Gold complexes arsenides

Silver and gold occur native, and in sulfide, arsenide and telluride ores, e.g. argentite (Ag2S) and sylvanite ((Ag,Au)Te2). Silver is usually worked from the residues of Cu, Ni or Pb refining and, like Au, can be extracted from all its ores by reaction 22.4, the cyano complex being reduced to the metal by Zn. ... 

In the second Perfection, alchemists seek to move gold through its oxidation states. Gold has five standard oxidation states but is mostly found in Au(I) and Au(III) compounds and complexes. These are uncombined gold, sulphide ore and arsenide ore. Refiners easily extract gold metal from simple compounds using cyanide complexes. 

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