The gold pan is the basic miner's tool. They are used for prospecting and testing of deposits for heavy minerals. The final cleanup of most sluicing and dredging operations is done with a gold pan. For some, gold panning is a mining method in itself. To find gold, a beginner needs nothing more than a gold pan and some basic tools. While many associate steel pans with gold mining, steel pans today are mostly sold to the arts and crafts market and as souvenirs. Plastic pans are molded with riffles