History Of Gold Mining Research Articles

Indonesian Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining-A Narrative Literature Review.

Indonesia is host to a long history of gold mining and is responsible for a significant contribution to world gold production. This is true not only with regard to large gold mining companies but also to small-scale mining groups comprised of people and enterprises that participate in the gold industry of Indonesia. More than two thousand gold mining locations exist in present day Indonesia. Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sites are spread out across thirty provinces in Indonesia, and have provided work opportunities and income for more than two million people. However, the majority of ASGM activities use rudimentary technologies that have serious impacts upon the environment, public health, and miners’ safety, which in turn generate socio-economic impacts for people residing around the mine sites. Moreover, many ASGMs are not licensed and operate illegally, meaning that they are immune to governmental regulation, and do not provide income to the regions and states via taxes. The possibility for more prudent management of ASGM operations could become a reality with the involvement and cooperation of all relevant parties, especially communities, local government, police, and NGOs.

Models of Nominating the Mining Objects of the Ural Gold and Rock Crystal Deposits in the Comparative Aspect

This article discusses the names of mining objects of gold and rock crystal located in the Southern, Middle, and Circumpolar Urals. These include names of mines, placers, veins, and other artificial objects located on the territory of deposits and associated with the extraction of these minerals. The purpose of the study is to identify the main models of object nomination and compare specific cases of using these models depending on the characteristics of the extracted raw materials, methods of their development and the geographical location of the deposit. The author analyses a total of 627 names. The article refers to specialised works on the history of gold mining, mining of rock crystal, and the history of the development of specific deposits. There are three main models of object nomination: anthroponymic, toponymic (according to the origin of the toponym) and object-motivated (according to the nomination situation). In different fields, these models are presented in different proportions and specific implementations. Thus, the anthroponymic model becomes the leading one for the Beryozovsky gold deposit, the toponymic one for the Circumpolar Ural deposits of rock crystal, and the object-motivated units are represented at each of the deposits, quantitatively significantly inferior to the names given based on other nomination models. It is concluded that the leading characteristic for the emergence and development of a particular nomination model for specific deposits is the nature of its development (private prospector / regular state), as well as the number of objects subject to naming. The economic development of the territory of the deposit prior to the start of mining on it also plays a role. At the same time, the nature of the extracted mineral does not matter significantly.

Динамика золотодобычи в Сибири в 1920–1922 гг.

The article aims to analyze the dynamics of gold mining in Siberia in 1920–1922 years and to determine the role and importance of the Siberian gold industry on the all-Russian scale. This is achieved through a consistent research of the annual gold indicators in Siberia as a whole, as well as production indicators in each major gold mining region of Siberia (except for the territories that were part of the Far Eastern Republic). The dynamics of the number of employees engaged in gold mining in Siberia during this period is also studied. The main historiographic problem of the history of gold mining in Siberia in 1920–1922 is the lack of data on metal mining in absolute parameters; research is mainly based on relative indicators. The article is based on data from statistical reporting materials of the Main Committee of the Gold and Platinum Industry (Glavzoloto) of the RSFSR Supreme Soviet of the National Economy, which systematically published information about the all-Russian and regional production in specialized periodicals. To clarify and expand the understanding of the organization of the gold industry in Siberia, archival data of the State Archive of Novosibirsk Oblast was used. In 1920–1922, more than 7 tons of gold were mined in Siberia, which accounted for 85% of all-Russian gold mining during this period. The absolute leader of Siberian gold mining, like in the pre-revolutionary period, was Lensky gold mining area, which in 1920–1922 gave 84,85% of all-Siberian gold mining. In 1920–1922, Middle Siberia (Yenisei Province) produced more than 1 and Western Siberia about 0.2 tons of gold, which amounted to 12.25% and 2.3% of the all-Russian result, respectively. The period of 1920–1922 was one of the most difficult for the emerging Soviet gold industry both on a national scale and for specific gold mining regions, including Siberia in particular. The main reasons for the crisis of the Siberian gold industry were, first of all, the lack of food, huge difficulties in organizing the delivery of goods to the mining areas, the decline of the technical condition of mines. In some areas, attacks by armed gangs posed a serious threat to the work of gold mining enterprises. During 1920–1922, the authorities were forced to focus on the support of only the largest and most efficient (in terms of production of the metal) units Lenzoloto and Enzoloto. The rest of the gold-mining regions of Siberia switched to prospecting works. As a whole, the central and local authorities, making great efforts, provided a significant increase in Siberian and all-Russian gold mining.

Contrasting geology and mineralogy of evaporative encrustations in salt-tolerant ecosystems, Maniototo basin, Central Otago, New Zealand

ABSTRACT Evaporative mineral encrustations have formed on bare substrates at three different sites in the Maniototo basin. Two sites, at Patearoa and Belmont have salts derived primarily from marine aerosols. The Patearoa site has developed on clay-rich pans formed on a terrace eroded by the Taieri River into clay-altered schist basement, and dissolution of albite from altered schist has resulted in precipitation of sodium carbonate with halite, at pH∼10. The Belmont site lies on the flat distal part of an active alluvial fan, and halite-dominated salt encrustations develop on thin dry crusts through capillary action from below. At the nearby Hamiltons historic placer gold mine, excavations exposed clay-altered schist basement beneath Eocene auriferous sediments. Highly fractured and hydrothermally altered fault zones dominate basement, with secondary ankeritic carbonate and pyrite. Water-rock interaction of shallow groundwater in the basement leads to enrichment in dissolved Mg and sulphate that overshadows the marine aerosol components, and evaporative encrustations are dominated by Mg-rich minerals including brucite and epsomite. The halite-dominated sites host rare halophyte ecosystems, but progressive colonisation by adventive species will eventually cover the bare saline substrates. Similar colonisation at the Hamiltons site will result in natural rehabilitation of the abandoned mine site.

Potentially Toxic Element Contaminations and Lead Isotopic Fingerprinting in Soils and Sediments from a Historical Gold Mining Site.

Lead (Pb) isotopes have been widely used to identify and quantify Pb contamination in the environment. Here, the Pb isotopes, as well as the current contamination levels of Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, Ni, Cd, As, and Hg, were investigated in soil and sediment from the historical gold mining area upstream of Miyun Reservoir, Beijing, China. The sediment had higher 206Pb/207Pb ratios (1.137 ± 0.0111) than unpolluted soil did (1.167 ± 0.0029), while the soil samples inside the mining area were much more variable (1.121 ± 0.0175). The mean concentrations (soil/sediment in mg·kg−1) of Pb (2470/42.5), Zn (181/113), Cu (199/36.7), Cr (117/68.8), Ni (40.4/28.9), Cd (0.791/0.336), As (8.52/5.10), and Hg (0.168/0.000343) characterized the soil/sediment of the studied area with mean Igeo values of the potentially toxic element (PTE) ranging from −4.71 to 9.59 for soil and from −3.39 to 2.43 for sediment. Meanwhile, principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) coupled with Pearson’s correlation coefficient among PTEs indicated that the major source of the Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cd contamination was likely the mining activities. Evidence from Pb isotopic fingerprinting and a binary mixing model further confirmed that Pb contamination in soil and sediment came from mixed sources that are dominated by mining activity. These results highlight the persistence of PTE contamination in the historical mining site and the usefulness of Pb isotopes combined with multivariate statistical analysis to quantify contamination from mining activities.

Mercury in wild animals and fish and health risk for indigenous Amazonians

ABSTRACT Total mercury (T-Hg) was determined in fish and wild animal meat consumed in indigenous villages in the Brazilian Amazon region, where there is no history of gold mining. The analyses were performed in an atomic absorption spectrophotometer by generation of cold vapour. Regardless of the dietary habit, 42.0% of the fish had levels of T-Hg higher than the values considered as safe for human health by the World Health Organisation. Exposure to mercury in the villages was higher due to the consumption of fish compared to the consumption of meat of wild animals. Carnivorous species showed a higher concentration of T-Hg, both in fish and in wild animals. It is preferred to consume meat from fish and non-predatory wild animals, which can reduce the risk of diseases resulting from high concentrations of mercury in the body of the studied indigenous people.

Conjunctures: Who Counts, What Circulates, and the Politics of Children

Conjunctures: Who Counts, What Circulates, and the Politics of Children

Arsenic and mercury contamination and complex aquatic bioindicator responses to historical gold mining and modern watershed stressors in urban Nova Scotia, Canada

Beginning in the late-1800s, gold mining activities throughout Nova Scotia, eastern Canada, released contaminants, notably geogenic arsenic from milled ore and anthropogenic mercury from amalgamation, to local environments via surface water flows through tailings fields. We investigated recovery from and legacy effects of the tailings field at the Montague Gold District (~1863–1940) on nearby urban lake ecosystems using geochemical measures and zooplankton remains archived in dated sediment cores from an impact (Lake Charles) and a reference (Loon Lake) lake. Sedimentary levels of total arsenic and total mercury were used to assess mining-related inputs. Arsenic concentrations remain elevated at nearly 300 times above sediment guidelines in Lake Charles surface sediments, due to its upward mobilization from enriched sediment intervals and sequestration by iron oxyhydroxides in surficial sediments. Peak mercury concentrations at Lake Charles were eight times above sediment guidelines during the mining period, and since ~1990 have recovered to levels observed before mining began. Legacy mining impacts at Lake Charles and non-mining related environmental changes in the post-1950 sediments at both lakes have thus combined to structure assemblage compositions of primary consumers. At both lakes, assemblages of pelagic-dominated Cladocera differed (p ≤ 0.05) during the mining period compared to periods before and after mining. Taxon richness differed (p ≤ 0.01) only between the pre- and post-mining periods at mining-impacted Lake Charles and reflects long-term declines of substrate-dwelling littoral taxa. Geochemical and biological recovery have not completely occurred at Lake Charles despite the mine district's closure ~80 years ago. Our findings demonstrate that impacts of ore processing and amalgamation from historical gold mining, combined with recent watershed stressors, continue to affect sedimentary arsenic geochemistry and intermediate trophic levels of nearby, downstream aquatic habitats.

Regional changes in Cladocera (Branchiopoda, Crustacea) assemblages in subarctic (Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada) lakes impacted by historic gold mining activities

In Yellowknife (Northwest Territories, Canada), roaster stack emissions from historic gold mining activities, particularly Giant Mine (1948–2004), have left a legacy of arsenic contamination in lakes. We examined Cladocera (Branchiopoda, Crustacea) subfossil remains in the recent and pre-industrial sediments of 23 lakes (arsenic gradient of 1.5–750 µg/l) within a 40 km radius of Giant Mine to provide a snapshot of regional change in Cladocera since pre-1850. We found that littoral and benthic taxa dominated the recent assemblages in high-[As] lakes (surface water [As] > 100 µg/l), while pelagic Bosmina was dominant in lakes with lower [As]. Cladocera richness and diversity were positively correlated with [As] (P = 0.004, R2 = 0.39; and P = 0.002, R2 = 0.46, respectively), except for four lakes with [As] > 100 µg/l. The lakes that showed the most pronounced changes in Cladocera since pre-1850 were those affected by both metal(loid) pollution and urban development, where complete shifts in the dominant taxa occurred. Lakes that were most heavily impacted by arsenic emissions did not experience notable shifts in Cladocera assemblages. Our study suggests that changes in Cladocera assemblages in mining-impacted subarctic lakes are modulated by local, lake-specific limnological conditions and the interaction of multiple stressors.

Trace element contaminants associated with historic gold mining in sediments of dams and pans across Benoni, South Africa.

As a historic gold mining area, the City of Benoni has numerous water bodies close to major tailings dams and mine dumps. Here we assess spatial patterns in the sediment geochemistry of five dams and four natural pans within a 5-km radius of the core mining area to determine the degree of contamination7 by mining-associated pollutants. XRF analysis was used with a geoaccumulation index to assess the degree of contamination above background levels. Prevailing winds blow from the north and north-west with less dominant winds from the east. Sediment concentrations of As, Cu, Pb, Ni and Zn are highly correlated across the region, suggestive of a common source. Except for one pan showing evidence of local industrial pollution, the most contaminated sites are the dams to the west of the mine dumps where concentrations of As, Cu, Pb and Zn increase towards the central mining area, with highest trace metal concentrations in Kleinfontein Dam, adjacent to a reworked mine dump. Sites upwind of the central mining area showed little evidence of mining-related contamination. Trace contaminant concentrations in sediments of these dams are much greater than those found in the nearby Springs-Blesbokspruit wetlands adjacent to more recently active mines. The potential risks to aquatic ecosystems and recreational users of these urban and suburban water bodies from these wind-blown, legacy mining contaminants merit further investigation.

Metal redistribution during cementation of historic processing residues, Macraes gold mine, New Zealand

ABSTRACT Roasted residues from historic gold mine processing at the Golden Point historic reserve were thoroughly cemented by surfical processes. The cements are composed mainly of oxidised and acidic Fe–As–S minerals with varying particle size and crystallinity. Bukovskyite (Fe2[AsO4][SO4][OH].7H2O) and scorodite (FeAsO4.2H2O) are the most prominent of these minerals, but a range of As and S bearing ferric iron oxyhydroxide compounds are also abundant, including K-jarosite and schwertmannite. Arsenolite (As2O3) is a minor component, either persisting from original roasting or precipitated via local reduction in the cement. After the historic roasting the residues were treated with liquid Hg to extract gold, and some of that Hg remains in the residues. This Hg now occurs as microcrystalline schuetteite (Hg3[SO4]O2), remobilised nano-scale liquid Hg droplets, and as micron-scale Hg-rich layers in ferric iron oxyhydroxide compounds in the cements. Tungsten mobilised from primary ore scheelite is contained in ferric iron oxyhydroxide and as Fe-meymacite (WO3.xFe2O3.nH2O) in the cements. The cementation processes have effectively confined metals within the residues.

From the History of Gold Mining on the Territory of Modern Kazakhstan: the end of the XIX – beginning of the XX centuries

From the History of Gold Mining on the Territory of Modern Kazakhstan: the end of the XIX – beginning of the XX centuries

Facile and green synthesis of reduced graphene oxide for remediation of Hg(II)-contaminated water

Mercury contamination of freshwater supplies poses a significant challenge to fresh water supplies, particularly in regions with historical or current gold mining. Nanomaterials are increasingly explored for the remediation of mercury-contaminated water due to their unique properties. Here, we report on the application of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) obtained via a facile, one-pot, green synthetic approach for treatment of Hg(II) contaminated water. In this approach, graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets prepared by a modified Hummer’s method were reacted with L-cysteine under mild conditions, resulting in nanosheets that were both reduced, and thiol functionalized. After characterization, the rGO nanosheets were used in batch studies to test the effect of time, solution pH, adsorbate and adsorbent concentrations on Hg removal. The reduction and functionalization of GO to rGO was confirmed by FTIR, XRD and elemental analysis. TEM images revealed a tendency for nanosheets stacking, particularly after functionalization. The adsorption of Hg(II) from solution was found to be optimal at pH 4 and reduction and functionalisation by cysteine increased Hg(II) removal by >15%. These data show that (i) L-cysteine affords an efficient, green, and relatively cheap means to produce rGO that can be applied for the treatment of Hg-contaminated water, (ii) Treatment with rGO yields a high efficiency for removal of Hg(II) ions by exploiting the affinity of Hg(II) ions for thiol groups contained in cysteine.

Prerevolutionary Names of Mining Sites of the Beryozovsky Gold Deposit

The article deals with the proper names of mines, veins, digging pits, and other natural and artificial mining sites located on the territory of the Beryozovsky Gold Deposit (Middle Urals, Russia). The vast majority of these onomastic units appeared in the 18th–19th centuries, in the course of the mining development (since its start in 1745 and until 1917), and are still in more or less active use today. The study aims to identify the motivation for the toponymic objects in the area and to trace the systemic features of them as a naming system. The analysis comprises 268 units retrieved from specialized works on the history of gold mining, the Middle Urals, and specifically the Beryozovsky Deposit. To meet the goals of the study, these are considered in the motivational aspect and in terms of their systemic relations. It appears that a significant part (up to 50%) of names is the result of formal or semantic derivation and are “inherited” from other sites by metonymic transfer or due to the reorganization of previously existing mining facilities. In the motivational aspect, deanthroponymic derivatives tend to predominate. A large number of these names have a memorial character, and their eponyms are often indirectly related to the territory under consideration. In other cases, the toponyms may refer to work managers or owners of specific sites. The religious vocabulary is another important motivation source. There are relatively few names that are motivated by the essential properties of the named objects. Incidentally, these can point to the estimated gold content of the vein or to its geographical location. All these features clearly demonstrate the artificial nature of the analyzed onomastic system. On the extralinguistic side, its formation is driven by the consistent development of the field territory which required administrative regulation of naming.

Historical mercury losses from the gold mines of Victoria, Australia

Health and ecological risks associated with the use of mercury in gold mining are well known, with much recent attention focussed on contemporary small-scale artisanal mining. Legacy tailings from historical gold mining may also present ongoing risks, as the industry used large quantities of mercury with minimal environmental regulation to limit its discharge. This occurred in both alluvial (placer) mining and in processing auriferous ores. Analysis of historical data on mercury use in the mining industry in Victoria, Australia, indicates that at least 131 tonnes of elemental mercury were discharged into the environment as mine tailings between 1868–1888, with the total amount lost over the historic mining period likely to be much higher. The processing of pyritic ores also concentrated mercury losses in a small number of mining centres, including Bendigo, Ballarat, Castlemaine, Clunes, Maldon and Walhalla. This analysis provides a basis for further research needed to support improved management of legacy mine tailings.

From placer deposits to technogenic mineral formations: resource and historical perspective (a study of Amur region)

Attention to mined gold placers as sources of mineral reserve base replenishment is constantly increasing. We conducted an analysis of the field mining ratio regarding the 170-year period of gold mining history in the region, which is roughly divided into four stages, using the example of gold placer clusters in the Amur region. Each stage has its own peculiarities that determine the nature and methods of alluvial deposits development and the amount of raw material losses. It’s shown that previously mined placers within the studied area are being developed continuously. The technogenic complex gets involved into operation almost immediately after mining the undeveloped placer. The obtained results confirm the fact that the indicator of demand for technogenic objects continuously increases with the upward trend from 64% during the first stage to 80% at present.

Review of ecological mercury and arsenic bioaccumulation within historical gold mining districts of Nova Scotia

Gold mining in Nova Scotia dates back to the mid-1800s. Historical industrial practices generated over 3 000 000 tonnes of finely ground mine wastes (tailings), the majority of which were deposited into lakes, streams, wetlands, and low-lying areas close to the mill sites. These legacy tailings typically contain high concentrations of mercury (Hg) and arsenic (As) and continue to impact downstream environments to this day. The objective of this review is to critically examine and summarize existing knowledge on the transfer and bioaccumulation of Hg and As in aquatic and terrestrial organisms exposed to legacy gold mine tailings in Nova Scotia. This review reveals that as of mid-2019, 23 previous studies have been completed on this subject. Several of these studies were based on small sample sizes, or had other limitations, such as missing identification of biological species. Despite these limitations, the data in these publications clearly indicate that both Hg and As from abandoned gold mine sites in Nova Scotia are bioaccumulating in plants, fungi, freshwater and terrestrial invertebrates, marine mollusks, amphibians, fish, and mammals. In many cases, concentrations of MeHg exceed Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment safety guideline values for consumption of wildlife; however, no guideline values are in place for either total Hg or As. No studies were found examining tailings-related Hg or As accumulation in lichen, reptiles, birds, or large mammals. This review concludes that further research on bioaccumulation and biomagnification of tailings-related Hg and As is needed to understand the overall impact of historical tailings on the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and species of Nova Scotia. More detailed studies are vital for guiding risk-management decisions and future land-use practices for these contaminated sites.

Lake-specific controls on the long-term stability of mining-related, legacy arsenic contamination and geochemical baselines in a changing northern environment, Tundra Mine, Northwest Territories, Canada

Climate change is influencing the biogeochemistry of northern lake ecosystems. These changes may affect the mobility of naturally occurring metal(loid)s and long-term stability of anthropogenic contaminants. Arsenic (As) concentrations in lake sediments in the Courageous Lake Greenstone Belt, Northwest Territories, Canada, are elevated from the operation of two high-grade, low-tonnage historical gold mines (Tundra Mine and Salmita Mine) and the weathering of mineralized bedrock. In sensitive sub-Arctic environments, it is not currently known how the cumulative effects of resource extraction and climate warming will impact geochemical baselines and the long-term stability of legacy contaminants. In this study, measurements of As concentration and speciation in waters and sediments are combined with multivariate analyses of climate proxies (sediment particle size and organic matter composition) from five lakes downstream of the former Tundra Mine site. Data from lake sediment cores were divided into geochemically distinct populations using a combination of radiometric dating and constrained incremental sum-of-squares cluster analysis to define geochemical baselines, examine the lake-specific controls on As distribution, and determine climate-related factors that may influence the long-term stability of As. Median As concentrations in near-surface impacted sediments (median: 110 mg kg−1; range: 31–1,010 mg kg−1; n = 22) and pre-mining sediment (median: 40 mg kg−1; range: 28–170 mg kg−1; n = 102) exceed the Canadian Council of the Ministers of the Environment Probable Effects Level of 17 mg kg−1. Near the Tundra Mine, the long-term stability of As in the near-surface sediment is influenced by the source of As (direct disposal and weathering of waste rock, tailings overtopping and seepage, discharge of treated tailings effluent, weathering and airborne deposition of tailings and waste rock, and natural weathering of mineralized bedrock), lithology of the sediment, and composition of sediment organic matter. This study demonstrates that in lakes impacted by weathering of waste rock and mineralized bedrock, As in sediments is primarily hosted by Fe-(oxy)hydroxides and may be more susceptible to remobilization with climate warming relative to those lakes impacted by direct discharge of mine wastes where As-bearing sulphides are the most abundant As host. Continued climate warming is expected to increase the natural loading of metal(loid)s and organic matter to lake sediments; however, the effects of these changes on the long-term stability of legacy contaminants will vary between lakes.

Multiple environmental variables influence diatom assemblages across an arsenic gradient in 33 subarctic lakes near abandoned gold mines

We examined surface sediment diatom assemblages from 33 subarctic lakes around the historic gold mines in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories (Canada), where lake-water As concentrations ([As]) still range between 1.5 and 2,780 µg/l, even though the roasting of the arsenopyrite-bearing gold ores ceased in 1999. Water chemistry variables related to gold mining pollution (arsenic, antimony, and sulfate) declined with increasing distance from the mines. The diatom assemblages varied substantially in species composition across our study lakes with the planktonic Discostella stelligera/pseudostelligera complex dominating in deep lakes where [As] were less than 5 µg/l. However, in lakes that exceeded the guideline for the protection of aquatic life ([As] > 5 µg/l), opportunistic benthic diatoms (small fragilarioid taxa and Achnanthidium minutissimum) were generally present in higher abundances. The subtle differences in diatom species richness and diversity among lakes with varying [As] suggest these indices may not be affected strongly by long-term arsenic pollution. Furthermore, canonical correspondence analysis of the diatom assemblage and environmental data indicated that nutrient and ionic compounds explained most of the variation in the assemblages, while mining-related variables played a limited role. Our results indicate that multiple limnological variables (nutrients, ions, and contaminants) and subarctic climatic conditions are important factors shaping the diatom assemblage composition in lakes impacted by mining activities and land-use changes near Yellowknife.

Gold deposits of China: Resources, economics, environmental issues, and future perspectives

China ranks as the world's largest gold producer and as the second largest gold consumer since the last few years and hosts one of the fastest growing gold markets in the world. The gold mineralization in China has been divided into several super‐large (>100 t Au), large (50 to 100 t Au), and numerous medium to small (20 to 50 and <20 t Au) deposits. Geologically, these are classified into different types such as gold‐only deposits, base metal‐rich type including skarn, porphyry, and vein deposits, and placer accumulations. Integrated genetic models based on geological investigations propose that the gold deposits formed through multiple stages of subduction–accretion–collision associated with different orogenic cycles, with most of the giant gold deposits related to extensive lithospheric destruction and recycling. China has a long history of gold mining starting from the days of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou Dynasties at ca. 2,100–256 bc, which further flourished in the “Silk Road” era, although in the modern times, the country was “officially” reported producing hardly 2 tons of gold for nearly 40 years until a major revival occurred between 1982 and 1993, with a dramatic increase to 160 tons per year. According to recent statistics, China ranks as the world's largest producer of gold with over 460 tons, contributing significantly to the growth of world gold production. In the Asian region, 91% of gold production comes from China and five other countries, with China contributing the major share. With regard to gold consumption, the amount of gold bought in China rose steadily over the past several years from around 204.5 tons in 2002 to 832.18 tons in 2012. Among the various forms of gold jewellery in China, fine gold is the most popular, with 24 K gold accounting for more than 80% of the gold jewellery sold in the country. Studies identify a positive relationship between the rate of technical expertise and economic growth in state‐owned and mixed sectors of gold industry in China. Attracting more private investment into capital‐intensive and state‐owned sectors is considered to help boost the mining industry. China's gold output sustained the world gold market even during the global financial crisis in other bulk commodities. Quantitative analysis in recent studies reveals a power‐law cross‐correlation between price and volume in gold spot and futures markets and predicts long‐term stability despite short‐term fluctuations. Extensive mining activities invariably raise environmental issues and anthropogenic health hazards. With the country announcing the discovery of new gold deposits, such as the biggest ever gold mine in Shandong with gold resources valued more than $22 billion, and moving forward to new horizons in gold mining and production, insightful policies from decision makers are important in the areas of promoting research and development in academic and technical fields, involving technical expertise and advanced technology in gold mining and processing, and implementing strict regulations for environmental protection.