Inside the 24K Gold Factory: How Mining Ore Is Refined Into Gold Bars

Anyway,​‍​‌‍​‍‌ I feel that way about gold. Gold seems almost like a miracle. It glitters. It is indestructible. However, if you look at the journey of gold, it was not a shiny one at all.

The journey of gold starts deep within the earth. It is buried under the rocks. It is blended with the earth. It is totally a mess.

Therefore, we can review the path of gold from the mine to the final bar together. Are you able to imagine that?

Where gold really begins

Gold originally is not a jewel. It was a piece of unrefined ore. Ore is a type of rock containing gold fragments. The miners venture into the deep areas of the earth to get the ore.

At times they have to go very deep. The pace of the work is slow. It’s also dusty.

And there is noise. It is hard to believe that a whole ton of rock barely contains a few grams of gold. So, even the smallest particle is valuable.

Also read: How 20,000 Workers Built the Taj Mahal | 20,000 मज़दूरों ने ताजमहल कैसे बनाया?

Crushing the rock

After the ore gets to the factory, the toughest part starts. Large machines are employed to crush the rocks. They smash the rocks into tiny pieces. The noise is loud. The air smells of dust.

Everything is old-fashioned. This operation is crucial, nevertheless. The gold must be extracted from the rock.

Washing and separating

Then the cleaning is done. The dry ore is blended with water. It becomes sludge. Gold is an element with a high density. That is why it lowers.

The non-gold stuff gets carried away with the water. Allow me to share what I have just realized. This technique is not new.

It was already used by our ancestors. Such a simple concept. Such an impressive ​‍​‌‍​‍‌outcome.

Removing impurities

Now the gold is still not pure. It is combined with other metals. Therefore, chemicals are used. Thoroughly. Slowly. Gold reacts differently to chemicals than other metals. This property is used to separate the gold further.

The air is nauseating. The process is very extreme. However, this is the stage when gold most resembles the real thing. Amazing, isn’t it?

Aslso read: Why China Released Millions of Rabbits in Desert

Heating it up

The gold mixture is being heated in a furnace. Extremely hot. Hot enough to melt metal.

Other things get burned or separated. What is left is gold in molten form.

Shiny. Radiating. In a way, it’s surreal.

Pouring the gold

Here is the moment that the crowd is anticipating. Molten gold is being poured into molds.

The liquid is flowing slowly. Thick. Heavy. Even from afar you can feel the heat.

This is the moment when gold changes from liquid to solid. The form of the gold bar is emerging.

Final touch and testing

Once the bar has cooled, it is cleaned. Polishing. Acquirements.

Experts determine the purity. They weigh. Assess the quality.

Only then it is called 24K gold.

The way I see it, gold is not only valuable because of its scarcity. It is valuable because of the hard work that goes behind it.

Next time you come across a bar of gold, remember this story. From dirt to glow. From the bottom of the earth to the hands of a man.

What are your ​‍​‌‍​‍‌thoughts?

Search
Loading

Signing-in 3 seconds...

Signing-up 3 seconds...