Gold has been dissolving in the original core of the Pyrenees since the Paleozoic: about 300 million years ago. The erosion was diluting those rocks with their minerals on the Segre River, that's why there is gold in this river. And they have returned the activities to look for nuggets of gold in the Segre, especially at the height of Balaguer (Lleida). Gold fever returns, but without hurry, just to have fun and enrich yourself with the experience.
The Segre River is considered a gold river. The Segre Gold Interpretation Center divulges the history and characteristics of the river. One of the most intense passages of its history has to do with the presence of gold.
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The Arabs who conquered this territory were not expelled until the 12th century, well into the Middle Ages. The Christians could not appropriate this land because the Arabs paid the troops with the gold that was extracted from the Segre. It was a nucleus with natural resources.
Today the extraction of gold from the Segre is one of the most fun and enriching activities of the Segre Gold Interpretation Center. During the activity, gold locating and extraction techniques are learned. And if you can find it, you take it home. The 18-karat gold gram is paid at 28.95 €
How gold is extracted from rivers
Gold is a heavy metal: gold remains while other metals are carried by the river. It is not a question of weight, but of density. The density expresses the relationship between mass and volume. It is the amount of matter in a volume. A small nugget of gold is denser than any other metal.
Once a sedimentation zone is located, as taught from the Museu d'Interpretació, it's time to put on your boots and take the punt. A handful of earth and stones are collected with the tray. Once in the river, in favor of the current, the contents of the tray are caressed with water.
It is a task that requires patience and a certain precision. A few turns to the punt and a small impulse to the outside: the objective is to expel the stones, the earth and the lighter minerals. Gold is one of the densest elements in the universe, so if it is, it will remain in the container.
After each exercise, it will be enough to look at the filtered contents of the pan. You have to be alert: gold nuggets can be tiny. If you choose a sunny day, you can identify them more easily by the brightness.
If you want to learn more, we recommend a trip to Balaguer and its Museum of Interpretation of the Segre . We also link the work of Dr. Manuel Viladevall Solé, geological engineer: The prospection of gold and other dense mineral pleasures .
Why is gold measured in "carats"?
The Greeks have gone down in history as the inventors of myths, democracy and philosophy. With so many and such great attributes, his contribution to jewelry has gone unnoticed.
Carat is a derivative of the Greek word keratio : "carob." A carat is a carob tree seed. As you hear it. The Greeks realized that algorrobo seeds always weigh the same, so they used them as a measuring instrument. The Romans adopted the seeds in their weight scales: a gold coin weighed the same as 24 seeds of carob (24 carats).
Today the "carat" of gold indicates purity, not weight. That is to say: the gold alloy with copper or silver. An 18-carat piece contains 3/4 gold and 1/4 other mineral. But in other jewels, like diamonds, the carat expresses its weight. Look where you look, gold is always special.