Elko has long been riding the roller coaster of gold prices, which have been on a steep climb over the past 10 years.
Yet, while the area mines produce about as much gold as South Africa, the quality isn't exactly top-notch.
"The gold mining here is microscopic," according to Curtis Calder, Elko's city manager. "You can't even see it."
But when gold prices are soaring at $1,600 an ounce, even "microscopic gold" is worth pursuing. Mining companies have stepped up exploration and extraction and are hiring.
Those who don't find work mining gold, can try their hand at molybdenum -- a metal used to make very hard steel alloys. A new $1 billion molybdenum mine is currently under construction.
