Precious Metals Mining Glossary (Terms, Definitions, Acronyms, etc.)


Alluvial deposit - naturally occurring ore formed with rocks, minerals, and organic material found on riverbanks and floodplains

Assay - an analysis to determine the amount of metal in an ore

Bedrock - a solid, unified rock usually at the foundation

Bench deposit - a dried out, formerly alluvial deposit

Blacksand - dark, mineral-rich sand usually laden with gold, silver or platinum found in close proximity to more concentrated ore

Bonanza grade - a mineral-rich vein of ore

Dust - ususally referring to gold makes up the majoriy of material found from prospecting or panning

Bold group metals - includes gold, silver and copper which are share similar chemical properties (also in the same column of the periodic table of elements)

Gigh-grade - large concentrations of a specific metal in the ore; high-grade gold usually refers to gold found at over 1 gram of gold per ton of ore

Industrial metals - metals chiefly mined for industrial use or for use such as copper, iron, aluminium, nickel, titanium, but can include silver, platinum, and palladium

Ore - unprocessed or raw metals and/or minerals

Panning - the use of a gold pan and water to separate heavier gold nuggets and flakes from dirt, sand, and lighter material

PGM - Platinum Group Metals

Platinum group metals (PGM) - generally used to reference platinum, palladium, and rhodium, but also includes rhuthenium, osmium, and iridium all of which share similar chemical and physical properties and are occur naturally in the same vicinity.

Precious metals - the rarest and most valuable of all metals chiefly referring to gold, silver and platinum, but including palladium, rhodium, and iridium

Shaft - a long and deep opening into a mine in order to reach an ore vein system or zone

Sluice (box) - a long, narrow tube or channel

Tailings - residual material or what's left over after separating the valuable portion of the ore from the less valuable

Vein - a long, narrow area hosting concentrated ore

WGC - World Gold Council zone - a wider area hosting concentrated ore