Alluvial Gold Particles

Along the rivers from which the Celtic and Germanic peoples once extracted gold for their treasures, the discovery of a large nugget would be considered a sensation. Prospectors today must collect thousands of these mini-nuggets to get a single gram of gold. The exhibited heap of alluvial gold weighs 311 grams and contains nearly one million particles. Each was panned from a river bed by hand. Due to its high density, gold sinks to the bottom of the gold pan or sluice box, while sand and mud are washed away by the current. Alluvial gold is known as Seifengold in German. The medieval word sifen, from which this term derives, means ‘to drip’ or ‘to trickle’.

particle size: 0.01 to 0.25 cm

Text © Goldkammer