Gold

Primary Applications

Jewelry, investment, electronics, electrical contacts, dentistry

Mining Significance

Gold is mined from a wide range of deposit types, including orogenic, epithermal, intrusion-related, porphyry-associated, and placer systems. It may occur as native gold, electrum, microscopic inclusions in sulfides, or refractory submicroscopic gold. Grain size and mineral association are critical because they determine whether gravity concentration, flotation, cyanide leaching, pressure oxidation, roasting, or other pretreatment is required.

Industries

None listed

Gold

196.97

Key Properties

Highly malleable and ductile noble metal.
Excellent electrical conductivity and resistance to tarnish.
Very high density supports gravity concentration where gold is sufficiently liberated.
Chemically resistant but soluble in selected complexing systems used in hydrometallurgy.
Naturally occurs commonly as native gold or gold-silver alloy.

Mining Targets

This element is often found in the following Deposit Types and Mineral targets.

Deposit Type: Orogenic Gold - Structurally controlled gold deposits formed from hydrothermal fluids during mountain-building and deformation.

Mineral: Native Gold - Au - Native gold is a principal visible gold phase in orogenic gold deposits, although gold can also occur in tellurides or invisibly within sulfides.