20.05.2026 13:50
"Placer mining enthusiasts search for gold in riverbeds using traditional panning methods. Those seeking gold with simple equipment sometimes make do with small gains after days of labor, while others return home empty-handed. Ahmet Gür, who searches for gold in the stream bed of Germencik district in Aydın, said, 'Sometimes we can find 3-5 grams of gold a day.'"
Among the most common methods for gold panning in riverbeds are the pan and sluice box systems. In the panning method, sand from the riverbed is taken into a pan and sifted with water, allowing light materials to wash away while gold settles at the bottom.
The sluice box method, on the other hand, uses water flow to accumulate gold at specific points, and in some cases, sand and soil are sifted using small water motor-powered setups to separate gold.
This method, referred to as "placer mining" and permissible with permission from official institutions, is seen by some as a hobby and by others as an additional source of income.
"WE CAN FIND 5 GRAMS OF GOLD PER DAY"
Placer mining enthusiasts living in Aydın, Manisa, Denizli, and Uşak, who communicate via social media, came together in a riverbed in the Germencik district of Aydın to search for gold.
Ahmet Gür, a member of the group living in the Kuyucak district of Aydın, said they formed a group called "Aegean Gold Hunter" on social media.
Gür, who stated he started gold prospecting as a hobby 5 years ago, expressed that he spends weekends with his wife in riverbeds.
Noting that spending time in nature is beneficial even when they don't find gold, Gür said, "Sometimes we can find 3-5 grams of gold per day, but there are also times when we find 1 gram in 5 days."
Emphasizing that they work without harming the natural structure, Gür said, "In previous years there was a drought, it wasn't much. This year the streams have replenished themselves. Even if gold runs out, gold comes as water flows."
Gür explained that the gold they find is 19-23 karats, stating that after melting and testing the purity of the collected gold, they sell it to jewelers.
Birol Kayalıoğlu, who came from the Alaşehir district of Manisa, said he has been prospecting for gold for about 2 years.
"You start gold prospecting as a hobby, but after seeing gold, it ceases to be a hobby," Kayalıoğlu said, speaking as follows:
"Rather than spending time at the coffeehouse, I take my family and come to the stream to spend time. Today, since morning, I have found about half a gram of gold. I both make good use of my day and earn money. Sometimes we find 0.30-0.50 grams daily, sometimes 1-1.5 grams of gold. We work with shovels and picks like in construction work. It's not easy, but the fatigue disappears when I hold 1 gram of gold in my hand."
"FINDING GREAT WEALTH IS NOT POSSIBLE"
Prof. Dr. Ahmet Hamdi Deliormanlı, Head of the Mining Engineering Department at Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Engineering, said that placer mining is a method known for many years.
Deliormanlı noted that the production technique, based on separating gold concentrated in riverbeds from the deposits in streams using classical screening methods, has been applied for centuries, and stated that these areas are not primary deposits.
Deliormanlı said, "Gold transported from main deposits accumulates as a result of sedimentation, especially in areas where streams lose their fluid environment. In some regions of Turkey, such production can be carried out by enthusiasts or for hobby purposes. It is not possible to find large gold productions or an economic gain that would bring great wealth or assets."
Deliormanlı added that gold collected from placer mining can range between 18-23 karats, and after determining its purity, this gold can be sold as scrap gold.