The Mineralization of Gold

In 1955 the prevailing concepts concerning the mineralization of gold only recognized the fact that many of the main areas of placing of gold are centered in rocky, lateralized, ultra basic regions, or in areas that flank. The precept that has for a long time been held that gold is indissoluble in normal conditions had closed the doors to the idea that one could concentrate for solution and re-precipitation, even though this idea was postulated by some of the first in participating in the gold rush of California.

By 1972, on the other hand, contributions to literature were proportioned the necessary chemistry to allow the supposed insolubility of gold to be questioned.

Such a suggestion does not imply that all the lateritical deposits do not hold recognized secondary gold concentrates. Much less suggests that many silicate nickel mines that have been successful, as a group, have been passing through high sub products in gold values. As a matter of fact, the study of many excellent publications concerning nickel exploitations in all the world have not given reference whatsoever to the gold nor of measurable traces in parts by millions, nor in gross mineral or concentrates nor in the refined product. The suggestion allows us to consider the possibility that the deposits of nickel-cobalt and of gold, separately, but not in combination might have a common lateritic origin.

The lateritic deposits are a result of an alteration of rock masses. The conditions that produce such alteration include a tropical climate to propitiate a sustained chemical disintegration., a regionally plain surface and an analogically plain, freatic level, to assure a scarce movement of the solutions after they enter into the saturation zone; and large intervals of time, to allow that the chemical action enters great thickness of rocks.

The lateralization of acid rocks of clear colors has produced deposits of bauxite in The Caribbean to the length of the septentrional coast of South America, in the southeast of the Untied States and in Costa Rica and Australia, among other places. The lateralization of chrysolite, dunes, and other ultra basic rocks have propitiated the deposits of nickel silicates of New Caledonia, Cuba, the Philippines, Colombia, Guatemala, Venezuela, Brazil, Oregon, the northwest of California and other regions.