Retread Resources Ltd.
The Mineral Gold
Retread Resources > Resources > Gold
|
 |
 |
 |
| Gold is a pleasure to own and possess, as many people have discovered throughout time and around the world. It has played a very important part in the history of mankind and will, I am sure, continue to do so. If you are interested in some of this history please see the "Trail of 98" article in our history section. Over the years Retread Resources has in involved with many different gold prospects and mining ventures in both placer and hard rock environments. Gold is a very stubborn element when it comes to reacting to or combining with other elements. There are very few true gold ores, besides native gold, because it forms a major part of only a few rare minerals, it is found as little more than a trace in a few others or it is alloyed to a small extent with other metals such as silver. Gold is almost indestructible and has been used and then reused for centuries to the extent that all gold of known existence is almost equal to all the gold that has ever been mined. Gold is a great medium metal for jewelry, as it never tarnishes. Native Elements are arranged into groups. One of these groups is call "The Gold Group". This group also contains silver, copper and lead all previous resource of the month selections. A few of the minerals that bear gold in their respective formulas are in a subclass of sulfides called the tellurides. The element gold seems to have an affinity for tellurium and this is one of the only elements that gold can bond with easily. In fact only a few rare tellurides are found with out gold. A few of the tellurides are nagyagite, calaverite, sylvanite and krennerite. These are all minor ores of gold but their contributions to the supply of gold pales next to native gold's own contribution.Occasionally these minerals are associated with native gold. There are a number of minerals that are aptly named "Fool's Gold" because only a fool could believe they are gold! Actually it is easy for people who see shiny golden colored flakes sparkling at them from some rock they just picked up to believe that they have struck pay-dirt. Gold's ductility, sectility, density and softness are usually sufficient to distinguish it from the much cheaper impostors. The most famous "fool's gold" is the very common sulfide, pyrite. Chalcopyrite, marcasite and just about any golden colored sulfide has been also proven to be worthy the "fool's gold" monicure. Weathered flakes of biotite which can sport a bright yellow color and a nice flash of light when viewed just right, have also been mistaken for gold. |
Physical Characteristics:
Ductile, malleable and sectile, meaning it can be pounded into other shapes, stretched into a wire and cut into slices. Notable Occurrences include California and South Dakota, USA; Siberia, Russia; South Africa; Canada, Australia and other localities around the world. Best Field Indicators are color, density, hardness, sectility, malleability and ductility. Occurrence and Geology: Gold is present in the earth's crust and in sea water to the extent of about 6 parts in a hundred million. Nearly all gold found in the curst is in the native state. Gold occurs in the curst in notable amounts in two main types of deposits: hydrothermal veins, and placers, either consolidated or unconsolidated. The latter are derived form the former by weathering and erosion processes; gold largely unaffected by chemical and mechanical weathering, is concentrated and separated form other minerals because of its high density. Most gold of hydrothermal orion is found in quartz veins, commonly with pyrite, other sulphides, gold-silver tellurides, rarely lead and mercury tellurides, scheelite, tourmaline, ferroan dolomite (commonly called ankerite), sericite, or green chromian sericite. In placer deposits (both recent unconsolidated and older consolidated placers) the gold occurs as rounded or flattened grains and nuggets associated with other heavy resistant minerals. Gold has been obtained form earliest times largely from unconsolidated placers. |