Minerallurgic Classification
of Gold Minerals

The conjunction of the considerations previously mentioned: mineralogy, presentation of gold, mineral associations, gangue nature, physical and chemical properties, allow having as a result a classification of the minerals of gold, from the point of view of its treatment.

The Cyanidation would be, therefore, the most used technique of treatment, of course this classification rest in large part in the difficulty presented by the different types of minerals in the application of this technique.

The classification presented here is taken from Mc. Quinston and Shoemaker.

Gold Minerals in Beds
These minerals are constituted by the sands or conglomerates little or not at all consolidated. Gold is presented with a weak content under the natural metallic form.

These minerals are known from times past and traditional old times, exploited only by gravimetric.

Minerals Which Have Natural, Exonerable Gold
This category comprehends the minerals non refracted in which gold is presented in a native state, not included in sulphurs. The sulphurs are not very abundant and, mainly, constituted of pyrite.

The Cyanidation is of the technique normally used for these minerals, in conjunction with the gravimetric to recuperate the gross gold eventually presented.

According to the size of the gross gold and its relative proportion, the gravimetric can be more or less developed or reduced to only one function of piegeage (traps).

The direct amalgamation of the mineral which arrives, - other times practiced, is nowadays abandoned.