History & Geology
The Paragenesis of Gold & Silver Deposits
March 2015 by Chris Ralph
…if you are game for digging in and learning more about the intricate details of how gold deposits form, then let’s jump right in.
Sierra County Gold—Part I
...this county contained some of the richest placer ground found in all of California and still produces some pretty impressive finds to this day.
Gold Ores of the Delamar District, Nevada
Even as late as 1906, Delamar was second only to Tonopah and Goldfield in production outshining many better known areas. Since the first discoveries, more than 700,000 ounces of gold have been produced from the mines here.
How Mesothermal/Orogenic Gold Deposits Form
These deposits are very widespread across the planet. In fact, they are so extensive that something around 75% of all the gold ever mined comes from these types of deposits (if one includes the placer deposits that also formed from them).
Residual Placers: An Often Overlooked Gold Source
Because the forces of erosion and gravity tend to carry lighter materials like quartz away more easily, the heavy minerals like gold or silver will tend to be concentrated in the general area around the vein outcrop. These concentrations are what make residual placers so attractive.
Gold, Quartz & Chalcedony—Part II
The specific gravity of chalcedony is 2.58 to 2.64. This is slightly lower than coarsely crystalline quartz because of slight porosity in chalcedony. Being so light, it will easily wash out of a gold pan.
Sixteen to One Gold Mine: Unique Challenges and Potential Rewards - Pt I
Many of the Sixteen to One’s challenges arise from its unusual geology and the pocket characteristics of the ore deposits.
Your Guide to Prospecting in Alaska
Alaska is getting a lot of interest these days, not least because of all the gold prospecting shows on television. Hardly a month seems to pass without some new prospecting show being announced, and a couple of the most popular feature Alaska.
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• Gold Rush Continues in Africa
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