Parker Schnabel is a renowned gold miner who became a household name as a cast member on Discovery’s reality show, “Gold Rush.” He has been a key member of the popular series since it first aired in 2010. Interestingly, Schnabel first appeared on the show when he was still in high school. His unique approach to gold mining and his team’s exceptional skills have contributed to the show’s success over the years, as highlighted by Discovery’s YouTube channel. In fact, Schnabel’s team has developed a reputation for setting the standard for each season of the show.
One of Schnabel’s most memorable moments on “Gold Rush” was when he discovered a single nugget worth over $400. This is just one example of the many impressive finds that Schnabel and his team have made throughout their time on the show.
Parker Schnabel’s mining career began at a young age when he worked at his grandfather’s Big Nugget Mine in Haines, Alaska. His family’s mining business was even featured on the reality show “Gold Rush.” After taking over his grandfather’s company at the age of 16, Parker started his own mining business. In 2016, Parker’s initial investment paid off after he and his colleagues found 34 ounces of gold worth $55,000. Parker has had many successful moments while out in the field, including discovering a quarter-ounce nugget worth $400-$500, which is rare. He shared this experience during a Facebook Live session in 2017.
In a 2017 Facebook Q&A, Schnabel noted that his team did not uncover many large nuggets in Dawson. The biggest they found were around a quarter ounce, which may not sound like much, but such a nugget can still be worth $400 to $500. Schnabel explained that even quarter-ounce nuggets are rare where he works, with only around two found for every thousand ounces discovered. In contrast, his grandfather John had better luck at his old site in Haines, where he often found 3-4 ounce nuggets. While Schnabel may not be finding massive nuggets like his grandfather did, the value of gold has increased significantly since 2017, meaning that even a quarter-ounce nugget could be worth much more today. Ultimately, the gold mining game is about both quantity and quality.
