“Don’t let fool’s gold fool you,” scientists say

A team of researchers from Curtin University, the University of Western Australia, and the China University of Geoscience have discovered that tiny […]
Pyrite. (Image courtesy of Curtin University).

A team of researchers from Curtin University, the University of Western Australia, and the China University of Geoscience have discovered that tiny amounts of gold can be trapped inside pyrite, making ‘fool’s gold’ more valuable than its name suggests.

In a paper published in the journal Geology, the scientists present an in-depth analysis to better understand the mineralogical location of the trapped gold in pyrite. This review — they believe — may lead to more environmentally friendly gold extraction methods.

According to the group, this new type of ‘invisible’ gold has not been previously recognized and is only observable using a scientific instrument called an atom probe.

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