OT but vaguely scientific - gold in a silver mine

[David]

I have a persistent earworm from over the holidays, which also has a minor technical irritation.

"You better get back, Honky Cat Livin' in the city ain't where it's at It's like tryin' to find gold in a silver mine It's like tryin' to drink whiskey Oh, from a bottle of wine"

So, no major issues with whisk(e)y from a bottle of wine but as far as I can tell you can get gold from a silver mine because silver and gold are often found as an amalgam, although silver is most often found mainly mixed with lead.

Possibly silver should be considered an impurity in primarily gold mines where gold is extracted in its raw state without smelting of ore.

Gold can also be a by product of copper mining (as can, I think, silver).

So you allegedly can find gold in a silver (or copper) mine.

Also, having visited the Jewellery Museum in Birmingham (highly recommended and very on-topic for any DIYer) I am aware that almost all gold jewellery also contains silver and/or copper to harden it up.

Cheers

Dave R

[Chris Hogg]

Both silver and gold were found Devon and Cornwall and mined commercially. As you say, silver is usually associated with lead ore (galena, lead sulphide). Up to 170 oz. of silver per ton of lead has been reported. In mediaeval times, the lead deposits were worked principally for their silver content, notably around Bere Alston in the Tamar valley. IIRC they were owned and operated directly by the Crown. True silver ores are also known, but are less common. Silver has also been found in small amounts in association with copper sulphide ores.

Gold is found as tiny grains in almost every alluvial deposit in Cornwall. It is associated with the copper ores, and the alluvial deposits arise from the surface weathering of those ores and subsequent erosion. One of the largest nuggets was found in the Carnon Valley, south-east of Redruth. It weighed 1 oz. 18 dwt. Gold was actually mined in the Wadebridge area, notably at Treore mine, in association with antimony sulphides. It's tempting to translate 'Treore' as being Cornish for 'homestead (Tre) by the gold (or)', but somehow I doubt it, although what it might actually mean, I don't know.

But I don't think your suggestion that silver and gold occur together, with silver being an impurity in the metallic gold, is born out in practice, certainly not generally, although it might happen very occasionally by chance.

For more reading, see 'The Metalliferous Region of South West England' by H.G.Dines, pub. HMSO 1956, and 'Gold in the Counties of Devon and Cornwall', by Simon Camm, Cornish Hillside Publications, 1995

[Martin Brown]

Amalgams strictly must contain mercury. You mean alloy.

Silver is close enough in size and chemical behaviour that it can form a homogenous solid solution in gold alloyed at any concentration.

Native gold and silver deposits may each contain the other as an impurity. The mixture with at least 20% Ag is known as electrum.

It is paler than pure gold.

However the vast majority of silver mined is associated with lead or copper in sulphide based ore bodies so the song isn't so far out.

[Brian Gaff (Sofa 2)]

Yes but did Bernie research it? I doubt it it was a long time ago, and does it really matter. I think far more interesting is when Reg changed his name to Elton John he chose the middle name of Hercules. I know this to be true as I read the new Years Honours list on the Gov web site yesterday. Brian

[newshound]

True, but then Jewellers typically have all three materials available from separate sources.

That's my understanding too.