Gold Characteristics alluvial deposits

Gold Characteristics alluvial deposits

Alluvial deposits, also known as “placer deposits”, are created from gold flakes, nuggets, or grains of gold which have been eroded from rock. Often these are found because the forces of nature have been pushing them up to the surface and the amount of gold is usually less below the initial amount that is found. This is due to the oxidizing of the minerals which, along with the forces of nature (i.e. water, earth, etc.) will force the gold slowly upwards. Many individuals who have found these and were gold speculators hoped that more would be found beneath the surface but this was rarely the case.

Alluvial deposits were often responsible for the hopes of “glory holes”, or the supposed large cache of gold which some individuals who were hunting for gold might be lucky enough to find. Many gold hunters sold all of their belongings and would move their entire family West in the hopes of finding and striking it rich in gold. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the alluvial deposits, these individuals were often disappointed and lost their life savings and possibly their own lives in the attempt. This is due to how many of these individuals would try to mine the gold or find they not have enough knowledge to survive the winters or mining attempts.

Gold found in alluvial deposits, known as free gold, is rare but is often not the “strike it rich” vein that so many individuals hope to find. Yet it is nonetheless a beautiful aspect of nature to see, especially depending on all of the minerals which can be formed within them. Although they have been a source of frustration and disappointment for some, for geologists it is a small but substantial discovery whenever they find them.