Gold Dredging
Other forms of alluvial gold mining are dredges. And again, these can be small enough to be carried by backpack or they can be great floating barges that use everything from large conveyer buckets to excavators to feed them.
If you want to increase your gold yields then gold dredging is one of the most popular techniques to make the transition into full-time, or serious gold mining. Get more tips on the process of choosing the right Gold Dredge for you.
Black Sand Gold Mining
Black sand gold mining in New Zealand is an extension of alluvial gold mining as the gold and black sands are usually found together in the rivers. As both are washed down the river they form areas of high concentration where the river meets the sea.
While these black sands are often rich in gold concentrates they are also some of the most difficult areas to mine for gold because separating the fine gold from the dense black sand is often a slow and tedious task. Modern gold mining techniques have made this more viable and greater levels of gold recovery are possible. Remember, a lot of fine flakes can be melted together to make a big nugget so don’t over-look the obvious gold in search of the elusive naturally occurring nuggets.
Learn what tools are available today that make Black Sand Gold Mining a much more viable option.
Gold Ore Mining
Gold ore mining is quite different to the previous mentioned methods. It is the other main source of gold in New Zealand and has produced a lot of our gold. Gold is often found in quartz reefs in the ground. So gold ore mining often leads a miner underground, or alternative requires large holes dug to access the gold from the surface. The reefs or veins of gold bearing mineral are associated with fault lines and volcanic activities, where mineral rich liquids are forced up from the bowls of the earth. Which all sounds very romantic but results in on of the most painstaking and difficult methods of gold mining.
The quartz must be crushed and big stamping plants were set up to accomplish this great task, the first of which were powered by steam or water. Today electricity and oil powered hydraulics are used. Once the mineral is crushed to a powder the gold is then extracted. This has often meant using chemicals such as cyanide and mercury to absorb the gold before it is later separated off.
Gold Refinery
Gold refinery is often a dangerous task, as described above, it can involve using toxic chemicals such as mercury, cyanide, and acid. For the alluvial gold prospector this is not generally an issue, but for the black sand or gold ore mining this is more likely to be an occupational hazard.
Learn the modern gold mining techniques that make Gold Refinery a much safer prospect and give a higher rate of gold recovery.
