Gold classifier sreen size for micro jewelry on beach

Going to give micro jewelry hunting a try. I figure a sift will save me a lot of hassle trying to pinpoint tiny targets.
I am thinking of using a gold panning classifier as a sift, what size of holes will allow beach sand through but still catch earring backs, etc?
Thanks,
Drew.

earring backs? geez, youre going to need something like 10 mesh. Your will either need fully dried sand or doing it underwater. Youll never get damp sand to screen out. Its even hard to do with 1/4" mesh

A Frisbee (Tom D idea) and a TRX Pinpointer would do the trick for me in the sand. When I am in the sand (not too often) its beep it with the detector, pinpoint with the TRX, get it in my hand and then isolate it with the TRX I couldn't do it without the TRX. Best try your pinpointer out on a real tiny gold target first too as not all of them hit the tiny gold very well and some of them don't hit on it at all.

Good luck. Most of the small stuff will be easy to detect since its not gold. Its finding the real deal that is going to be the challenge.

HH
Mike

Thanks for the answers,
I was intending to only use this technique in dry beach sand in summer.
Mike I do have a TRX pin-pointer so I can give the Frisbee method a go as well.
Cheers,
Drew.

I bought a sift from toy store. It comes in the beach toys you get in a bag for the kids to build stuff with. 10 dollars or so butt it works the best. Still for the very small stuff a PP is going to help.

Drew...…. I strongly recommend watching the 'micro jewelry hunting' section of my beach hunting DVD...….as...…. all of your questions are answered...…. in visual/video fashion. If you don't have a copy of the DVD...….see if you can save the money and borrow one from your local detecting club.

You'll hate micro jewelry hunting...… if not "prepared".

Thanks Tom,
I do have both of your DVD's and the beach one is in my player right now.
Started watching it last night, just past the sink rate part where you were in the "quicksand" doing the gold ring on a string demo.
Cheers,
Drew.

Ok..... good to know. Remember...…… that specific/exact type of sifter is critical to micro jewelry hunting ……. or you'll hate this type of hunting. Try to stay in the confines of a sand-pit volleyball court..... because..... if you hunt the general areas of a beach...… even the towel/blanket line...… your ratios (of trash-to-good-target) are much worse.

Thanks again Tom. I will certainly take your advice.
On another note, when you do a tuning on a CZ do you keep a record of the owner and/or the machines serial #?
I might be in the market for another CZ and it would be good to have a "tuned unit" verified as such.
Cheers,
Drew.

When you say micro jewelry.... are you calling small gold in the .3 and .5 gram range micro? If so like Tom said you are going to have to work small areas....it really takes patience not to be a helter skelter Hunter on a big beach. Not a lot of real micro hunting machines for the wet sand.....but we have hope with the Fisher.

If the sand has any kind of dampness what so ever,... any sifter is a no go situation.
As detectorists we like to know what we dig,... however micro jewelry hunting is a different ballgame all together.
You are digging minute pieces of foil and very small pieces of non ferrous.

Set your detector, narrow the target down into a spoonfull of sand, dump into the finds bag.
Buy a Fisher gold pan.
Pan the sand at home or at the beach and watch the targets appear. Fastest sifter I’ve used.

Oh when you’re panning the sand and targets at the beach,... people will generally make funny remarks about there being enough of it :-)

HH
Johnb

Thanks John,
Never occurred to me to pan the beach!
Old tech at its best.
Cheers,
Drew.

Drew...… yes. I keep records going back several years. I have modified and improved my record-keeping....as years progress.

silverfiend Wrote:
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> earring backs? geez, youre going to need something
> like 10 mesh. Your will either need fully dried s
> and or doing it underwater. Youll never get damp
> sand to screen out. Its even hard to do with 1/4"
> mesh

I agree with silverfiend : Any sifter that is fine-enough to trap micro-jewelry (earring studs, earring backs, teensy charms, etc...) will simply get bogged down with the sand (all the pebbles, larger sand grains, wet-sand clumps, twigs, etc...). Just have to use a pinpointer and rake with your fingers till you isolate it.

Thanks All,
it sounds like micro jewelry is very much like nugget hunting in many ways. I will try these techniques and dig out my gold pan.

Thanks Tom,
good to know I can confirm a validated CZ unit.
Cheers all.
Drew.