Image- © Don Bendickson/Shutterstock.com

Traces of Gold Found in Crofts Hill, Clarendon?

August 17, 2022

While growing excitement may be spreading among residents of Crofts Hill in northern Clarendon after potential traces of gold were discovered in soil samples, experts caution that there is not yet a definitive answer as to whether the area contains the precious metal.

According to reports from the Jamaica Gleaner, separate operations are being carried out by Geophyxs Jamaica and C3 Metals INC., a Canadian mining exploration company, both of which have acquired exclusive prospecting licenses to search for gold, copper, and other minerals in the area and its surroundings.

There has since been a rising expectation that valuable deposits are about to be discovered, which is a result of C3 Minerals increasing its presence in the area and employing men from the community to help with the collection of soil samples. Consequently, this has grabbed the attention of residents and increased the presumption that the area may contain several valuable minerals.

One Crofts Hill resident, Windon Simpson, told the news outlet that the foreign company has marked sections of the community and indicated that they have additional interest in exploration but have been reluctant to give details.

Another resident, Leroy Elson told The Gleaner that he was approached by men linked to C3 Minerals who revealed that they were in search of precious metals, but appeared to avoid mentioning the gold as if to keep it hidden from residents.

Elson went on to state, “Them say after them take the samples and go lab and test and see what them get out of it, then the Government a go come in, and whosoever have papers (land titles) have talk.”

According to the vice president of exploration at C3 Minerals, Stephen Hughes, the project is in its early stages, and the results of the samples that are still in the process of being collected will take months to return. Hughes stated that no discovery was made besides pyrite, also called ‘fool’s gold’. He also noted that any reports of interest in land acquisitions are false.