This article describes and analyzes the mechanisms through which gold mining in Colombia has become associated with the armed conflict and crime since 2000. It is a contribution to the vast field of studies of the political economy of armed conflicts, which has shifted its focus from a link between resources and conflict to examining the particularities of the mechanisms and contexts in which that link emerges and the paths which it may follow. Based on primary and secondary sources, this article argues that the specific characteristics of mining deposits in Colombia and the context in which they are exploited help to explain the presence and the particularities of the mechanisms in question. It finishes by presenting some general recommendations for public policies and future lines of research.