Gold Mining Terms
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a
horizontal or nearly horizontal underground passage coming
to the surface at one end of a mine. |
alluvial |
of
or pertaining to alluvium; alluvial soil. |
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alluvium |
a
deposit of sand, mud, etc., formed by flowing water. |
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assay |
to analyze (an ore, alloy, etc.) in order to determine the proportion of gold, silver, or other metal in it. |
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claim |
something that is claimed, esp. a piece of public land for which formal request is made for mining or other purposes. |
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claim-jumper |
a person who seizes another's claim of land, esp. for mineral rights. |
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coyote
hole |
a shallow excavation dug in the ground for mineral exploration or extraction. |
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drift |
an approximately horizontal passageway in underground mining. |
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excavation |
an area where rock or alluvium has been removed. |
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fools
gold |
FeS2 - iron pyrite, sometimes mistaken for gold. |
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gold |
a precious yellow metallic element, highly malleable and ductile, and not subject to oxidation or corrosion. Symbol: Au; atomic. weight: 196.967; atomic number: 79 |
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headframe |
a structure supporting the hoisting sheaves at the top of a mineshaft. Also called gallows frame. |
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lode |
a deposit of gold or other minerals. |
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malleable |
malleability, property of a metal describing the ease with which it can be hammered, forged, pressed, or rolled into thin sheets. Metals vary in this respect; pure gold is the most malleable. |
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mercury |
a liquid metal used by the miners to concentrate gold Symbol: Hg; atomic. weight: 200.59; atomic number: 80 |
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miner |
a person who works in a mine. |
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mine |
to dig in the earth for the purpose of extracting ores or other valuable minerals. |
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Mother
Lode |
a belt of very rich gold-bearing quartz veins. |
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nugget |
an random shaped piece of gold of medium to large size. |
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ore |
a
mineral-bearing rock, which may be rich enough to be mined at
a profit. |
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placer |
alluvial deposit containing particles or larger pieces of gold or other minerals. |
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portal |
an entrance to a tunnel, drift or adit in a mine. |
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prospect |
an excavation undertaken in a search for ore. |
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prospecting |
the search for mineral deposits suitable for mining. |
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quartz |
one of the most common of all rock-forming minerals and one of the most important constituents of the earth's crust. Quartz may be transparent, translucent, or opaque; it may be colorless to colored. |
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raise |
a
shaft excavated upward for connecting adjacent levels. The terms
“raise” and “winze” are used interchangeably
to describe a completed opening. |
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a timber placed at an angle. |
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shaft |
a vertical or sloping opening, giving access to the various levels of a mine. |
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stalactites |
a deposit, usually of calcium carbonate, shaped like an icicle, hanging from the roof of a cave or the like, and formed by the dripping of calcareous (containing calcium) water. |
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stamp
mill |
a mill or machine in which ore is crushed to powder by means of heavy stamps or pestles. |
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stope |
any upward excavation made in a mine, esp. from a steeply inclined vein, to remove the ore that has been rendered accessible by the shafts and drifts. |
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tailings |
refuse material resulting from the washing, concentration, or treatment of ore. |
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tunnel |
an approximately horizontal underground passage open at both ends. |
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vein |
a deposit of non-sedimentary origin, which may or may not contain valuable minerals; lode. |
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winze |
a vertical or inclined shaft, driven downward from a drift into an ore body to another level. (see raise) |
| Resources | |
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www.factmonster.com |
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Foothill
Counties Mining Handbook, Special Publication 86, State of Calif.,
Dept. of Conservation, October 1985 You can find this at www.amazon.com |
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Rich Dvoracek, Mining Historian |
