Abstract: A process and apparatus for extracting gold fines and other precious metals dissolved or suspended in water and not usually visible to the naked eye by circulating a stream of water determined to contain such gold fines and the like downwardly through a tank and into contact with electrostatically charged particles of mercury thereby causing any gold or other precious metals in the water to react with the mercury forming amalgams. The gold and other precious metals may then be separated from the amalgams by any suitable techniques known in the art.