Given its metallic luster; rich golden color; incredible
weight (density); malleability; scarcity; and the fact that it never rusts (a
geologist would say “never oxidizes!”), Gold has captivated humanity since the
ancients (Egyptians were mining for gold 5000 years before the present).
Because of these unique properties, and the fact that it
occurs naturally in its elemental form (you can literally pick it up off the
ground!), gold has been valued over the ages as a medium of exchange. It has
been frantically sought after, and hoarded, in what men and women have
described as gold fever!
While the first, and the lucky, can get rich with just a
gold pan (placer mining), most gold in mined form within the mountains (hard
rock mining) and it does not come out of the ground ready to wear!
Hard rock mining requires mechanics, chemistry and extreme
heat.
Oh, and by the way…how do you know where to dig?
On Saturday, November 26, 2011, the Western Museum of Mining
will “scratch the surface” and start to answer this question with a gold assay
class.
In this class you will start to understand the periodic
table, mineral identification and the chemistry of rocks (if there are minerals in the rock that have an economic value, the rock is called ore). This class is “hands-on” for all ages because you’ll pan, and
crush, and classify until you work off some of that turkey! Take an
adventure to the Mining Museum in Colorado Springs to discover how rock is
turned into (refined to) gold.
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