Самородки золота на месторождениях золото-кварцевой формации как индикатор зональности рудной колонны

The article provides information on the patterns of gold nuggets placement in the deposits of the gold-quartz formation of the Central Kolyma, Amur, East Australian, and Zimbabwean gold-bearing provinces. It is shown that, in the gold and quartz deposits of the Central Kolyma province, large, high-grade (850-950 ‰ and above) gold and nuggets are confined to the frontal part of the ore column. In the Amur province, the largest number of nuggets weighing 10-50 g with a high grade (875-900 ‰) and a significant admixture of mercury (the first percent) are noted in placers and manifestations of the Unya-Bom ore-placer area. There, along with almost complete absence of intrusive formations, weakly eroded gold mineralization of the gold quartz formation is developed. In the East Australian province, the world's largest nugget, the Holterman Nugget, along with other nuggets, was discovered in deluvium above the upper, slightly eroded part of the Hill End deposit within the gold-quartz formation, located in the Paleozoic Lachlan orogenic system. Within the Mount Darwin ore-placer node, in the Zimbabwe province (Africa), there is a series of smaller gold-quartz veins, where gold was extracted in tens to the first hundreds of kg. Everywhere gold nuggets, weighing from 1-10 to the first tens of grams, were noted in deluvia, which indicates the presence of a weakly opened upper part of the gold-quartz mineralization. The conclusion is made on the significant prospects of placers predicted in the valleys of the Mushaki and Gveter rivers.