Handling fine flour gold without losing it

Very fine gold, sometimes called flour gold, is genuinely easy to lose because it is light enough that water surface tension can actually keep individual flakes floating rather than sinking, especially if any oil or soap residue is present on the water's surface. A drop of detergent added to the water in your snuffer bottle or storage vial breaks that surface tension and helps fine gold sink and settle properly instead of floating away when you think you are done. Working final concentrate slowly, in a shallow container rather than directly in a creek's moving current, also meaningfully reduces the chance of losing the finest material.