Where does gold originate and how does it actually form in nature?
Gold is not formed on the Earth like diamonds and many other gems and minerals. Instead, most scientists now believe that gold actually came to earth from outer space in large meteorites that have struck the planet over billions of years. In fact, most of the gold on Earth is actually located in its core where its heavy properties caused it to sink over time. The gold that is found near the surface comes from relatively recent strikes of meteors that contained a considerable amount of gold.
While diamonds can be artificially produced, there is only so much gold available on the planet. It cannot be created in a lab the way that many gemstones can be. While some scientists believe that gold mining in outer space may be the bonanza of the future, such dreams are currently too expensive to be realized. Of course, if the value of gold continues to climb up and up, maybe one day soon we will be exploring meteorites for precious metals. For us small-scale miners interested in gold, the search remains near the surface of our world where we find it in hard rock and placer deposits.
Water not only moves gold by erosion, but it actually helped form the gold veins that originally formed many millions of years ago. Underground sources of hot water and pressure combined to melt gold and sulfur, which are often found together, and push them towards the surface. When the waters cooled, the gold filled the natural cracks in the rocks which formed veins of gold. These veins are often microscopic, but sometimes they are quite significant high grade deposits that can be mined profitably.
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