The guanidine ion pairing functionality, which exists in its protonated form at pH < 10.5, is introduced. Reagents having this functionality are shown to be strong, and somewhat selective, extractants for gold from typical low-grade cyanide leach liquors. The gold is readily stripped and concentrated at pH > 13.5. Continuous solvent extraction circuits, run in the laboratory and in the field, suggest that leach-SX-EW technology, so successfully applied in the copper industry, is technically feasible for gold.