A groundbreaking study led by emeritus geology professor Dave Craw from the University of Otago has created an atlas mapping locations across New Zealand’s South Island where gold flecks can be found in beach sands. This pioneering research is notable for being the first of its kind globally to document images of beach gold.
Professor Craw highlighted that the presence of this fine-grained gold has largely been ignored, particularly during the gold rush of the 1800s when attention was chiefly focused on larger deposits. The study aims to shed light on this overlooked resource, revealing that while there has been some mining activity on the West Coast, extracting this fine gold is challenging for miners due to its minuscule size.
The research utilised an electronic microscope to capture the intricate details of the gold particles, revealing that some at a site in Southland were as tiny as 10 micrometres—significantly smaller than a human hair. Professor Craw noted, however, that these minute particles are unlikely to be visible to the naked eye, and even when using a gold pan, much of the fine gold tends to be lost as it floats on the water’s surface tension.
This atlas not only provides a detailed overview of potential gold-bearing locations but also serves as an invitation to reconsider the potential of beach gold that has been difficult to capture or mine effectively. While the prospect of finding gold at these locations might entice prospectors, Professor Craw’s findings convey the reality that the fine nature of this gold requires sophisticated methods to properly identify and collect it. Thus, this study contributes a significant new perspective to New Zealand’s geological narrative, highlighting a resource that has been underestimated for far too long.