Mineralpedia Details for Gold
Gold
Named from antiquity as the Old English word for the metal, and possibly related to the Sanskrit wok jval. The chemical symbol, Au, comes from the Latin word for gold, aurum. Gold is a common and widespread mineral in small amounts in rocks of many kinds as well as in sea water. It is found in epithermal veins, pegmatites, contact metamorphosed deposits, and in placers. Localities for fine specimens include in Russia, Romania, Australia, New Guinea, South Africa, Canada, the United States including famously here in the Black Hills of South Dakota at the Homestake mine, Venezuela, and Brazil. Hundreds of other minor localities.
Ref. Handbook of Mineralogy, Anthony et al (1995) and MSA at http://www.handbookofmineralogy.org/pdfs/gold.pdf
Gold from Eagle's Nest mine, Placer Co., California, United States
Large leaf Gold to over 3.5cm.
Gold from Harvard mine, Jamestown, Tuolumne Co., California, United States
Brilliant leaf Gold to 2cm showing crystal outlines.
Gold from Alpha mine, Lawrence Co., South Dakota, United States
Gold to 1mm in Deadwood Fm quartzite.
Gold from Homestake mine, Lawrence Co., South Dakota, United States
A good example of how much of the ore was like at the Homestake mine. That is to say, tiny 1mm grains in Cummingtonite schist with Quartz.
Gold from Santa Gertrudis mine, Sonora, Mexico
Coarse grained crystalline Gold strung out through siliceous sedimentary matrix.
Gold from Red Lake mine, Balmertown, Ontario, Canada
Leaf gold FOV 3cm.
Gold from Bronzewing mine, Leinster, Western Australia, Australia
A 7mm long leaf Gold in Calcite matrix.
Gold from Idaho pit, Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Western Australia, Australia
Leaf gold to 3.5mm in quartz.
Gold from Callaghan dist., Klamath Mtns., South of Yreka, California, United States
Gold in serpentine. The gold does not actually surface, rather it seems to be in the foliations.
Gold from Emperor mine, Tavua Gold Field, Viti Levu, Fiji
Wire gold throughout matrix. There does not appear to be any tellurides. The gold appears as 7 or more wires less than 1mm in length.
Gold from Burns Creek, Mariposa Co., California, United States
5mm Gold in milky Quartz.
Gold from Golden Slipper mine, Pennington Co., South Dakota, United States
2mm Gold in bluish to blackish Quartz.
Gold from Excelsior Mountains, Mineral Co., Nevada, United States
Quartz with a ring of leaf Gold 5mm across.
Gold from Cotton Creek, Mariposa Co., California, United States
Leaf gold in several areas up to 4mm across in milky Quartz.
Gold from Oriental mine, Sierra Co., California, United States
Spongy looking light Gold with a matrix of Arsenopyrite on the backside.
Gold from Idarado mine, Telluride, San Miguel Co., Colorado, United States
Slab showing very rich mineralization of veinlet Gold in Quartz.
Gold from Musselwhite mine, Skinner Lake Area, Kenora dist., Ontario, Canada
Seldom seen Gold from this major deposit in Ontario. The Musselwhite is an underground mine with reserves of about 2 million ounces of Gold. Production in 2016 was about 260,000 ounces. It is one of the largest Gold mines in Canada. This specimen is very rich with leaf and strigers throughout the Quartz mass with a little Pyrrhotite.
Gold from Bendigo, Victoria, Australia
Accounts place Bendigo as the largest producer of Gold from 1850 to 1900. Alluvial gold depostits were some of the richest in the world. This specimen is obviously from the veins and lode deposits and shows spotty Gold along 7mm stringers and grains to 2-3mm. It is intimately associated with several sulfides: Pyrite, Arsenopyrite and Sphalerite.
Gold from Caracota, Porco, Potosi, Bolivia
3mm leaf Gold on limonite matrix.
Gold from Julcani mine, Julcani dist., Huancavelica dept., Peru
Wire gold with some forms and branching to 5mm and Gold to about 1-2mm dispersed throughout Quartz matrix with black Ferberite.
Gold from Laverton, Laverton Shire, Western Australia, Australia
Leaf Gold in a 7x4mm area on Quartz in lateritic conglomerate.
Gold from Phil Sheridan Lode, Boulder Co., Colorado, United States
Nice little specimen with leaf Gold to 1cm and small areas to 2mm of Sylvanite.
Gold from Dome mine, Timmins, Cochrane dist., Ontario, Canada
Good coverage - albeit a small specimen - loaded with leaf Gold contrasting nicely in a matrix of white, sugary Quartz.
Gold from Golden Crest mine, Summit Co., Colorado, United States
A small Quartz piece with leaf Gold to 1mm associated with shiny black, foliated and iridescent Tetradymite. Tetradymite is an uncommon bismuth-tellurium sulfide. Seems like not much is known of this mine. The USGS has a little information (click it). Mindat list it here (click it). Tetradymite is indeed found at the Golden Crest with Gold but interestingly so is Beryl, a typical pegmatite mineral.
Gold from Shinkolobwe, Katanga, Democratic Republic of Congo
Black shiny Uraninite with several Gold specks. Unusual association.
Gold from Fire Creek mine, Lander Co., Nevada, United States
Fire Creek Gold specimens are light Gold indicating a higher than normal portion of Silver. It has a reputation of some of the finest crystallized Gold showing beautiful arborescent growth with numerous forms of cubic crystals. This is a fine specimen.
Gold from Androfiamadinika, Maevatanana, Betsiboka, Madagascar
4mm Gold in Quartz.
Gold from Kirkland Lake, Timiskaming dist., Ontario, Canada
Gold throughout Quartz mass with possible telurides.
