May 18, 2026
Gold is a safe haven for investors amid economic uncertainty, when inflation is running rampant, or geopolitical tensions are high.
So it's no wonder more Americans are turning to gold, especially as prices for gold nuggets, bullions, and coins rise in the global market. Even central banks worldwide (1) are getting in on the trend to diversify away from the U.S. dollar and protect against inflation.
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Some people, however, are going the extra mile and prospecting for gold themselves, rather than buying an exchange traded fund (2) or selling old jewelry for cash (3). Though, they're certainly doing that, too.
Real-life gold diggers are spending their free time hiking or diving into rivers and creeks to look for a gram and, if they're lucky, a nugget of gold that can turn into a nice payday.
They're even making money teaching others how to do it.
Content creators on YouTube show newcomers how to dig and where to dig, and have garnered hundreds of thousands of followers doing so. One YouTuber (4), Dan Hurd, has amassed nearly 1.5 million followers.
Gold prospecting is harder than it looks
With gold prices at about, it's a bit of an open secret how lucrative digging for gold can be. But most days, gold prospectors will come up empty. It's also labor intensive and requires patience.
"It's not like you're going to find a $10,000 nugget," Kevin Singel, a gold prospector in Colorado, told USA Today in a recent interview. (5) "It's the equivalent to picking up dimes off the sidewalk ‒ eventually you get enough to pay for lunch."
A hard day of shoveling can earn Singel $30 at a nearby ski resort, he told the publication. Still, he has collected tens of thousands of dollars worth of gold over the years. He has sold some to tourists, and with the price of gold so high, his guidebooks have also been selling well.
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Another gold prospector in California told The Wall Street Journal (6) that he recently took up the hobby after gold prices rose last year. One day he found a little gold nugget about the size of half a pinky fingernail that was worth $175. Not life changing money, "But then again, it was just sitting out there to be taken," he said.
There's an argument that selling gear, tours, and written guides for gold prospecting can pay off more quickly than actually doing it yourself. It's certainly easier on your body. But it's a hobby many people enjoy and post on social media about.
As another digger told the WSJ, finding the first bit of gold in nature keeps people coming back.
"It's like a heroin addiction," he said.
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Why is the price of gold so high?
The price of gold (7) has risen dramatically since the turn of the century, but especially in the last few years — amid geopolitical tension and economic uncertainty. While the stock market has been hitting record highs, everyday Americans are feeling the pinch of the higher cost of living.
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The war with Iran drove inflation up 3.8% in April. A difficult job market and high-tariff environment have also made paying for everyday expenses more difficult.
Earlier this year, higher gold prices were attributed to other factors, such as fears over the Federal Reserve's independence and the political uncertainty following the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro by the U.S. At the time, President Donald Trump was also ruffling the feathers of European allies by threatening to take control of Greenland from Denmark.
"Real assets come to the fore in the kind of environment we're looking at," Ross Norman, an independent precious metals analyst told Reuters (8) earlier this year.
Now, gold stands at about $4,500, as of May 15, a 44% increase over the last year. (9) At one point in 2026, gold prices were over $5,000 per ounce. Despite prices dropping a bit, gold reaching $6,000 in the not too distant future isn't too farfetched, according to JP Morgan (10).
"While this rally in gold has not, and will not, be linear, we believe the trends driving this rebasing higher in gold prices are not exhausted," said Natasha Kaneva, Head of Global Commodities Strategy at JP Morgan. "The long-term trend of official reserve and investor diversification into gold has further to run."
Article Sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our ethics and guidelines.
Yahoo Finance (1); Morningstar (2); Click2Houston (3); YouTube (4); USA Today (5); The Wall Street Journal (6); Gold Price (7); Reuters (8); Fortune (9); JP Morgan (10)
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Danni Santana is a journalist based out of New York City with a decade of experience reporting and editing business stories about retail, restaurants, sports, and personal finance.
