In theory, the gold should cover the quartz evenly, because the hydrothermal fluids cover its surface. But in reality, the nuggets only form in concentrated areas.

Scientists have discovered exactly how earthquakes trigger quartz into forming large gold nuggets — finally solving a mystery that's puzzled researchers for decades. "Gold forms in quartz all ...

Quartz crystals produce electricity when they are deformed by mechanical stress, which may explain how enormous chunks of gold can form in inert rock Close Advertisement ...

When strained by earthquakes, underground networks of quartz veins can generate enough voltage to snatch gold from passing fluids, researchers report September 2 in Nature Geoscience.The findings ...

For decades, researchers have known that earthquakes, quartz, and gold were linked—nearly 75% of gold circulating today came from nuggets originally embedded in quartz deposits near faults.

Industrial gold-plating works in much the same way, only here we are gold-plating other gold. Back to nuggets Now we know how quartz and gold behave this way in the lab, we can think about geology ...

Take a back seat, polished gold. Your shiny and reflective surface has been looking a bit too brash recently as the matte, low-key look of brushed gold has been catching everyone’s eye.

Gold naturally forms in quartz — the second-most abundant mineral in Earth's crust after feldspar. But unlike other types of gold deposits, those found in quartz often cluster into giant nuggets ...