Precious Metal Mining & Refining Techniques
The process of mining and refining the precious metals of gold, platinum, and silver are intricate and require unique aspects depending on the metal and the desired result.
The refining of these same precious metals also presents special considerations throughout a multitude of countries. We will explore all of these issues on the following pages:
Gold Prospecting, Mining, and Refining | Gold Processes and Uses
Platinum Mining and Refining | Platinum Processes and Uses
Silver Mining and Refining | Silver Processes and Uses
Gold Processes & Uses Tiny flakes of gold can be found scattered throughout igneous rocks. On occasion however, gold is found concentrated in lodes or veins, which form when molten material is forced into cracks and fissures in the surrounding rock. Rocks exposed on the Earth’s surface are relentlessly scoured by wind and water. The […]
Platinum Processes & Uses Nuggets or grains of pure platinum can be found in nature, but more frequently, platinum is found alloyed with other metals, such as iron, copper, gold, nickel, and the other PGMs. The size of platinum grains or nuggets varies from small granules to pebbles weighing up to 20 pounds (9 kg) […]
Silver Processes & Uses Although silver is relatively scarce, it is the most plentiful and least expensive of the precious metals. Nevertheless, geologists currently estimate that given current demand, the world’s extractable resources of silver will last only another twenty years. Today’s silver comes from three primary sources: silver mining; silver produced as a by-product […]