 It was only smelted where there was enough wood for the fires and cheaper steel was not readily available.Therefore, the material was considered to be economically unimportant in China.However, because the mining was safe, outdoor work, it was practiced by local farmers to supplement their income wherever it was available; in the 19th century 1000 pounds of sluiced sand typically sold for the equivalent of 50 to 60 US dollars (by 2016 exchange rates ~ 900--1000 dollars or 700--800 euros).