Gold used in artificial skin research that could help burns victims

The use of gold nanoparticles in developing artificial skin with sensitivity that rivals that of a human finger has been highlighted in a new review.

This type of nanotechnology could potentially be used for burns victims as well as in surgery or robotics, according to Nanowerk.

Of the five senses, touch remains one of the most difficult for scientists to emulate, it explains, citing a report written by Vivek Maheshwari and Ravi Saraf for Wiley InterScience.

In this report, a method of reproducing human touch using gold nanoparticles to create a highly pressure-sensitive material is outlined.

Recent developments in nanotechnology, along with chemistry, have the potential to improve the expertise within this field.

Electronic skin requires highly tactile sensors as well as flexibility to successfully mimic the human epidermis, Nanowerk notes - therefore, gold nanoparticles are suitable for the process.

Tiny particles of gold were also used in a recent study into mismatched DNA by researchers in Seoul, South Korea.

Wal-Mart praised for ethical gold service

US retail giant Wal-Mart’s new ethical gold initiative has been hailed by green campaigners.

Customers can track down the mine where the gold for their Wal-Mart Love Earth jewellery was sourced by entering a product code online, according to website Ethical Corporation.

They can also discover where their bracelets, rings and earrings were refined, polished and set, the site added.

It is hoped that the measure will reassure customers about the credibility of the chain’s environmental standards.

Wal-Mart aims to have ten per cent of all its jewellery traceable in this manner by 2010 and wants all of its mines and manufacturers to meet sustainability criteria, the news provider noted.

Ethical gold has become a popular choice for couples having environmentally-friendly weddings, according to the Press and Journal.

“Unusually high” gold values discovered in Chile

Explorator Resources has revealed that it has intersected gold grades at the El Espino-Venus project in Chile that have the potential to ‘substantially increase’ resources.

The firm stated that it had discovered "unusually high" gold values at the Pirata and Portugeasa zones of the programme.

Significant figures included 1.79 g/t across 43 metres, 2.98 g/t across 30 metres, 3.58 g/t across ten metres and 1.01 g/t across 102 metres.

"We are very encouraged by the results of follow-up drilling … [this] could potentially have a positive impact on the overall project economics," remarked president and chief executive officer David O’Connor.

He added that many of the gold intercepts are shallow, some at surface level, meaning a gold-rich mill feed could soon be developed by the company.

Meanwhile, Andina Minerals recently announced that it was searching for a senior mine professional to head operations at the Volcan project situated on Chile’s Maricunga gold belt.

Constitution Mining to use green techniques for Peru gold production

Constitution Mining has announced that it is aiming to revolutionise gold production after acquiring 382km2 of "strategically positioned" mining projects in the Gold Sands district of north-east Peru.

Chief executive officer Dr Willem Fuchter has revealed that the firm wishes to produce gold in the area using environmentally-friendly techniques that do not use substances such as mercury or cyanide.

"Over the past 25 years many of the world’s leachable deposits have been tapped, leaving the industry in search of newer and more environmentally sound methods of extracting gold," he remarked.

He added that the company will spearhead a movement that could see a "new paradigm" unfold in the world of gold exploration.

The legendary lost golden treasures of the ancient Inca race are thought to be somewhere in Peru or Ecuador.

Tales of the mystical gold originate from the 16th century when the empire was giving way to European invaders, according to National Geographic.

New gold area found on NQ Exploration’s Aylmer project

NQ Exploration has announced that reconnaissance work carried out on the Aylmer project in James Bay over the summer has resulted in the discovery of a new gold zone.

A grab sample from the area of volcanogenic massive sulphide provided a grade of 1.36 g/t Au.

The exploration also re-discovered an old gold showing, returning a grade of 1.13 g/t Au, revealing that gold mineralisation is still present on that particular spot.

President David Grondin said that the company was "encouraged" by the results, which were the first to prove that gold is evident on the north block of the property.

This work has clearly demonstrated the potential of the Aylmer property for the discovery of gold and base metal deposits," he added.

Meanwhile, James Bay Resources revealed that it has begun drilling on its McFauld’s Lake Ring of Fire project in northern Ontario.

Romios Gold praises British Columbia energy project

Romios Gold has hailed the British Columbia government’s decision to inject new funding into a power line scheme that will benefit gold projects in the area.

Premier Gordon Campbell announced that $20 million (£11.3 million) in total will be spent on development and environmental work for the new Northwest Transmission Line in the Galore Creek area, where Romios has several operations.

"We are encouraged by the British Columbia government’s initiative … the power line would provide the infrastructure required to further the economic potential of these projects," commented president Tom Drivas.

The move is the first step towards completing the 287-kilovolt line, which will run from Terrace to Dease Lake.

It is hoped the scheme will attract billions of dollars of investment into the area, create new jobs and reduce reliance on diesel to generate electricity.

Premier Gordon also unveiled a $25 million fund to help the development of innovative, clean energy projects for the province’s rural communities.

VG Gold reports high results from Buffalo Ankerite

VG Gold has reported high-grade gold results from the South Mine area of its Buffalo Ankerite project in Ontario.

One hole returned 12.45 g/t Au over 9.1 metres, including a section of 72.07 g/t Au over 1.5 metres.

Another provided 12.10 g/t Au over 1.5 metres.

A total of four exploration holes were drilled in order to test gold trends running in an east-to-westerly direction in the east zone of the property.

It is now known that a large porphyry body - a well-documented source of gold mineralisation in the area - is present on the site at a depth of more than 1,000 metres below ground.

The firm stated that the project "contains elements of the most prolific geological environments for gold deposition in the Timmins area".

Nearby, the McIntyre, Dome and Hollinger mines have a combined gold output of over 40 million ounces.

Timmins sits on the Precambrian Shield, the oldest geological formation on the planet, which underlies most of northern Ontario.

Misaki to reveal new watch collection at TFWA World Exhibition

Jewellery designer Misaki will unveil its new range of timepieces for 2009 at the Tax Free World Association (TFWA) exhibition to be held in Cannes at the end of the month, it has been revealed.

Following the success of its previous collections, the firm has expanded its product portfolio of fashionable watches, according to the Moodie Report.

The 02 piece, inspired by water droplets, is available in gold and rose gold.

And a new design, Dawn, has been released in gold to complement the company’s Dusk collection.

Other updated brands include the Monte Carlo, Marina and Acqua lines, all of which will be on show at the jewellery exhibition.

The event will be launched on Monday October 27th at the Palais des Festivals et des Congres in Cannes.

As well as the wealth of jewellery that will be on display, workshops are being held to discuss the rapidly emerging duty free retail trade in the Asia Pacific region.

Goldex progressing at Arco project in Mexico

Goldex Resources has announced that it is "well-funded" to carry out this year’s exploration programmes and is making progress at its Arco project in Durango, Mexico.

Geological mapping and surface sampling have been conducted at the location and assay results have been received.

The firm revealed that of 354 samples, 41 returned grades of more than one g/t au, 15 were greater than two g/t Au and two provided results of over five g/t Au.

In addition, the tests show that gold values of more than 0.5 g/t tend to group along vein structures, suggesting that ore shoots may be present that could potentially be targeted for drilling.

President Charles Ross stated that work has now progressed from the central zone outwards to peripheral areas where only a few veins of mineralisation are exposed.

Mazorro Resources and Oro Gold recently revealed that they had received "positive assay results" from the Cimarron project situated 40km east of Mazatlan, Mexico.

Update from Alta Floresta gold province

Linear Gold has provided an update of its activities at the El Filao and Serrinha projects in the Alta Floresta gold province in Mato Grosso State, Brazil.

Highlights from drilling at El Filao include 10.2 g/t gold across 5.07 metres and 6.5 g/t gold across 2.46 metres.

The site is situated on a vertically-dipping high-grade gold mineralisation system, the firm noted.

At the Serrinha project, a programme of geological mapping, rock sampling and prospecting was conducted over the summer.

This exploration identified an area that is part of the Serrinha gold-bearing quartz vein system, which has historically been excavated by artisanal miners.

President Wade Dawe stated that the firm is continuing to "actively explore" for metal projects including its joint ventures with Everton Resources in the Dominican Republic and Kinross Gold in Mexico.

Kinross also has operations in Brazil, the US, Russia and Chile and employs around 5,000 people.

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