Abstract: A process for treating a particulated gold bearing ore to recover the gold therein is disclosed. The process includes roasting the ore to remove sulfides as sulfur dioxide followed by chlorination of the ore at a temperature of about 350.degree. C. in the presence of iron to form a mixture of volatile gold chlorides and volatile gold-iron chlorides in the chlorine off gases followed by condensing the gold compounds by passing the mixture through a salt such as sodium chloride to form a salt melt and separating the gold from the melt.