Scientists accidentally discover a new way to isolate gold that is much safer than existing processes, which use toxic cyanide.

Gold, precious forever but especially lately, is a tricky metal. Bound up in consumer electronics, jewelry and the ores that it comes from, gold is difficult to extract, and most modern processes do it with a highly toxic combination of cyanide salts. The cyanide leaches the gold out, but the cyanide can seep into the ground, causing environmental problems and posing threats to human health.

Researchers at Northwestern University recently stumbled upon a solution that uses cornstarch instead. It involves some complex chemistry, but it’s cheap, biologically friendly and nasty-ingredient-free.

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-05/cornstarch-replaces-cyanide-clean-new-gold-extraction-method

Shamrock Mining Claim

We have just recently added the Shamrock Mining Claim in Yuma, Arizona to our store. This claim covers two mines, one of which is a collared shaft that descends over 150 feet.  The site boasts over 500 cubic yards of tailings. Copper is prevalent in the walls, along with some rich, dark iron ore. 

Gold Prices to Rebound

After the recent dip in gold prices Peter Grandich - Financial Adviser and Market Analyst renowned for his ability to interpret and forecast financial happenings - predicts gold prices will rise again, hitting the 2,000/oz mark before the end of 2013.  In an interview with the Gold Report Peter says the storm has past and now we will see the gold market gain momentum between now and the end of the year.

Steven Cyros, known on eBay as MREdepot,  has long been known in the mining circles as a scam artist and a fraud. Selling unstaked claims, filing on patent land and purposefully misleading the uninformed buyers.  This week there was a new low hit as Mr. Cyros launched the latest attempt to defraud his customers by creating a website that bears a striking resemblance to the National Bureau of Mines.