Angels Camp in Calaveras County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Gold Furnace
Photographed by Syd Whittle, June 17, 2012
1. Gold Furnace Marker
Inscription.
Gold Furnace. . A gold furnace was commonly used to separate mercury from the gold. In gold placer mining, in which small specks and veins of gold were often found in quartz, mercury was used to separate the gold from the quartz. This bonding of the mercury and gold is known as amalgam. After processing in the mill and concentrators, the recovered amalgam of mercury and gold was heated to vaporize the mercury and recover the gold. In a small furnace like this, it would take about seven hours for the mercury to vaporize and be recovered, leaving the gold ready to pour into bricks or other forms as desired.
A gold furnace was commonly used to separate mercury from the gold. In gold placer mining, in which small specks and veins of gold were often found in quartz, mercury was used to separate the gold from the quartz. This bonding of the mercury and gold is known as amalgam. After processing in the mill and concentrators, the recovered amalgam of mercury and gold was heated to vaporize the mercury and recover the gold. In a small furnace like this, it would take about seven hours for the mercury to vaporize and be recovered, leaving the gold ready to pour into bricks or other forms as desired.
Location. 38° 4.577′ N, 120° 32.83′ W. Marker is in Angels Camp, California, in Calaveras County. It can be reached from South Main Street/Golden Chain Highway (State Highway 49). The marker is located on the rear display grounds of the Angels Camp Museum. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 584 South Main Street, Angels Camp CA 95222, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in California’s Gold Country and in the Sierra Nevada. It is also in the American Mountain West. Globally, it is in North America, the Pacific Rim, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexicos Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Whim (here, next to this marker); The Monitor (here, next to this marker);
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on July 5, 2012, by Syd Whittle of Mesa, Arizona. This page has been viewed 786 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on July 5, 2012, by Syd Whittle of Mesa, Arizona.
