The principal gold minerals that affect the processing of gold ores are native gold, electrum, Au-Ag tellurides, aurostibite,
maldonite, and auricupride. In addition, submicroscopic (solid solution) gold, principally in arsenopyrite and pyrite, is
also important. The main causes of refractory gold ores are submicroscopic gold, the Au-Ag tellurides, and very fine-grained
gold (<10 µm) locked in sulfides. Other types of problem gold ores include copper-gold ores and preg-robbing carbonaceous
ores.
J.P. Vaughan is associate professor and head of the Mining Geology Program at the Western Australian School of Mines, Curtin
University of Technology, and carries out research in process mineralogy for the A.J. Parker Cooperative Research Centre for
Hydrometallurgy, Perth, Western Australia.