1.4.5. Gold

Gold is a valuable material which occurs in auriferous lodes and in sands of several rivers. It is

known for making ornaments and usage as international currency. India’s contribution to global

gold production is very small. There are three main gold fields in India namely, Kolar Gold Field, Hutti Gold field in Raichur district of Karnataka and Ramgiri Gold field in Anantpur district of Andhra Pradesh. Kolar is the largest mine and one of the deepest mines in the world. Alluvial gold is obtained from the sands of the Subarnarekha River in Jharkhand. Such deposits are called placer deposits and the process of recovering gold from these sources is called panning.