Gold is commonly found in combination with other minerals in rocks. Iron pyrite is a very common associated mineral compound seen where gold deposits are found. Similarly, gold is also found in other minerals such as pyrrhotite, sphalerite, hematite and magnetite. It also occurs in the form of calverite which is a telluride. Other common minerals found with gold deposits include pyrite, quartz, fluorite and calcite.
In South Africa, conglomerate pebbles which mostly contain quartz are the source of gold. They are found as a sandy matrix, mixed with pyrite in a cemented form. Generally, Quartz is the most common rock in which gold deposits are found. It is more common than conglomerate.
Gold is also found in silicified rocks also known as Jasperiod rock. It contains crystals of Calaverite, which is a combination of gold, silver and the mineral tellurium.
In South Africa, conglomerate pebbles which mostly contain quartz are the source of gold. They are found as a sandy matrix, mixed with pyrite in a cemented form. Generally, Quartz is the most common rock in which gold deposits are found. It is more common than conglomerate.
Specialized metal detectors that are tuned to find gold can be especially useful in certain circumstances. Gold prospecting equipment including panning, dredging for gold, and gold metal detectors are covered in our tutorial section.