History & Geology
Gold Refining In The Ancient World
March 2015 by Bill Rich
One thing that stood out for me is that Agricola was very specific about the type of metal or wood in the implements and vessels that were to be used.Las Médulas—The Gem of the Roman Gold Mines
This mine was a real wonder of engineering, and the water supply and drifts had to be carefully managed to keep it in operation. In fact, it didn’t close due to lack of gold, but instead closed with the fall of the Roman Empire.
Liberty and the Phoenix Mine
Liberty, Washington is located in the mountains near Yakima and Ellensburg. There is nothing much in Liberty except for about 20 houses on patented mining claims and a lot of dry holes.
Prospecting for Copper—What to Look for on the Outcrop
For the prospector, knowing what oxidized hydrothermal alteration looks like in the field is an important exploration tool.
The Potholes—California’s Oldest Known Mining District
Every time we prospected here we found gold, sometimes some really coarse flakes, but no large nuggets (yet).
Associated Gold Placers of the Comstock

The Forms of Crystalline Gold
The largest and most perfect single gold crystals are nearly always in the form of octahedra. These large octahedral crystals often possess deeply recessed faces.
Why So Much Gold in Nevada?
Nevada produces about 75% of all the gold mined in the US. This means that all the other 49 states combined only produce 25%, and this includes California, Alaska and Arizona.
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