Editing Gold nugget (section)

{{short description|Piece of gold}}
{{hatnote|"Gold nugget" may also refer to the catfish [[Baryancistrus xanthellus]] or the mango cultivar [[Gold Nugget]].}}
[[File:Goldinpan.jpg|thumb|upright|Alaskan gold grains and nuggets of various sizes]]
A '''gold nugget''' is a naturally occurring piece of [[Native metal|native]] [[gold]]. [[Watercourse]]s often concentrate nuggets and finer gold in [[placer deposit|placers]]. Nuggets are recovered by [[placer mining]], but they are also found in residual deposits where the gold-bearing [[vein (geology)|veins]] or [[lode]]s are weathered. Nuggets are also found in the [[tailings]] piles of previous mining operations, especially those left by [[gold mining]] dredges.