R.G. Havens C.L. Sainsbury A.L. Sutton 1973 <p>The spectrochemical method described herein for determining&nbsp;trace, minor, and major element distribution in native gold is&nbsp;applicable over a wide range of particle sizes and over a very large&nbsp;concentration range. The matrices of samples and standards are very&nbsp;closely matched. The method was tested on 100 nuggets from a gold&nbsp;sample collected in Alaska. The data show that the method is adequate&nbsp;for 30 of the 31 elements checked; only the mercury values are not&nbsp;acceptable. The data also show that more than one sample is necessary&nbsp;for a complete evaluation of all elements in one geologic location.</p> application/pdf en U.S. Geological Survey A spectrochemical method for determining the composition of native gold article