Gold nuggets often form in areas with quartz because it has a special property called piezoelectricity. This means that when quartz is stressed, it can produce electricity.

Scientists reveal that earthquakes generate electricity in quartz, explaining how enormous gold nuggets grow in deep rock fractures.

New research suggests that electricity generated by earthquakes might be the key to the formation of giant gold nuggets. The study by geologists at Melbourne’s Monash University is published in Nature ...

A glittery nugget of wisdom. Spark of Gold. Electric currents in the Earth may be responsible for the formation of gold nuggets, new research suggests.

A triceratop’s nasal horn, fossilized horse skull, and a 10-pound golden nugget uncovered by a couple using a metal detector over 40 years ago are only some of the rarities set for auction on ...

The largest gold nugget ever discovered was “Welcome Stranger,” found in Australia in 1869 weighing 156.6 pounds. It was split into fragments and split between 17 miners, according to the BBC.

Gold naturally forms in quartz — the second-most abundant mineral in Earth's crust after feldspar. But unlike other types of gold deposits, those found in quartz often cluster into giant nuggets ...

In short: Findings suggest gold nuggets can form in quartz veins as a result of electricity produced by the pressure of earthquakes. The gold is carried in super-hot liquids from the Earth's core ...