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How to Process Gold Ore

Gold can be found in quartz veins and ore throughout gold-bearing regions of the world. Ore is any mineral that contains enough precious metals to make it profitable to extract via mining. Quartz is found underground and usually runs in a horizontal fashion. It can be up to a few feet in thickness and can sometimes be seen on the side of cliffs. Processing gold ore is usually performed on a commercial scale but it can also be done at home.

Things You'll Need

Goggles
Respirator
Gold quartz or gold ore
Sledge hammer
Mortar and pestle
Gold pan
Bucket of water or stream

Instructions

- 1
  Put on your respirator and goggles.
- 2
  Pulverize the quartz or ore with a sledge hammer until the pieces are the size of peas.
- 3
  Dump the pea-sized pieces into a mortar and grind them with a pestle until they are the consistency of sand.
- 4
  Transfer this material to your gold pan and pour some water into the pan. Swish the water around in circles, allowing some of the water and lighter materials to go over the front edge of the pan. Gold is heavy and will stay behind and get stuck in the ridges of the pan.
- 5
  Take the gold to a precious metals refinery so that the gold can be smelted into bullion and sold. A refinery will usually charge no more than about 3 percent of the value of the gold.

Gemology