Historically, most gold was mined from alluvial deposits, utilising manual separation processes, including gold panning. From the eighteenth century onwards, however, prospectors began to exploit much larger reserves below the earth’s surface, using ever more sophisticated techniques.
Today approximately two thirds of the world’s gold is produced by large corporations, whilst the remaining third is the preserve of the small scale artisinal gold miner. In recent years, ever increasing scrutiny has been placed on the environmental and labour practices employed by small scale miners, with issues such as the use of cyanide and mercury in particular coming to the fore.
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