Can You Make Money Collecting and Recycling Placer Gold?
Placer gold, also known as alluvial gold, is gold that has adhered to rocks and other materials. Can you recycle it and make money? In most cases you cannot, because the amount of gold that can be recovered from recycling placer gold materials is very small. Yet large industrial gold collecting operations have been able to generate profits from placer gold because of the large quantities of soil and sand they are able to gather.
Where Does Placer Gold Come From?
Placer gold is often found in sedimentary deposits, particularly in riverbeds, streambeds, and other waterways. It is the result of the natural erosion and weathering processes that cause gold to be released from its original source, such as gold-bearing rocks, and then transported by water. In some cases, rocks that have a layer of placer gold can be found lying in open soil. When they are, people who have found them are often excited, believing they have found a gold nugget. But that is not the case – even though gold is visible, it is there in a very small concentration.
How Is Placer Gold Formed?
As noted above, placer gold forms when gold-containing rocks break down over time due to weathering and erosion. The gold particles are released from the rocks and are carried along by moving water, such as rivers and streams.
As the water flows, it carries the gold particles along with other sediments, rocks, and minerals. The gold particles can be sorted and transported based on their weight and size. When the water's velocity decreases, such as in slower-moving parts of rivers or when water bodies widen, the gold particles become heavier than the surrounding sediments and settle at the bottom. Over time, these deposits accumulate to form placer gold deposits.
Placer gold can appear in various forms, including small flakes, dust, and larger nuggets. The size of the gold particles can vary widely, and larger nuggets are often highly sought after by gold prospectors. But most often, the gold is found only on the surface of rocks, and in small quantities.
Placer gold deposits can be found in various parts of the world, from river valleys to desert areas. Some famous historical gold rushes, such as the California Gold Rush in the mid-1800s, were driven by the discovery of gold nuggets and deposits.
Call Us If You Think You Have Placer Gold
We can quickly test your materials and tell you how much gold they contain. You can even send us a small sample for testing. To learn more, call our precious metal recycling team at 800-426-2344,