Gold rockers are typically made of wood and are about the size of a small table. They have a metal screen at the bottom that allows water and small particles to pass through, while the heavier gold particles are caught on the screen.
To use a gold rocker, the miner places a shovelful of pay dirt into the rocker and then adds water. The miner then rocks the rocker back and forth, which causes the water and dirt to pass through the screen and the gold particles to be caught.
The miner periodically stops rocking the rocker and removes any large rocks or other debris that may be caught on the screen. Once all the dirt has been washed away, the miner is left with a concentrate that contains the gold particles.
The miner then uses a gold pan to separate the gold from the concentrate. The gold pan is a shallow pan that is used to pan for gold. The miner places the concentrate in the gold pan and then fills the pan with water. The miner then gently shakes the pan from side to side, which causes the heavier gold particles to settle to the bottom of the pan.
Once the gold has settled to the bottom of the pan, the miner carefully pours off the water and any remaining waste material. The miner is then left with a small amount of gold that can be further refined.