Productive Rock Types For The Area
When researching a mining district, good gold geology references will indicate the general rock types that area associated with the productive gold mines in the area. Pay attention to these most common rock types and always be looking for them when you are out prospecting. They can be an indicator of where gold will occur.
The general rock type alone is generally not a great indicator or where to search, since it is probably common once you are within a known gold district, but it is one of many things that are worth considering.
Probably just as important to identifying the country rocks associated with gold is being able to identify the host rocks that are generally not associated with gold. If your has never indicated that gold occurs within a certain rock type, then you certainly dont want to spend a significant amount of time searching within that type of geology.
How Is Gold Formed
And another abstract about the Origin and Weathering of Gold Nuggets
Which Concludes
These characteristics confirm a century-old conclusion that large gold nuggets have a hypogene origin.
They are dissolving in the surface environment, not forming, with weathering initiated by reactions along crystal boundaries.
…..
One final link from Dr Rob Hough at the CSIRO on the formation of gold
“Gold Nuggets Reveal Their Inner Secrets”
The research reveals the gold nuggets formed deep underground at high temperatures.
A study of the characteristics of gold nuggets from around Australia has overturned many years of accepted scientific wisdom on how nuggets form.
The research reveals the gold nuggets formed deep underground at high temperatures.
“Previously it was assumed that gold nuggets formed in place, where they were found, either precipitated from fluids or grown from microbial action,” CSIRO’s Dr Rob Hough said.
“But all of the gold nuggets we studied have a crystalline structure and silver content that shows they formed at high temperatures. Since these temperatures do not occur at the surface, the nuggets must have originated deep underground.”
“Their presence near the surface is the result of geological process and weathering over vast periods of time.”
Read more at Gold Nuggets Reveal their inner secrets. phys.org news.
Dawson City Yukon Territory
Like many of the other Gold Rushes around the world, more than 100,000 hopefuls set out to Dawson City where the Klondike Gold Rush was started. However, the location was much more remote than other examples, and the journey perilous all in all, only 30,000 potential gold miners made it to the area. Gold in the Yukon territory was difficult to mine, often buried more than ten feet underground. However, by the 1950s commercial old mining made it to Dawson City, and used heavy equipment to mine the gold deposits there. In total, an estimated 12.5 million ounces of gold were mined in this part of Canada.
Around 161,000 tons of gold have been mined by humans.
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Signs To Check For Gold Pieces In Rocks Our Prospecting Guide
Over the past years, gold prospecting has become popular among many individuals worldwide. Whether youre doing it as a leisure activity, or finding gold deposits for sales, having robust prospecting skills and metal detecting devices will make a world of difference in your experience. As you may or may not be aware, this outdoor adventure isnt a walk in the park or something that requires mere luck. It takes mining knowledge, prospecting skills, field expertise, and industry experience to find gold nuggets or deposits.
If you want to make your prospecting worthwhile, here are five signs to watch out for so that you can find a goldmine of gold pieces:
What Should You Do If You Find Treasure
If youre lucky enough to uncover hidden gold in Illinois, you can convert it into cash by taking it to the right place. You can sell gold in many forms, including scrap gold, gold coins, and even broken . Any kind of precious metal you uncover in your treasure hunt can be valued and converted to cash to fuel your future adventures.
To truly qualify as hidden treasure, what you find must meet specific qualifications. It must be at least 300 years old, have a substantial gold or silver content, and have been intentionally hidden by the previous owner. However, your find doesnt have to qualify as treasure to have value. When you take your gold to the right gold buyer, you can get what its worth regardless of the age and value.
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Has Gold Ever Been Found In Illinois
Written by Top Cash Buyer on July 2, 2020. Posted in Gold
The allure of has enchanted treasure seekers and gold miners throughout history. Whether youre looking for an engaging adventure or you hope to , seeking gold can be a fun activity.
While gold isnt known to exist in mineable deposits in Illinois, it is possible to find small amounts of gold in creeks in Illinois.
Where You Might Be Able To Find Gold Today
Nathan Katzin
Nathan Katzin is a writer on the UNC-TV Science Team
This article is part of a series called Carolina Query, in which the UNC-TV science teams answers your questions about science in North Carolina. Ask a question below!
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Adverse Effects And Responses
| Part of a series on |
Gold mining can significantly alter the natural environment. For example, gold mining activities in tropical forests are increasingly causing deforestation along rivers and in remote areas rich in biodiversity. Other gold mining impacts, particularly in aquatic systems with residual cyanide or mercury , can be highly toxic to people and wildlife even at relatively low concentrations.
However, there are clear moves by many in the non-governmental organization community to encourage more environmentally friendly and sustainable business practices in the mining industry. The primary way this is being achieved is via the promotion of so-called ‘clean’ or ‘ethical’ gold. The aim is to get all end users/retailers of gold to adhere to set of principles that encourage sustainable mining. Campaigns such as ‘No Dirty Gold’ are driving the message that the mining industry is harmful , and so must be cleaned up. Also, NGOs are urging the industry and consumers to buy sustainably produced gold.
Human Rights Watch produced a report in 2015 that outlined some of challenges faced globally. The report notes that
Along with many other reports and articles, this has had the effect of spurring retailers and industry bodies to move toward sustainable gold. Indeed, the World Jewellery Confederation insists that it does all it can to “Deliver a Sustainable and Responsible Jewellery Industry”.
No Need To Dig Too Deep To Find Gold
- Date:
- Université de Genève
- Summary:
- Why are some porphyry deposits rich in copper while others contain gold? A researcher investigated how the metals are accumulated over the time duration of a mineralizing event and discover that the depth of the deposits influences the quantity of metals produced and that over 95% of the gold is lost to the atmosphere. The deeper a deposit is, the more copper there will be, while gold-rich deposits are closer to the surface.
Why are some porphyry deposits — formed by magmatic fluids in volcanic arcs — rich in copper while others primarily contain gold? In an attempt to answer this question, a researcher from the University of Geneva investigated how the metals are accumulated over the time duration of a mineralizing event, looking for a correlation between the amounts of copper and gold extracted from the deposits. Not only did the researcher discover that the depth of the deposits influences the quantity of metals produced but also that over 95% of the gold is lost to the atmosphere through volcanic emissions. In short, the deeper a deposit is, the more copper there will be, while gold-rich deposits are closer to the surface. These findings, which are published in the journal Nature Communications, will provide valuable assistance to companies that mine these metals.
The depth of the deposit is crucial
Gold is found on the surface, while copper is found at depth
Story Source:
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How Much Gold Is Still Undiscovered
The below-ground stock of gold reserves is currently estimated to be around 50,000 tonnes, according to the US Geological Survey. To put that in perspective, around 190,000 tonnes of gold has been mined in total, although estimates do vary. Based on these rough figures, there is about 20% still to be mined.
Only Crush The Ugly Specimens
Again, it should be noted that the nice collectable pieces of gold in quartz should not be crushed. Even if it isnt loaded with gold, if the gold displays nicely in an exposed vein running through the quartz then it may very well be worth more as-is.
Still, most gold ores should be crushed to realize the highest values. Even many pieces that have visible gold are not all that attractive, and wont bring much money to a collector. Gold is often associated with dirty quartz that has a lot of iron staining and is also not very attractive.
If youre not sure what youve got, crush it up, pan it out, and find out!
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Small Prospectors And Total Gold Production
Successful gold mining under present conditions is a large-scale operation, utilizing costly and sophisticated machinery capable of handling many tons of low-grade ore each day. The grizzled prospector with a burro is no longer a significant participant in the search for mineral deposits, and the small producer accounts for only a minor share of the total production of metals including gold.
Gold core at the lab: The core recovered from the Bend massive sulfide deposit was 3″ in diameter and was recovered in 10-foot sections. The sections were extracted from the drill stem into plastic bags and taken to a laboratory for careful examination, sampling and analysis. USGS image.
Characteristics Of Supergene Deposits
- There needs to be a primary gold source nearby at depth or up slope
- High grade but small tonnage, with coarse gold and nuggets
- Higher purity of the gold.
- Recent time frame in Geological age terms Tertiary less than 100million years ago.
- Found in Laterites, calcretes, alluvial channels and salt lakes
- It is exposed through surface erosion
Does that answer the question “How is gold formed”? and…
…. What does the Origin of Gold mean anyway? Isn’t it the case that gold is where you find it?
…..Hmmm, maybe, but knowing where gold originates and how it is formed can give you an insight into what you are looking for and a edge over other prospectors who are just wandering around without thinking and intepreting what they are seeing.
Why? Because you will know what host rocks or signs to look for when you are gold hunting and this will ensure you look in the right places …No wasted time searching barren ground.
Follow this link from “How IS Gold Formed” page to explore….
…The things to look for geologically speaking with the beginning of a discussion on the research that you need to find the best gold prospecting locations.
Return to home page from How is Gold Formed page
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Where Is All The Gold On Earth
Gold is found in various forms of rock formations, where centuries before it was pushed up as molten liquid from the earths core. Gold nuggets, veins, and grains yet to be mined are categorized as either primary or secondary gold. They can be mined as lode rock, or panned from creeks and river beds. All this gold represents only a small percentage of the total gold on earth, as most of it has already been mined.
China, South Africa, and Australia lead the world in gold production, and the United States closely follows. However, this country’s most prosperous time for mining gold has long passed, and other countries are estimated to have much higher reserves of underground gold ore. Almost every continent in the world has produced and profited from gold, which goes on to be used in various different industries. Over 50% is made into jewelry, while the rest is made into bars and coins for storage, used in electronics or medicine, and various other purposes.
Can You Find Gold With A Metal Detector
You can find gold with a metal detector, but it will be challenging to find small nuggets if you dont have a gold detector. The detection of gold does not work like other conventional metals it works through the induction of the pulse present in the detectors also, metal detectors frequency operation is different.
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Test Ductility And Sectility
If the potential gold in your rock is in large enough pieces one of the easiest and most telling methods to test for gold is checking how ductile it is. Real gold is much softer and more malleable than pyrite or other possible minerals like chalcopyrite or biotite.
This test is pretty simple. Find a decent sized chunk of the gold and see if you can dent or bend it with your fingernail. If it yields to your fingernail then it is almost certainly gold. The other potential minerals are much harder and more rigid and wont deform by you just pressing into it with your fingernail.
Similarly, real gold also displays a high amount of sectility. If youre like me and had never heard that word before, that means it is easily cut! If you can find a sufficiently large piece of the gold in your rock , take a steel razor blade or very sharp knife and attempt to cut into it. If the blade slices through then you have found gold! If not, its more likely that youre looking at pyrite or some other mineral.
Similar Appearances To Nearby Gold Districts
One of the best ways to find new, undiscovered gold deposits is to study the geology of known gold districts and then explore the fringes of that known district. Identify areas that have a similar geological appearance.
We are not discussing any specific indicator here. This could be one or several natural indicators that are similar to a gold district with a known history of gold production. This is one of the best ways to find an area that nobody has ever prospected before, but it can take a lot of time and patience, and you will likely spend a lot of time searching before you stumble upon any gold.
Read:
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Another Displacement Method To Calculate The Weight Of Gold In Other Rocks
Rex Whitehead of Mt Isa sent this to us. Thanks Rex.
The method I have used, is by water displacement, marking the side of a transparent container as you do in one of your methods. I have been using graduated laboratory beakers. The smaller the beaker, the greater the accuracy.
What I do is first weigh the dry specimen.
Place sufficient water in the beaker, that will cover the specimen. Mark the water level accordingly.
Then place the specimen in the water.
I then tip the water and specimen out, and refill the beaker to the original level, to what it was, prior to placing the specimen in it. I use a pipette or syringe to get the water back to the level accurately.
I then place rocks I have collected, that are of the same material as the host rock, , in the beaker until the water level comes up to the level of what it was when the specimen was in the water.
You will need a collection of different sized rocks to make this level up exactly. I then remove these rocks, thoroughly dry them, then weigh them. The difference in weight to the Dry Weight of the specimen, should be the gold content in the specimen.
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Changes In Rock Type And Vegetation
Gold will often form in places where two different types of geology come together. Thus, places where two distinctly different types of rock come together are alway worth prospecting.
If an area has a lot of soil, then these rock changes arent always easy to see. In this case, vegetation will be a good indicator. Different plants will generally grow in different types of host rock.
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