use of this mode in extremely trashy areas to check on a target for the iron content.

3. The capacity to vary mineralization settings. This feature can also be unique to an excellent gold detector. The capacity to vary mineralization allows an individual to alter the mineralization settings on the machine to agree with the current ground conditions. This permits gold hunters to use effectively in soil with high mineralization content and containing numerous hot rocks.

Remember, if you should be considering a detector which will primarily be properly used to prospect for gold, it's highly recommended that you consider one that is made designed for finding gold.

All major manufacturers offer one or more metal detector designed designed for gold detecting, and probably the most expensive machine is certainly not the best choice when looking for a good gold finder.