How IS gold Formed

....Knowing This WILL Help YOU to Find Gold in WA

How is Gold Formed? Does gold grow in the ground or not??

.... OR, are gold nuggets the remnants of geological formation of at great heat deep within the earth millions of years ago and now after countless earth upheavals and erosion events are now available at or near the earths surface.

How is Gold Formed - Some Basic Theories and Definitions?

Here is some interesting insights on the formation of gold; How is gold formed - ABC Catalyst Story

And another abstract about the Origin and Weathering of Gold Nuggets

Which Concludes;

These characteristics confirm a century-old conclusion that large gold nuggets have a hypogene origin.

They are dissolving in the surface environment, not forming, with weathering initiated by reactions along crystal boundaries.


One final link from Dr Rob Hough at the CSIRO on the formation of gold;

"Gold Nuggets Reveal Their Inner Secrets"

The research reveals the gold nuggets formed deep underground at high temperatures.

A study of the characteristics of gold nuggets from around Australia has overturned many years of accepted scientific wisdom on how nuggets form.


"Previously it was assumed that gold nuggets formed in place, where they were found, either precipitated from fluids or grown from microbial action," CSIRO's Dr Rob Hough said.

"But all of the gold nuggets we studied have a crystalline structure and silver content that shows they formed at high temperatures. Since these temperatures do not occur at the surface, the nuggets must have originated deep underground."

"Their presence near the surface is the result of geological process and weathering over vast periods of time."

"A better understanding of how gold nuggets form will help explorers decide where to search for the precious metal. If the nuggets are not formed where they are found, but weathered from gold-rich ore, the original source may still be nearby."

Read more at Gold Nuggets Reveal their inner secrets. news.

Hydrothermal Replacement (Primary Gold Deposits)

Hydrothermal replacement deposits are primary deposits transported in very hot fluids dissolved with elements such as silicon, iron and sulphur from deep within the earths interior.

Over the millions of years as the earth formed and cooled down these fluids rich in elements such as gold penetrated the cracks, fissures and cavities in the earths crust.

They are deposited in faults, quartz veins, Doleritic sills, fractures, balsaltic rocks, in fact the deposits could have intruded into any sort of rock structure.

The deposits we are interested in as primary gold are Epithermal Deposits formed within about 1km of the earths surface in volcanic rocks.

They contain metals such as Gold and Silver which are the key elements that you want to find.

Over the life cycle of the earth there have been countless upheavals and weather cycles so these deposits can be available to the gold prospector at surface or just below the surface if you know what to look for.

Characteristics of this type of Primary Deposit

  • Archaean Time frame 2.6 billion years old. Get Free Geological Archaean Events Map relating to Western Australia
  • Large Tonnage, Low grade, fine grained gold.
  • Can have mineralised areas associated with depositing in quartz veins, dolerite sills, fault lines.
  • Sulphide minerals such as pyrite and arsenopyrite.
  • Formed at great depth but now can be exposed by erosion over millions of years.

Supergene Deposits (Secondary Gold Deposits)

The Supergene Enrichment process forms by saline water dissolving minerals at the near suface weathering environment carriage of the material downwards to the water table where there is a secondary enrichment process.

Supergene gold deposite are often classified as SECONDARY gold deposits. Other Secondary Gold Deposits are alluvial and eluvial gold deposits.

Characteristics of Supergene deposits

  • There needs to be a primary gold source nearby at depth or up slope
  • High grade but small tonnage, with coarse gold and nuggets
  • Higher purity of the gold.
  • Recent time frame in Geological age terms Tertiary less than 100million years ago.
  • Found in Laterites, calcretes, alluvial channels and salt lakes
  • It is exposed through surface erosion

Does that answer the question "How is gold formed"? and...

.... What does the Origin of Gold mean anyway? Isn't it the case that gold is where you find it?

.....Hmmm, maybe, but knowing where gold originates and how it is formed can give you an insight into what you are looking for and a edge over other prospectors who are just wandering around without thinking and intepreting what they are seeing.

Why? Because you will know what host rocks or signs to look for when you are gold hunting and this will ensure you look in the right places ...No wasted time searching barren ground.

Follow this link from "How IS Gold Formed" page to explore....

Where to find Gold

...The things to look for geologically speaking with the beginning of a discussion on the research that you need to find the best gold prospecting locations.

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