gold prospecting classifier/sifter

Classifiers & Sifters

Sifting gold bearing material is referred to as "Classification". Classification is an essential step in the most efficient recovery of gold. It is very important to try to filter out any unnecessary material prior to using your gold processing equipment of choice to recover gold.  Using a classifier, paydirt is sorted using specific gravity. Gold weighs a lot more than the granite and other stones that often fill your bucket. By classifying material into an equivalent size, you will maximize the effectiveness of the equipment used to process the material. 

Gold classifiers come in many different sizes or “mesh”. These meshes are usually measured in fractions of an inch. Meshes smaller than one eighth of an inch are often referred to differently. For example, mesh that blocks material larger than one twentieth of an inch is referred to as “twenty mesh”, mesh that blocks material larger than one fiftieth of an inch is called 50 mesh, etc. High Plains Prospectors stocks gold classifiers in sizes from one half inch to 100 mesh. You can nest several classifiers together and get through material more quickly than classifying down one step at a time. 

Classifiers for gold prospecting and gem hunting come in several shapes and sizes to help classify paydirt into a size that is easier to process. Our most popular classifiers are 14” across and fit on top of a five-gallon bucket. This allows one person to shovel paydirt onto the classifier and the other person to shake it down to size. The classifier allows the smaller paydirt to fall into the bucket for further processing while blocking the larger material that could clog fine gold recovery tools. When using a classifier, be sure to always check the material before discarding so you don’t throw out any monster nuggets or huge gems!  Two people can fill several five-gallon buckets with classified paydirt in a brief period of time which means you can move more dirt and find more gold or gems. 

It's good to know the size of the gold in your area when you’re trying to decide on the right size classifier for the material you’re going to process. If there are nuggets up to a half inch in diameter in the area, you’d want to start with a half inch classifier. Be sure to look through the material left behind before discarding it or you may throw away a fortune. If most of the gold recovered in the area is known to be small flakes or flour gold, you’ll want to classify the material down a lot finer before sending it through your plant. Be sure to test-pan your material to see what size gold you’re generally working with. Classifying is also a great way to catch and discard tiny roots you may dig up which would otherwise clog up your plant. Classifying your paydirt down to the smallest size possible will help gold recovery be more efficient. If you’re sending big material through the sluice, highbanker, or Gold Box but you need to catch fines, the larger material can clog up your plant and stop you from catching gold. 

Gold that is larger than an eighth of an inch would be considered a “picker” because you can pick it out of the box with a pair of tweezers. When operating a small plant, like a highbanker, it’s good to classify material down to one eight inch and run that material. 

Regardless of what you use to run your paydirt, whether you use a highbanker, trommel, spiral wheel or a ground sluice, an important step is to classify the material. Classifying down your material makes it easier for your plant to catch the gold you’re hunting.

 

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13" Mesh Plastic Screen Green Stackable Classifier/Sifting Pan - Made in USA
8% off
13 inch plastic gold classifier sifter

13" Mesh Plastic Screen Green Stackable Classifier/Sifting Pan - Made in USA

Sale price
$11.95
Regular price
$12.95
13-1/4"/1/4" Mesh Plastic Screen Green Stackable Classifier/Sifting Pan
24% off
13-1/4"/1/4" Mesh Plastic Screen Green Stackable Classifier/Sifting Pan
2

13-1/4"/1/4" Mesh Plastic Screen Green Stackable Classifier/Sifting Pan

Sale price
$9.95
Regular price
$12.95
Classifiers - 9 Mesh Size Options
20% off
Sifting Pan / Classifier - 9 Mesh Size Options - 13 1/4" Diameter
38

Classifiers - 9 Mesh Size Options

Sale price
$20
Regular price
$24.95
5-Piece Sifting Pan set - Size 11" Diameter Bottom, Top Diamater 13 1/4"
11% off
5-Piece Sifting Pan set - Size 11" Diameter Bottom, Top Diamater 13 1/4"
16

5-Piece Sifting Pan set - Size 11" Diameter Bottom, Top Diamater 13 1/4"

Sale price
$89.95
Regular price
$99.95
9-Piece Sifting Pan set - Size 11" Diameter Bottom, Top Diamater 13 1/4"
22% off
9-Piece Sifting Pan set - Size 11" Diameter Bottom, Top Diamater 13 1/4"
9

9-Piece Sifting Pan set - Size 11" Diameter Bottom, Top Diamater 13 1/4"

Sale price
$149
Regular price
$189
13-1/4" Extra Deep Green Plastic Screen Stackable Sifting Pan With Handles - 3 Mesh Sizes Available
19% off
large stackable gardening sifter
6

13-1/4" Extra Deep Green Plastic Screen Stackable Sifting Pan With Handles - 3 Mesh Sizes Available

Sale price
$12.95
Regular price
$15.95
Garrett 14" Sifter/Classifier
16% off
garrett 14" gold prospecting classifier
45

Garrett 14" Sifter/Classifier

Sale price
$7.69
Regular price
$9.05
XP Gold Classifier #5mm - 15" (37cm)
16% off
XP Gold Classifier #5mm - 15" (37cm)
1

XP Gold Classifier #5mm - 15" (37cm)

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$14.90
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$17.53
XP Gold Classifier #10mm - 15" (37cm)
16% off
XP Gold Classifier #10mm - 15" (37cm)

XP Gold Classifier #10mm - 15" (37cm)

Sale price
$14.90
Regular price
$17.53
Minelab PRO-GOLD Hex-Mesh Classifier Sifter
23% off
Minelab PRO-GOLD Hex-Mesh Classifier Sifter
19

Minelab PRO-GOLD Hex-Mesh Classifier Sifter

Sale price
$14
Regular price
$18
Bucket Wobbler for Classifying and Sifting
21% off
Bucket wobbler for 5 gallon bucket
2

Bucket Wobbler for Classifying and Sifting

Sale price
$15.95
Regular price
$19.95
Camel Nesting Classifier Individual Classifiers - Choice of Mesh Size
Camel Nesting Classifier Individual Classifiers
5

Camel Nesting Classifier Individual Classifiers - Choice of Mesh Size

Price
$12
Camel Nesting Classifier Set
-22% off
Camel Nesting Classifier Set Classifiers Camel Mining Products
28

Camel Nesting Classifier Set

Price
$55
6-Inch Green Mini Stackable Sifting Pan - 7 Mesh Size Options
12% off
6-Inch Green Mini Stackable Sifting Pan - 7 Mesh Size Options
14

6-Inch Green Mini Stackable Sifting Pan - 7 Mesh Size Options

Sale price
$8.41
Regular price
$9.49
Set of 8 - 5-5/8" Screens 1/4"-1/10"-1/20"-1/30"-1/40"-1/50"-1/60"1/100" Gold Pan
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Set of 8 - 5-5/8" Screens 1/4"-1/10"-1/20"-1/30"-1/40"-1/50"-1/60"1/100" Gold Pan

Set of 8 - 5-5/8" Screens 1/4"-1/10"-1/20"-1/30"-1/40"-1/50"-1/60"1/100" Gold Pan

Price
$50
8 1/2" Stainless Steel Classifier/Sifter with 4 Interchangeable Sieves
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8 1/2" Stainless Steel Classifier/Sifter with 4 Interchangeable Sieves
1

8 1/2" Stainless Steel Classifier/Sifter with 4 Interchangeable Sieves

Sale price
$12.95
Regular price
$14.95
8 In Stainless Bowl Style Classifier
14% off
8 In Stainless Bowl Style Classifier

8 In Stainless Bowl Style Classifier

Sale price
$12.95
Regular price
$14.95
4 Pc Set- 8.5" Plastic Sand Sifting Pans in Mesh Bag,36 Holes Per Inch, (Red, Yellow, Blue & Green)
14% off
4 Pc Set- 8.5" Plastic Sand Sifting Pans in Mesh Bag,36 Holes Per Inch, (Red, Yellow, Blue & Green

4 Pc Set- 8.5" Plastic Sand Sifting Pans in Mesh Bag,36 Holes Per Inch, (Red, Yellow, Blue & Green)

Sale price
$13.85
Regular price
$15.99