Gold cradle

This gold cradle is a replica of cradles that were found throughout the Australian gold-fields. The cradle was a box with two metal sieves, and it was used to mine alluvial, or surface, gold. One person shovelled dirt into the cradle, another poured in water, and a third rocked the cradle from side to side, sieving mud down through the levels. Because gold is heavier than the rock and soil it is mixed with, it sank to the bottom and was caught in the base of the cradle.