The mine, Ecuador's largest, delivered 108,799 ounces of gold in the three months to June 30, up from 104,137 ounces in the previous quarter.

Scientists used high-precision isotopic analysis to identify the ore sources of hacksilber that served as means of payment in the southern Levant.

The 3.2 million tonnes per annum Motheo open pit mine could help Botswana curb its dependence on diamond mining.

Oxford researchers say it is possible to extract copper, gold, zinc, silver and lithium from brines trapped in porous rocks at depths of 2 kilometres below dormant volcanoes.

Despite gold's price slump, strong copper and iron ore prices lifted MINING.COM's ranking of the world's 50 most valuable miners to a new record high of $1.35 trillion.