As a seasoned gold miner myself, I must say that the achievements of Parker Schnabel truly leave me in awe. His record-breaking finds and relentless pursuit of the precious metal have solidified his place as one of the most successful miners in “Gold Rush” history.
“The appeal of ‘Gold Rush’ on Discovery is evident, as it offers a captivating blend of the dream of striking it rich with gold and the high stakes involved in such discoveries. Add to that the intriguing personalities featured, particularly iconic prospector Tony Beets, and it’s no wonder fans are enthralled. In this diverse cast, though, one individual truly shines in the reality TV series.
Over the years, Parker Schnabel, who is youthful, talented, and thriving, has continued his grandfather’s legacy in mining and gained significant fame and accomplishments on the popular TV series. However, what aspects of his journey stand out the most? Let us delve into some of the remarkable finds made by “Gold Rush” star Parker Schnabel and his team across numerous seasons of the show.
5. The biggest gold nugget he ever found
Although Parker Schnabel’s most significant discovery hasn’t been this one, finding large gold nuggets plays a crucial role in the legend of prospectors. Therefore, it would be a shame not to highlight this find, which Parker himself acknowledges as the largest gold nugget he has ever found.
Despite appearances, the nugget wasn’t exceptionally large. You see, Schnabel often works in regions where gold is finely granulated, and finding large nuggets is uncommon. In 2017, he mentioned that the largest nugget he found weighed approximately a quarter-ounce, which equates to around $500 based on the gold prices that year. Although that’s not insignificant, it pales in comparison to the single largest gold nugget ever discovered, the 158-pound “Welcome Stranger”. Given this, it seems unlikely that Schnabel will be adding any of his finds to the Guinness Book of Records anytime soon.
4. Mammoth tusks
It’s easy to expect that a gold prospector only focuses on finding gold. As Parker Schnabel has discovered, though, digging through a ton of soil in secluded natural areas can sometimes yield surprising results. In an interview with The Malestrom, the gold miner revealed that he’s made some very interesting and quite literally huge finds over the course of his years as a prospector. “We’ve found some mammoth tusks, which was really cool,” he said. “They’re preserved because they’re ivory and they were buried in the permafrost so the weather doesn’t really get to them. Some of those came out in beautiful shape.”
On the TV show “Gold Rush”, Schnabel often discovered mammoth tusks, which he found quite unusual. However, these findings are usually not sold by him. Instead, he tends to keep them because he finds them fascinating. As he put it, “I generally just keep them. They can be sold, but you need a few permits to export them out of the territory. Still, I think they’re so cool that I wanted to hold onto them.
To gauge the value of these specific findings, it’s important to note that well-preserved mammoth tusk specimens can sell for tens of thousands of dollars on fossil auction platforms, and even damaged ones can fetch thousands. Therefore, Schnabel’s decision to keep them rather than selling suggests a high level of prosperity in his gold mining ventures and the substantial wealth that a successful gold miner can accumulate.
3. The record-breaking Season 11 month
Sometimes, it’s nice to have a crew that knows what it’s doing even when you’re away. Parker Schnabel finds this out personally in “Gold Rush” Season 11, Episode 10, when he returns to the dig site after a month’s absence to find out that Team Parker has been busy breaking records. In just four weeks, his crew unearths a record-breaking month’s haul of 2,293 gold ounces — which translates to $4.3 million worth of the shiny stuff.
While Schnabel is currently absent from the site, some may question whether this absence affects his claim on the discovery. However, it’s important to remember that “Gold Rush” emphasizes that finding gold is a collaborative effort. Given that Schnabel has established and trusts his team, allowing them to continue working on his land while he attends to other matters, this significant month of record-breaking finds can be considered his. The enthusiasm displayed by his crew members as they share their discoveries with him suggests they too believe this to be the case.
Clearly, Schnabel recognizes the ironic situation where his team discovers large quantities of gold when he’s absent, and he humorously suggests leaving more frequently if this regularity yields such outstanding outcomes.
2. The Season 9 haul
At the culmination of each season, the wealth amassed by a participant on the show “Gold Rush” is typically evaluated based on the gold they’ve mined. Notably, this is an area where Parker Schnabel has demonstrated exceptional skill.
In Season 9 of “Gold Rush,” which aired from autumn 2018 to spring 2019, one particular year proved much more profitable for Parker Schnabel than the other. At just 27 years old, Schnabel’s ninth season on “Gold Rush” got off to a rocky start. However, his team managed to recover from their initial struggles, eventually surpassing the show’s earnings record when they compiled their discoveries at the end of the season.
Following the calming of the chaos, Schnabel’s group discovered they had unearthed approximately 7,427.25 ounces of gold, valued at approximately $8.5 million. This impressive find was not only the largest yield for that particular season but also set a record as the most valuable discovery in the series up until that moment. Nonetheless, this remarkable find doesn’t make it to the top of the list.
1. The Dominion Creek money pit
For “Gold Rush” Season 14, Parker Schnabel made a massive investment on a new land area called Dominion Creek. This cost him around $15 million, which is a huge sum even for a successful gold miner like him. However, as he explained in an interview with People, he ultimately deemed it necessary to go big because of the sheer size of his team. “We’re not a lean and mean little nimble crew or anything like that,” Schnabel said. “We need a lot of ground, and we need a lot of ounces out of the ground to stay afloat, because we’re a big operation. And my number one concern was, we built this really good crew and I didn’t want to have to break that up. That was my biggest fear.”
Spectators might have been biting their nails in anticipation to see if Schnabel and his team could unearth enough gold to continue their venture, but luckily, there was no need for concern. In a mere six months, Schnabel’s initial excavation in the region, known as the Money Pit, brought in 7,381.1 ounces of gold. While this amount is less than what Schnabel found during Season 9, the value of these findings was almost equal to the $15 million he spent on Dominion Creek. The team’s most profitable week alone netted them over $1.1 million.
The wildest thing about this magnificent discovery is that Schnabel’s team may just be getting started. Dominion Creek might be hiding as much as $160 million in gold, so there’s a chance that the Money Pit is only the beginning of Schnabel’s greatest success story yet.
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2024-09-15 18:00