Silver Ores Research Articles

Mining Charity

Scalding water, plummeting cage elevators, cave-ins, fiery explosions, toxic air. These were among the many hazards of silver ore mining on Nevada’s Comstock Lode in the late 1800s. This article explores the nature of silver mining society in the 1860s and 1870s, focusing on the dangerous conditions in which miners worked in the mineshafts that ran beneath the communities of Virginia City and Gold Hill, Nevada. The material culture and conditions of mining, the article argues, were central to determining the community’s needs and the charitable efforts mounted to address them. Philanthropic work and fundraising for a diverse set of causes—from attending to individuals’ needs to building a hospital to running an orphanage—shaped residents’ social and cultural lives, as well as the built environment in which they lived.

A new algorithm for using Pb isotopes to determine the provenance of bullion in ancient Greek coinage

A new algorithm is proposed that uses Pb isotopes to help identify the ore deposits utilized as sources of silver in Antiquity. The algorithm takes natural and analytical isotope fractionation into account. It proposes a statistical measure of the distances between the Pb isotope compositions of ores and artifacts. This measure is amenable to statistical tests at any confidence level. The new algorithm is applied to the Pb isotope compositions of the end-members derived from 368 new Pb isotope data on silver coinage minted between the late 6th to late 2nd centuries BCE and presented in Albarede et al. (2024). The algorithm identifies the local sources expected for the mints associated with major silver ores found in the territories of Athens, Thasos, and Thrace, while demonstrating that Thrace, Northern Macedonia, and Chalkidiki supplied notable amounts of bullion to Aegina and Ptolemaic Egypt. Minor proportions of what we are designating an old Sardinian ‘mix' created by long-distance trade was used by archaic Athens, Corinthia (Corinth and surrounding city-states), and Aegina. Various islands in the Cyclades (Siphnos, Keos, Seriphos) also appear to be early contributors to archaic Corinthian and Macedonian silver. The present study clearly demonstrates that recycled and mixed bullion formed a substantial part of the silver stocks of mints. The new algorithm warrants more detailed Pb isotopic studies of well-dated coinage to document the changing nature of silver fluxes over time.

Conformities distribution contents gold and silver in ore bodies of the Berezovskoe deposit (Middle Urals)

The relevance of the work is due to the importance industrial meaning associated with beresits and listvenites gold ores deposit in the world production. Purpose of the work – study conformities of distribution gold and silver concentration in ore bodies of the Berezovskoe deposit. Methods of research included separation industrial types of ores for valuation quality gold chute, use probabilistic-statistic, geometric-statistic and geostatistic models for description amplitude and frequency changeability gold and silver content in ore bodies of Berezovskoe deposit. Results. It was established definite conformities in distribution contents gold and silver in primary types ores of Berezovskoe deposit. So in limits mineralized dikes granitoids on percentage correlation rich, ordinary and poor ores, meaning coefficients wealth and the gold-silver ratio the best quality distiquished sulphide-quartz ores in the strip veins in comparison with more poor impregnation ores in berezites near veins. In distribution parameters gold mineralization (contents gold and silver, linear productivity of ores) was established tier vertical zonality with separation 2–3 levels the largest foul prevalence mineralization on dip dikes granitoids in interval of depth 112–712 meters. In distribution contents gold and silver in ores registered lateral zonality on strike ore-bearing dikes granitoids. She expressed in conforming growth productivity of ores on horizons with moving off in direction with south to the north from the contact Shartash massif of granitoids. Distribution gold and silver content in mineralized dikes granitoids on amplitude variability changed from quite uneven to extremely uneven. Among colour sulphide-quartz veins of Berezovskoe deposit on content in their gold and silver, linear productivity of ores the best quality defined veins, formed on upper ore level (53–168 m). Quality ores conforming lowered with growth of depth bedding veins on middle ore level (201–262 m) and lower ore level (442–512 m) horizons.

Economic assessment of the Northern Copper Belt deposits – a future resource base of copper and silver ores in SW Poland

Economic assessment of the Northern Copper Belt deposits – a future resource base of copper and silver ores in SW Poland

Potential ore possibility of rocks of the deposit Kalmakyr of Almalyk district (Middle Tien-Shan)

The article presents the mineralogical and geochemical features of the types and grades of ores of the porphyry copper deposit Kalmakyr. The chemical, mass spectrometric results of analyzes of selected samples are given. When describing polished sections, ore minerals and their structural and textural features were established. The polyformation and potential ore content of the rocks of the deep horizons of the Kalmakyr deposit was revealed. It has been determined that the change of copper mineralization with depth to copper-molybdenum is due to the change of diorite by monzonitoids. Gold and silver ores appear to be superimposed, young, and associated with basic-felsic dykes.

Analyses of queen Hetepheres’ bracelets from her celebrated tomb in Giza reveals new information on silver, metallurgy and trade in Old Kingdom Egypt, c. 2600 BC

Egypt has no domestic silver ore sources and silver is rarely found in the Egyptian archaeological record until the Middle Bronze Age. Bracelets found in the tomb of queen Hetepheres I, mother of pyramid builder king Khufu (date of reign c. 2589–2566 BC), form the largest and most famous collection of silver artefacts from early Egypt, but they have not been analysed for decades. We analysed samples from the collection in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston using bulk XRF, micro-XRF, SEM-EDS, X-ray diffractometry and MC-ICP-MS to obtain elemental and mineralogical compositions and lead isotope ratios, to understand the nature and metallurgical treatment of the metal and identify the possible ore source. We found that the pieces consist of silver with trace copper, gold, lead and other elements. The minerals are silver, silver chloride and a possible trace of copper chloride. Surprisingly, the lead isotope ratios are consistent with ores from the Cyclades (Aegean islands, Greece), and to a lesser extent from Lavrion (Attica, Greece), and not partitioned from gold or electrum as previously surmised. Sources in Anatolia (Western Asia) can be excluded with a high degree of confidence. Imaging of a cross-section of a bracelet fragment reveals that the metal was repeatedly annealed and cold-hammered during creation of the artefacts. The results provide new information about silver ore sources, commodity exchange networks and metallurgy in Egypt during the Early Bronze Age.

Life Cycle Environmental Analysis of Valuable Metal (Ag) Recovery Process in Plating Waste Water

In 2018, the demand for silver (referred to as Ag) in the electrical and electronics sector was 249 million tons. The demand stood at 81 million tons in the solar module production sector. Currently, due to the rapid increase in solar module installation, the demand for silver is increasing drastically in Korea. However, Korea’s natural metal resources and reserves are insufficient in comparison to their consumption, and the domestic silver ore self-sufficiency rate was as low as 2.2% as of 2021. This implies that a recycling technology is necessary to recover valuable metal resources contained in the waste plating solution generated in the metal industry. Therefore, this study compared and analyzed, the results of the impact evaluation through life cycle assessment according to an improvement in the process of recovery of valuable metals in the waste plating solution. The process improvement resulted in reducing GWP (Global Warming Potential) and ADP(Abiotic Depletion Potential) by 50% and 67%, respectively. The GWP of electricity and industrial water was reduced by 98% and 93%, respectively, which significantly contributed to the minimization of energy and water consumption. Thus, the improvement in recycling technology has a high potential to reduce chemical and energy use and improve resource productivity in the urban mining industry.

Selective Heavy Atom Effect-Promoted Photosensitization Colorimetric Detection of Ag+ in Silver Ore Samples

Analytical methods capable of facile screening of silver ore samples are of vital importance for resource exploration and ore mining. Due to its extreme simplicity, colorimetric detection is desired for silver ore screening, but the analytical sensitivity of existing approaches is typically not sufficient. Here, an Ag+-selective heavy atom effect-promoted photosensitization colorimetric assay was developed. Specifically, Ag+ and dsDNA-staining dye (photosensitizer) were spatially adjoined in close proximity in dsDNA bearing several cytosine (C) mismatches, leading to enhanced 1O2 generation for photosensitized oxidation of chromogenic substrate 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB). Due to the stable C-Ag(I)-C metallo-base pair, the C-C mismatches in dsDNA can selectively capture Ag+, thus allowing highly selective colorimetric detection of Ag+ with a visual limit of quantification (LOQ) as low as 0.2 ng/mL. For ore sample analysis, the visual LOQ was about 2 g/t, which was suitable for colorimetric screening analysis of ores of different values. The accuracy of the proposed method was verified through analyzing both certified reference material and real ore samples, the results of which agreed well with those obtained by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ET-AAS). To facilitate field silver ore screening, acid leaching of the samples was also adopted, and satisfactory analytical accuracy was also obtained at a rough leaching efficiency of 20%.

HANKOICHNUS ICHNOGEN. NOV., A NEW ARTHROPOD (?) TRACE FOSSIL FROM THE CARBONIFEROUS OF THE DONETS BASIN (UKRAINE)

The flyschoid sediments of the Dyakove Group (Serpukhovian–Bashkirian) are exposed in the central part of the Donets Basin (Luhansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine and Rostov Region of Russia). These sediments are important for studying the history of geological development of the Dnipro-Donets Downwarp. In addition, the sediments of the Dyakove Group contain deposits of a number of mineral resources (gold, ores of silver, lead, zinc, etc.). Nevertheless, the paleontological features of the Dyakove Group are poorly understood. This paper describes the phyllocarid (?) resting trace Hankoichnus bandersnatchi ichnogen and ichnosp. nov. from the early Bashkirian part of the Dyakove Group. Trace fossils of phyllocarids are poorly studied. Diagnosis of a new ichnogenus: a small phyllocarid (?) resting trace (Cubichnia), represented by a hexagon bounded on both sides by ridges (in fact, by grooves, since the described material is a convex hyporelief on the lower surface of a shale slab), with one small tubercle at one end. The ichnogenus Hankoichnus differs significantly from other resting traces of arthropods (e.g., Alph, Arborichnus, Kingella, Rusophycus, Selenichnites, Tonganoxichnus, etc.). The new ichnogenus has the greatest similarity with the trace fossils Gluckstadtella Savage, 1971. The difference between Hankoichnus and Gluckstadtella consists in the absence of imprints of producer’s limbs in Hankoichnus. The most likely makers of traces Hankoichnus are phyllocarid crustaceans. This is confirmed by the morphology of the trace and the remains of the carapace valves of these crustaceans, found together with Hankoichnus in the black shales in the complete absence of remains of other biota. Phyllocarid remains are relatively common in Devonian and Carboniferous black shales formed in a dysaerobic marine environment.

Conrad's Maw: The Buried Histories of Costaguana

Abstract: This essay examines how the legacy of slavery in Joseph Conrad's Nostromo affects narrative temporality and, consequently, the novel's conception of imperial history and extractive futurity. I argue that Sulaco's attempts to forget the San Tomé mine's reliance on the labor of enslaved persons during the era of the Spanish empire results in an ahistorical proto-nationalist mythmaking. Consequently, Sulaco's attempts to declare independence from the Republic of Costaguana subordinate the province even more deeply to imperial capital, trading a pale semblance of self-determination for a massive expansion of the local resource extraction operation guarded by the American military. Through these events, Emilia Gould, the mine chief's wife, emerges as the figure who most profoundly understands the connection between the mined silver ore and the imperial world system in which the province's people and the mine uneasily coexist. In a novel notably devoid of reproductive futurity or eros of almost any kind, the Occidental Republic of Sulaco exploits Emilia Gould's imperial femininity by casting her as the mother figure of the new nation.

A Novel Two-Stage Method of Co-Leaching of Manganese–Silver Ore and Silver-Bearing Pyrite Based on Successive Chemical and Bio Treatments: Optimization and Mechanism Study

In this work, bio-hydrometallurgy technology was employed and a novel two-stage method based on successive chemical and bio treatments was proposed to collaboratively utilize manganese–silver ore and silver-bearing pyrite. In the optimization research of the chemical leaching stage, the sensitive factors for the Mn leaching efficiency were screened by Plackett–Burman design, and central compound design was performed to settle the optimized parameters. A mixed strain of bacteria containing Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans, At. caldus and Leptospirillum ferrooxidans was applied in the bioleaching stage. A conventional cyanidation process carried out with the Mn leaching residuals suggested an efficient recovery of Ag. Applying a two-stage method with the optimum conditions, the leaching efficiency of 95.3% (Mn) and 96.3% (Ag) were obtained with 284.94 kg/t silver-bearing pyrite addition and 277.44 kg/t sulfuric acid consumption with a temperature at 77.73 °C and stirring speed at 287.76 rpm. Mineral behaviors were investigated with XRD and SEM/EDS analysis, and it was revealed that the oxidation of sulfur is the crux in reducing the usage of reagents, and the presence of leaching bacteria enhanced the oxidation efficiently. Through optimization and mechanism study, this paper provides an opportunity to co-leach the manganese–silver ore and silver-bearing pyrite process in a more economical and environmental way.

Geological and geotechnical conditions of Shiraldzhin gold ore mining

Shiraldzhin lode deposit of gold–copper–silver ore in Kyrgyzstan has been studied since the 1980s. Shiraldzhin deposit lies within the boundaries of the Upper-Riphean Kumyshtag intrusion, with the Pre-Cambrian granitoid field broken by pillars of fine-grained Uzuntash granite of the Silurian Period. The proven five lodes have the negative economic appraisal for their mining. The primary appraisal covers only the main Sterzhnevoe lode body and includes some geomechanical problems. For this reason, the estimates of the reserves are re-interpreted toward the optimized gold extraction parameters. Modeling of the ore bodies within Shiraldzhin deposit is accomplished with justification of methods and systems to implement geotechnical solutions. Preparation of commercial ore by the sensor-based grading method allows bringing diluted ore to the level of 90% of underground gold content. Naturally, the proposed technology is a master technology for Shiraldzhin deposit. The open pit mining of Sterzhnevoe ore body in combination with the underground mining method at an ore extraction ratio of 60 : 40% defines the economic efficiency of the mining project. The geomechanical research of the ultimate limit open pit and the geotechnology efficiency evaluation in the underground mine, including the geotechnical behavior analysis in rock mass and the backfilling pilot testing, is a critical requirement to reach the design performance.

Selective extraction-photometric determination of silver (i) with dithizone

A method has been developed for the selective, simple and accelerated extraction-photometric determination of silver, based on the selective extraction of silver (I) from a strongly acidic medium in the presence of iodide ions and dimethylformamide and its complexation with dithizone directly in the organic phase. The apparent molar extinction coefficient of the dithizone complex of silver (I) at a maximum light absorption of 495 nm is 3.46·104. The calibration graph is linear in the range of 0.5-50 mkg of silver (I) in 10 ml of extract. The determination of silver is not interfered with by large amounts of foreign ions in 100,000 multiples within the range of 2-5%. The developed extraction-photometric method for the determination of silver is recommended for the analysis of silver in ores, rocks, industrial waste and other materials with complex chemical composition without separating accompanying elements.

Новые данные о петците Балейского рудного поля в Восточном Забайкалье

The relevance lies in the need to get data on the chemical composition, abundance and paragenesis of petzite, which is one of the mineral carriers of Te, Au and Ag in the gold and silver ores of the Baley ore field in Transbaikalia. During the development of deposits in the ore field, only Au and Ag were extracted, Te went to the dump. The deposits have not been fully developed. The remaining Au reserves of the Taseevskoye deposit are 105 tons, the Au resources of the Baley deposit are estimated at 35 tons. In connection with the extraction of the remaining reserves of Au–Ag ores of these deposits, where part of Te is in the form of petzite Ag3AuTe2, information about it will be important for the development of technology for its extraction along with other tellurides. The purpose of the study is to understand the chemical composition and paragenesis of petzite. The tasks are to study the composition of petzite and petzite-bearing mineral associations of the Baley ore field. The object of the study is Au–Ag ores of the Baley ore field, the subject of the study is the forms of isolation and the chemical composition of petzite. Methodology and methods – optical and electron microscopy with the identification of shapes and sizes of individuals and aggregates of petzite, determination of its chemical composition. Research results are the following: for the first time, the study of the chemical composition of petzite in the ores of the Baley ore field, its abundance and paragenesis has been carried out. It is found in association with hessite, native gold, miargyrite, tetrahedrite, tennantite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, altaite, coloradoite, schützite, andorite, robinsonite, quartz, adularia, carbonates, kaolinite and other minerals. The chemical composition varies within the limits (wt%): Ag 41.57–48.16; Au 18.55–26.01; Te 30.79–35.18. Petzite average chemical composition (wt%): Ag 43.91; Au 22.61; Te 33.16. This indicates the nonstoichiometric composition of its composition and an excess of Ag and Te and a deficit of Au. Petzite, as a carrier of these elements, can be one of the sources of Te in the technology of processing gold and silver ores.

К истории горнозаводского дела в Русской Лапландии XVIII века

The article is devoted to the history of mining-factories business in Russian Lapland in the first half of the Annian rule. Based on archival and published official documents, it examines the transformations that took place in 1730–1736 in the mining business of the Russian Empire. It tells about the history of the discovery and the beginning of the mining of silver ores in Pomorie on the Medvezhiy Island. The article focuses on the biography and history of the invitation to Russia of the Saxon Ober-Berg-Hauptmann and chamberlain, Baron Kurt Alexander von Schönberg, who in 1736 became General-Berg-Director, head of the entire mining industry of the Russian Empire. The roles of the chief chamberlain and favorite of Anna Ioannovna, Graph Ernst Johann von Biron and the “soul” of the Cabinet of Ministers, Vice-Chancellor Graph Andrei Ivanovich Osterman in the invitation and activities of Schönberg in Russia are outlined.

История организации и проведения первой рудоискательной экспедиции 1491 года в Арктической зоне Русского государства

In the Middle Ages, the Russian state, formed around Moscow, was in dire need of metals. However, only comparatively poor quality swamp iron was mined on the territory of the Russian principalities. There were no deposits of copper, silver, gold, or any other nonferrous metals, and all these metals had to be purchased abroad, paying mainly in furs. At the same time, the supply of metals was constantly threat-ened by bans from Western countries. In the 15th century, during the reign of Ivan III, under the influence and with the active help of his wife Sophia Palaiologina, the Muscovite state was strengthened and developed, which required more and more financial resources. The development of artillery created a need for large quantities of copper. There was an urgent need for own metal deposits, the search for which began in the vast northern Novgorod lands, annexed to the Moscow state. In 1491, the first state ore prospecting expedition was sent to the Pechora River basin, with the participation of ore explorers from Western Europe, which discovered copper and silver ores on the Tsilma River. The Tsilemskoye deposit was the first developed ore deposit in the history of the Russian state. The first copper smelter was built here. Therefore, 1491 is considered to be the beginning of the mining and metallurgical industry in the Russian state. This expedition marked the beginning of prospecting, exploration and mining in the newly annexed lands of the Urals and Siberia, where new ore deposits were later found, which served to create the mineral resource base of Russia.

Ore-Waste Discrimination Using Supervised and Unsupervised Classification of Hyperspectral Images

Ore and waste discrimination is essential for optimizing exploitation and minimizing ore dilution in a mining operation. The conventional ore/waste discrimination approach relies on the interpretation of ore control by geologists, which is subjective, time-consuming, and can cause safety hazards. Hyperspectral remote sensing can be used as an alternative approach for ore/waste discrimination. The focus of this study is to investigate the application of hyperspectral remote sensing and deep learning (DL) for real-time ore and waste classification. Hyperspectral images of several meters of drill core samples from a silver ore deposit labeled by a site geologist as ore and waste material were used to train and test the models. A DL model was trained on the labels generated by a spectral angle mapper (SAM) machine learning technique. The performance on ore/waste discrimination of three classifiers (supervised DL and SAM, and unsupervised k-means clustering) was evaluated using Rand Error and Pixel Error as disagreement analysis and accuracy assessment indices. The results showed that the DL method outperformed the other two techniques. The performance of the DL model reached 0.89, 0.95, 0.89, and 0.91, respectively, on overall accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score, which indicate the strong capability of the DL model in ore and waste discrimination. An integrated hyperspectral imaging and DL technique has strong potential to be used for practical and efficient discrimination of ore and waste in a near real-time manner.

Silver in Yakutia in the 17th century

Silver has been a favorite metal of jewelers in Yakutia since ancient times. But, unfortunately, up to the present time, how the metal was mined or delivered in the territory of Yakutia was not sufficiently covered in the literature. In this work, on the basis of archival documents, we will try to explain information about silver products and their distribution in Yakutia, and sources and ways of silver supply before the 17th century for Yakut blacksmiths. Silver items in the territory of Yakutia were undoubtedly produced by local craftsmen until the 17th century. It is not known for certain where they were delivered or mined from. However, there were known silver deposits on the territory of Yakutia at that time. This is visible by the evidence of the Yukagirs with silver ore on the Neroga River. One of the sources of silver supply may have been Transbaikalia, from the deposits developed by the Daurian prince Lavkay. Undoubtedly, the Yakut diaspora lived in those places (confirmed by official documents of the 17th century), which, perhaps, left its traces in the toponym of Transbaikalia. We do not know what they did, but it is quite possible to assume that they were intermediaries in the trade of Chinese goods between the Daurian and Yakut princes. The most common silver item in demand not only among the Yakut, but also the Evenk and Yukaghir population of the region, was a silver circle. Undoubtedly, it was considered an attribute of the social status of its bearer and, probably, of faith - the worship of the sun, which gives warmth and fertile summers to the northerners.

폐도금액내 유가금속 회수를 통한 경제성 분석

In 2018, The silver(referred to as Ag) demand in the electrical and electronic field was 249 million tons, and for producing solar modules, 81 million tons of silver were demanded. Currently, due to the rapid increase in solar module installation, the silver demand is also increasing drastically in Korea. However, Korea's metal resources and reserves are insufficient compared to consumption, and the domestic self-sufficiency rate of silver ores among metal resources is lower than 1.5%. It implies that the recycling technology for recovering valuable metal resources contained in the waste plating solution generated in the metal industry is necessary. Therefore, in this study, through B/C analysis, the economic evaluations were compared and analyzed according to the improvement of the valuable metal recovery process in the waste plating solution. As a result, the B/C ratio was 1.48, which means feasibility. Therefore, the improvement of recycling technology has a high possibility to reduce the usage of chemicals and energy, and to improve resource productivity in the urban mining industry.

Composition, structure and properties of the last silver rubles of the Russian Empire in 1895–1915: continuation of the Petrine traditions of coinage

The article discusses the features of the physicochemical properties of some silver coins with a denomination of 1 ruble from the period of Nicholas II with characteristic features of minting, selected from the general collection, as well as the specifics of their manufacture, taking into account the processes of melting silver ore. The silver rubles of the Russian Empire of that time retained the fundamental features laid down by the masters of the coinage of Peter the Great. The role of V. P. Smirnov, the minzmeister of the St. Petersburg Mint, who was the last reconstructor of the Nikolaev silver ruble and made an outstanding contribution to the preservation of the Peter I coinage traditions, is shown. Archival data on the features of equipment operation during the production of the last silver rubles were studied. In order to identify the characteristic elements and features of the coins, silver rubles from the largest number of issues were selected for the study. A metallographic study was carried out, the distribution of impurities over the surface of the reverse and obverse of Nikolaev silver coins was studied when determining the Vickers microhardness on Thixomet equipment. The analysis of the chemical composition of the preliminary blank – silver discs was carried out. The novelty of the approach lies in the fact that the analysis of a large volume of microparticles formed during the processing of compounds (including intermetallic ones), which made it possible to determine the composition of inclusions in silver coins, in combination with thermodynamic modeling methods, enables to determine their nature, taking into account the whole variety of thermophysical, hydrodynamic, physical and chemical processes occurring in liquid and solidifying silver alloy. This may be the rationale for improving the technology of minting coins. The influence of impurities on the structure and properties of a silver coin for several authentic samples of 1898, 1899, 1901, 1912 has been established. The change in the content of impurities from obverse to reverse throughout the entire thickness of the silver ruble and blanks was studied, the level of segregation of elements was determined taking into account the hardness of the surface.