Lapland gold find is largest in years, discovered in unusual location

A nearly 50-gram gold nugget, the largest find in four years, was discovered in Inari’s Palsinoja area on Monday, Yle reports.

The nugget, named Luna for its half-moon shape, was found by experienced gold panners Siru Leppänen, Kirsi Ahola, and Antti Leppänen from Karstula in Central Finland. The trio, who have farmed and panned for gold for years, made the discovery in an unexpected spot—not near a stream or in the Palsinoja valley, but on a forest clearing close to a logging road, according to Antti Peronius, chair of the Lapland Gold Panners’ Association.

The raw material value of the nugget is estimated at €5,000–6,000, but if deemed suitable for jewelry in its natural state, its price could double or even reach €15,000. The finders have not yet decided what to do with it.

The Palsinoja area is a historic gold panning site, active for 150 years, where similarly large nuggets have been found before, most recently in 2022.