The effect of silver minerals on the dissolution behaviour of gold particles embedded within multi-sulphidic minerals was investigated. A multi-layer packed-bed reactor approach was used to study the leaching behaviour of free gold (within silica) and gold associated with a series of synthetic multi-mineral systems consisting of pyrite, silica, and successively, X=chalcopyrite, sphalerite, and stibnite. The reactor was filled with sieved powders of sulphidic minerals (pyrite, X), gold and silica and arranged as electrically-isolated three-layer //Pyrite//X//Silica// and two-layer //Pyrite+X//Silica// systems. Gold powder was introduced successively in each layer of the three- and two-layer mineral systems and the gold leaching behaviour was studied. The highest gold recovery was achieved for the gold particles within the pyrite layer while the lowest was within the silica layer. In case of the //Pyrite//Stibnite//Silica// system, the surface passivation inhibited gold leaching strongly. Gold cyanidation experiments were also performed with the addition of silver minerals, with both Au and Ag minerals dispersed in a three-layer //Pyrite//X//Silica// and two-layer //Pyrite+X//Silica// systems. Silver minerals addition proved beneficial for the pyrite-sphalerite-silica system. Gold leaching was severely retarded for the pyrite-chalcopyrite-silica and pyrite-stibnite-silica systems. Passivating films were observed at the surface of gold particles in case of gold cyanidation with pyrite-chalcopyrite-silica and pyrite-stibnite-silica systems.