Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
4.9
2.7
Journals
Minerals
Special Issues
Gold Deposits: From Primary to Placers and Tailings After Mining
share announcement

Gold Deposits: From Primary to Placers and Tailings After Mining

A Special Issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X) belonging to the section "Mineral Deposits".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 4727

Editors

Dr. Galina A. Palyanova

E-Mail
Guest Editor
1. V.S. Sobolev Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
2. Department of Geology and Geophysics, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
Interests: ore-forming processes; experiment; thermodynamic modeling; minerals-indicators; fluid−mineral−rock interactions; gold mineralization; gold deposits; mechanisms of ore formation; reconstruction of T,P,X-conditions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. David Banks

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
Interests: geochemistry of crustal fluids; metallic mineralization; gold
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Daniel J. Kontak

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Harquail School of Earth Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada
Interests: economic geology; fluid inclusions; Au deposits; rare-metal pegmatites

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Gold is one of the rarest elements in the Earth’s crust. Ore-forming processes lead to gold concentrations of thousands to millions greater than the average metal abundances in common crustal rocks. Gold has been mined from a variety of deposit types that range in age from Archaean to recent. No uniform classification exists for gold deposits, which reflects some uncertainties in our understanding of their genesis. Gold is concentrated in rocks by hydrothermal fluids derived from magmatic or metamorphic processes to form primary “lodes” or anomalously abundant disseminations in the Earth’s crust. Weathering and erosion of primary deposits form secondary oxide and alluvial gold. The gold may be present as native gold or other minerals of gold hosted in quartz, sulfides, carbonates, etc., or as invisible gold within the structure of pyrite and arsenopyrite.

Currently, large amounts of gold-bearing substances in the world are contained in tailings after mining. We are organizing a global collaborative Special Issue to report recent advances in geology, geochronology, geochemistry, mineralogy, and prospecting prediction of gold deposits. Papers discussing modern analytical methods and experimental and thermodynamic modeling are also welcome. New knowledge on the behavior of gold in endogenic and supergene environments will contribute to solving the problem of full extraction from ores and tailings after mining. This Special Issue will help us to better understand and predict how, where, and when the gold deposits form.

Dr. Galina Palyanova
Dr. David Banks
Prof. Dr. Daniel J. Kontak
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • geology
  • geochronology
  • geochemistry
  • mineralogy
  • ore-forming processes
  • types of gold deposits
  • crustal fluids and gold speciation
  • extraction and recovery of gold from primary and secondary resources
  • experimental and thermodynamic modeling
  • modern analytical methods
  • genesis of gold nuggets and nanoparticles

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

18 pages, 7750 KB  
Article
Solubility of Auroselenide in Hydrothermal Solutions (Thermodynamic Modeling) and Conditions for AuSe(s) Formation in Natural Processes
by Galina A. Palyanova, Tatiana V. Beliaeva, Olga L. Gaskova, Nadezhda D. Tolstykh and Nikolay S. Bortnikov
Minerals 2026, 16(6), 562; https://doi.org/10.3390/min16060562 - 22 May 2026
Viewed by 526
Abstract
We used thermodynamic modeling methods to calculate the stability of auroselenide AuSe(s) in hydrothermal solutions at different temperatures (25–350 °C), pressures (1–165 bar), salinities (0–5 m NaCl), and acidity–alkalinity (0.00001–0.1 m HCl or NaOH). Gold selenide dissolves congruently in near-neutral solutions. In [...] Read more.
We used thermodynamic modeling methods to calculate the stability of auroselenide AuSe(s) in hydrothermal solutions at different temperatures (25–350 °C), pressures (1–165 bar), salinities (0–5 m NaCl), and acidity–alkalinity (0.00001–0.1 m HCl or NaOH). Gold selenide dissolves congruently in near-neutral solutions. In acidic chloride solutions, AuSe(s) dissolves incongruently to form selenium Se(s,l), and in alkaline solutions, to form gold Au(s). Gold selenide has a low solubility at temperatures of 25–200 °C. With increasing temperature, the solubility of AuSe(s) increases and at 350 °C the concentration of dissolved gold in highly acidic solutions (without NaCl) reaches 10−6 m, while in near-neutral and alkaline solutions, it varies from 2·10−7 to 6·10−7 m. At concentrations of NaCl and HCl higher than 0.01 m, the solubility of AuSe(s) increases by half an order of magnitude owing to the formation of gold chloride complexes. In low acidic, near-neutral, and alkaline solutions, gold hydroxocomplex is predominant. We constructed diagrams for the Au–Se–H2O system at various temperatures (25, 100, 200 and 300 °C), which show the stability fields of AuSe(s), Au(s) + AuSe(s), Se(s,l) + AuSe(s) and Au(s) on lg ƒO2–pH. Gold chalcogenides are characteristic minerals of epithermal deposits. The relationships of auroselenide with native selenium and native gold and other minerals in the Au-Ag ores of the Gaching ore occurrence (Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia) and the Bleïda Far West Au-Pd deposit (Morocco) were studied. It was revealed that auroselenide occurs in the peripheral parts of native gold grains, and, less often, in the form of inclusions and intergrowths with other gold chalcogenides in the core of native gold grains. The presence of solidified microdroplets of composition ranging from Te0.97Se0.03 to Te0.71Se0.28S0.01 and Se0.58Te0.41S0.01 in the ore minerals at these and other golddeposits suggests participation of chalcogens existing at temperatures of 217–449 °C. The formation of auroselenide and other gold chalcogenides is likely with a decrease in temperature and neutralization of highly acidic or highly alkaline solutions, or with the participation of melts or chalcogen gas particles. The results of thermodynamic calculations are confirmed by the data on the composition of mineral associations with auroselenide from gold deposits. The presence of auroselenide in the ores from Au-Ag epithermal and other gold deposits with Au–Se–Te–S mineralization is predicted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gold Deposits: From Primary to Placers and Tailings After Mining)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

37 pages, 33342 KB  
Article
In Situ Analyses of Sulphides from the Tomingley Gold Project, Central-West NSW, Australia: Pathfinder Textures and Trace Elements
by Muhammad Fariz Bin Md Nasir, Indrani Mukherjee, Alexander Cherry, Ian Graham, Karen Privat and Ivan Belousov
Minerals 2026, 16(3), 335; https://doi.org/10.3390/min16030335 - 21 Mar 2026
Viewed by 977
Abstract
This study investigated sulphide textures and trace element chemistry from the Tomingley Gold Project (TGP) region of Central-West NSW, eastern Australia, using in situ techniques. In particular, the study focused on pyrite and arsenopyrite to gain insights into ore-forming processes and determine which [...] Read more.
This study investigated sulphide textures and trace element chemistry from the Tomingley Gold Project (TGP) region of Central-West NSW, eastern Australia, using in situ techniques. In particular, the study focused on pyrite and arsenopyrite to gain insights into ore-forming processes and determine which trace elements within these minerals can be used as potential pathfinder elements for mineral exploration in the TGP. A total of 41 drill core samples from a variety of lithologies (volcaniclastic, monzodiorite, graphitic siltstone, dacite, andesite) were described and analysed using reflected light microscopy, high-resolution microscopy (via Scanning Electron Microscope or SEM), elemental mapping (via Electron Probe Micro Analysis or EPMA) and targeted trace element analysis of sulphide grains (via Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry or LA-ICP-MS). Findings show that pyrite and arsenopyrite are the major sulphides that host fracture-fill/inclusions of native gold and ‘invisible gold’. Pyrite rich in groundmass inclusions should be evaluated due to their characteristic high concentrations of both As and Au. Pyrite trace element chemistry (Sn, Bi, W, Sb, Au and Se) was able to delineate mineralised from unmineralised samples in volcaniclastics, graphitic siltstones and andesites but was much more challenging for lithologies like dacites and monzodiorites. The study also found that Au may have been introduced into the system earlier and existed as ‘invisible gold’ in earlier generations of pyrite. This study highlighted the utility of in situ techniques to discriminate mineralised signatures from unmineralised samples, and this has proven to be far more effective compared to whole-rock techniques, emphasising the benefits of such datasets in mineral exploration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gold Deposits: From Primary to Placers and Tailings After Mining)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

29 pages, 21139 KB  
Article
Composition of Chlorite as a Proxy for Fluid Evolution and Gold Precipitation Mechanisms in the Jinshan Gold Deposit, Dexing District, South China
by Danli Wang, Tao Zhang, Minjuan Zhou, Shaohao Zou, Xilian Chen, Deru Xu, Yongwen Zhang and Cui Yang
Minerals 2026, 16(3), 269; https://doi.org/10.3390/min16030269 - 28 Feb 2026
Viewed by 1049
Abstract
The physicochemical controls on gold precipitation in orogenic gold deposits remain poorly constrained, with traditional fluid inclusion and isotopic studies often yielding ambiguous results due to overprinting or incomplete records. This study addresses this challenge using chlorite—a sensitive mineral proxy for fluid conditions—as [...] Read more.
The physicochemical controls on gold precipitation in orogenic gold deposits remain poorly constrained, with traditional fluid inclusion and isotopic studies often yielding ambiguous results due to overprinting or incomplete records. This study addresses this challenge using chlorite—a sensitive mineral proxy for fluid conditions—as a quantitative sensor in the Jinshan orogenic gold deposit (>200 t Au) of the Jiangnan orogenic belt, South China. Hosted in Neoproterozoic phyllite within NE–NNE-trending ductile–brittle shear zones, Jinshan features auriferous quartz–polymetallic sulfide veins with prominent chlorite alteration. Integrating high-resolution SEM-EPMA analyses of multi-generational chlorite with thermodynamic modeling, we reconstruct the temporal evolution of temperature, oxygen fugacity (fO2), pH and sulfur fugacity (fS2) during ore formation. Four paragenetic stages are identified: Stage 1 (ankerite–quartz), Stage 2 (pyrite–arsenopyrite–quartz), Stage 3 (quartz–gold–polymetallic sulfide), and Stage 4 (chlorite–carbonate–quartz). Electron microprobe analysis reveals that the chlorite composition changes from Fe-rich chamosite (Stage 2) to Mg-rich clinochlore (Stage 3) and then to Fe-rich chamosite (Stage 4). Chlorite from Stage 2 (Chl-1) formed metasomatically at low fluid/rock ratios, while Stage 3 and 4 chlorites (Chl-2 and Chl-3) precipitated directly from higher fluid/rock ratio fluids. Chlorite compositions record a critical Stage 2–3 transition involving cooling from ~320 °C to ~260 °C, reduction (log fO2 from −33.6 to −39.7), and alkalinization, and sulfur fugacity remained stable within a narrow range (log fS2 = −13.6 to −8.0), followed in Stage 4 by minor reheating to ~280 °C, re-acidification, and a slight rebound in oxygen fugacity. Thermodynamic simulations reveal that the destabilization of Au(HS)2− complexes, primarily driven by the synergistic effects of cooling, pH increase, and decreasing oxygen fugacity, triggered gold precipitation during the main ore stage. Results demonstrate that abrupt cooling coupled with fluid alkalinization and reduction exerted the dominant control on gold precipitation in Jinshan, resolving long-standing debates on ore-forming mechanisms and highlighting chlorite as a robust quantitative sensor for fluid evolution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gold Deposits: From Primary to Placers and Tailings After Mining)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Review

Jump to: Research

32 pages, 3139 KB  
Review
A Protocol-Oriented Scoping Review for Map-First, Auditable Targeting of Orogenic Gold in the West African Craton (WAC): Deferred, Out-of-Sample Evaluation
by Ibrahima Dia, Cheikh Ibrahima Faye, Bocar Sy, Mamadou Guéye and Tanya Furman
Minerals 2025, 15(12), 1282; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15121282 - 5 Dec 2025
Viewed by 1093
Abstract
Focusing on the West African Craton (WAC) as a test bed, this protocol-oriented scoping review synthesizes indicators for orogenic gold and translates them into an auditable, map-first checklist that separates Fertility and Preservation, while deliberately deferring any performance estimation to a blinded, out-of-sample [...] Read more.
Focusing on the West African Craton (WAC) as a test bed, this protocol-oriented scoping review synthesizes indicators for orogenic gold and translates them into an auditable, map-first checklist that separates Fertility and Preservation, while deliberately deferring any performance estimation to a blinded, out-of-sample evaluation. There is a need for a transparent, auditable, and field-ready framework that integrates geological, structural, geophysical, and geochemical evidence. We (i) synthesize the state of knowledge into a map-first, reproducible targeting checklist, (ii) formalize an indicator decision matrix that separates Fertility from Preservation factors, and (iii) specify a deferred, out-of-sample evaluation protocol to quantify performance. We conduct a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR)-style scoping review (2010–2025) and codify commonly used indicators (e.g., transpressional jogs, lineament density, proximity to tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite (TTG)/tonalite contacts, Sr/Y proxies). Indicators are operationalized as auditable pass/fail rules and assembled into a decision matrix with explicit uncertainty handling and risk logging. We further define a deferred evaluation protocol using classification and ranking metrics (receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and precision–recall (PR) curves, odds ratios), ablation/sensitivity tests, and district-level threshold calibration. We deliver (1) a unified, auditable checklist with default (tunable) thresholds; (2) an indicator decision matrix that disentangles Fertility vs. Preservation signals; and (3) a deferred evaluation protocol enabling a reproducible, out-of-sample assessment without inflating apparent performance. All numerical thresholds reported here are explicit placeholders that facilitate transparency and auditability; they are not optimized. A properly blocked train/validation/test scheme, operating-point selection criteria, null models, and uncertainty procedures are prespecified for future evaluation. By publishing the checklist, data lineage, and audit-log schema now—without performance claims—we enable reproducible adoption and stress-test the framework ahead of calibration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gold Deposits: From Primary to Placers and Tailings After Mining)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-4
Back to TopTop