Hydrophobic magnetite was used to selectively recover fine gold (< 10 mum) from a gold-zircon mixture. Magnetite was rendered hydrophobic by a surface Coating of silanes. Gold was flocculated with magnetite with the aid of potassium amyl xanthate (PAX), and recovery of gold and magnetite then achieved by magnetic separation. The optimum pH for gold recovery in the gold-magnetite system was pH 4, while for the gold-zircon-magnetite system it was pH 9. This disparity was explained by attrition of gold from magnetite in the presence of zircon. Greater attraction between gold and magnetite due to a hydrophobic interaction was proposed as an explanation for selectivity.