Abstract: The obdurate hard cake, loaded with gold particles, that forms on the bottom and four sloping walls of the reciprocating deep rectangular jig pan by the compaction and dewatering of the suspended solids is eliminated, and the recovery of gold is significantly improved by a combination of:1. a rectangular pressurized water manifold spaced slightly above the plane of the pan bottom and provided with at least one row of jet orifices directed at the bottom;2. four steeply sloped walls at a dihedral angle of about 65.degree. with the plane of the open top of the pan;3. a V-bottom with the valley aligned parallel to the flow of slurry;4. a broad skimmer blade on the spillway gate, oriented coplanar with the surface of the slurry and directed backwardly against the flow;5. a connecting rod in the drive train which is resiliently biased, in thrust and in pull directions, by adjustable spring means;6.