Striking the rock can be very loud, so it might damage your hearing. If you’re using a machine, it’ll be especially loud.

Don’t try to crush too many rocks at one time. If you layer the rocks, it’ll be too difficult to crush them.

If you have access to a power hammer, use it to break up your rock faster and easier. You can also drop a heavy object, like a weight, onto the rocks. However, this might be less efficient. Historically, gold prospectors used sledgehammers to break up rock.

Historic gold miners used a mortar and pestle to grind up rocks. With persistence, you can turn the rocks into powder.

You can find a mining pan online.

Some of the powder will start to float away, which is totally okay!

Gold is heavier than other minerals, so it will settle at the bottom of the mining pan.

If you have an industrial jumpsuit, wear it to provide you more protection.

You don’t need to grind your pebbles into a powder when you’re using mercury sulfide (HgS) to extract the gold.

You may be able to harvest your own cinnabar if you live in Spain, Egypt, the United States, New Zealand, the Philippines, Slovenia, Italy, Serbia, Peru, and China. Do an online search to find a mining site in your area. Typically, it’s present in rock formations around hot springs. If it’s legal for you to harvest your own cinnabar, use a pickax to chisel off a piece of it. [14] X Research source Don’t try to extract mercury from an old thermometer. This is very dangerous!

The mercury and gold will react with each other and form a liquid amalgam. [16] X Research source

The pieces left in the metal container will contain a mixture of rock pieces and sulfur.

The leather will work similarly to a cake decorating tube. You’ll squeeze the unreacted mercury out of the bottom of the fabric.

The silver mercury beads will be dangerous to your health. DO NOT touch them.

If you need to pick up mercury, use an eyedropper. Don’t touch it!

Don’t use the pan for food after you use it to extract gold.

Any potato can work, but a large variety like a russet works best.