Yes and also can be found in bedrock
Outcrops, gravel bars, tertiary gravels, quartz veins. The main clue i use is to let nature do some of the work for you. Gold collects in creeks and rivers and other low areas and is concentrated there. If no gold is found in nearby rivers and streams, then there isn't much reason to try working up on the hillsides.
Coastal Plain
Gravel, Silt, and Sand
Gold.
Clay, sand, and gravel can be found in various parts of Virginia, particularly in the Coastal Plain region. However, it is worth noting that the distribution of these materials can vary within the province. It is advisable to consult with local geological surveys or agencies for more specific information about the locations where clay, sand, and gravel can be found in Virginia.
A sluice box separates gold from sand and gravel as the gold catches on the ridges in the bottom.
The gold is heavier than the gravel so water is slowly swished until all that is left is the gold.
The phrase "pans out" originates from the world of mining, where a prospector would sift through sediment in a pan to search for valuable minerals like gold. If something "pans out," it means that a situation or outcome has turned out to be successful or favorable, akin to finding gold while sifting through sediment.
A gravel can typically be found between two layers.
Gold is largely found in a pure form, as it does not oxidise or form other compounds (though it may be found as an alloy in some cases) You either pan it out from river sediment, like those found in Yosemite - if found in large quantities the sand and gravel is washed over devices like shaking tables and collected. You can extract very small particles of gold by washing the gold-bearing sand in mercury (in which gold dissolves) and then boiling the mercury away to leave the gold, though this is not recommended at all. Otherwise mineral seams bearing gold are crushed to gravel-sized pieces, and the gold smelted out with a furnace.
in the ground ;)
The gold pan was used as a tool to separate the gold from the other river gravels. Gold is more dense than the gravel and will works its way down through the gravel under the right conditions. The gold pan helps provide these conditions. A miner would fill the pan with gravel and water. He or she would then agitate the material in the pan by shaking it side to side or in a circular motion. This would loosen up the gravel and allow the gold to sink to the bottom of the pan while the litter gravel was washed out of the pan by the moving water.
Placer gold is found in river beds. The gold is heavy and settles and is concentrated in the river gravel. You mine it by digging up this gravel, placing it on a sluice with a rough bottom surface (e.g. a sheep fleece) and washing it down the sluice with river water. The gold gets trapped in the fleece and when this is dried the gold can be shaken out. You can also do the same thing (in smaller quantities) with a wooden or rusty metal miners pan (hence panning for gold).
Only a few metals are found in the free state, generally metals react to form for example oxides, sulfides which then may further react. Some found free are gold silver copper and platinum. All of these are relatively unreactive
Gold silver sand oil gravel
Lumber, Gold , sand, and Gravel
lumber;gold;sandand gravel