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Mineral Properties (Narrative) (Details) (USD $) | 1 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended | 1 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Apr. 30, 2014 | Jan. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2012 | Oct. 31, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2016
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Payment to be made under letter of interest |  | $ 50,000 vgz_PaymentToBeMadeUnderLetterOfInterest |  |  |  |  |  |
Proceeds to be received from sale of joint venture interest |  |  |  | (7,000)vgz_ProceedsToBeReceivedFromSaleOfJointVentureInterest |  |  |  |
Percentage of interest sold |  |  | 100.00%vgz_PercentageOfInterestSold |  |  |  |  |
ExclusivityPeriod |  | 90 days |  |  |  |  |  |
Payments to Acquire Interest in Joint Venture | 500,000 us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireInterestInJointVenture |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Gain on disposal of mineral property, net |  |  |  |  | 2,934,000 vgz_GainLossOnDispositionOfMineralPropertyNetOfCosts |  |  |
Write-down of mineral property |  |  | (750,000)us-gaap_ImpairmentOfOngoingProject |  | (250,000)us-gaap_ImpairmentOfOngoingProject |  |  |
Write-down of mineral property |  |  | 750,000 us-gaap_ImpairmentOfOngoingProject |  | 250,000 us-gaap_ImpairmentOfOngoingProject |  |  |
Subsequent Event [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Proceeds to be received from sale of joint venture interest |  |  | 6,000,000 vgz_ProceedsToBeReceivedFromSaleOfJointVentureInterest / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember |  |  |  |  |
Los Cardones, Mexico [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sale price of gold project |  |  | 13,000,000 vgz_SalePriceOfGoldProject / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = vgz_ConcordiaMexicoMember |  |  |  |  |
Proceeds from Divestiture of Interest in Subsidiaries and Affiliates |  |  |  |  |  | 7,000,000 us-gaap_ProceedsFromDivestitureOfInterestInSubsidiariesAndAffiliates / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = vgz_ConcordiaMexicoMember |  |
Cangold Limited [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of Interest in joint venture to be returned upon election not to make payment |  | 70.00%vgz_PercentageOfInterestInJointVentureToBeReturnedUponElectionNotToMakePayment / dei_LegalEntityAxis = vgz_CangoldLimitedMember |  |  |  |  |  |
Cangold Limited [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of payments |  | 5 vgz_NumberOfPayments / dei_LegalEntityAxis = vgz_CangoldLimitedMember / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember |  |  |  |  |  |
Period of payment |  | 3 years |  |  |  |  |  |
Additional payment to acquire interest in joint venture |  | 3,000,000 vgz_AdditionalPaymentToAcquireInterestInJointVenture / dei_LegalEntityAxis = vgz_CangoldLimitedMember / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of additional interest in joint venture to be earned |  | 30.00%vgz_PercentageOfAdditionalInterestInJointVentureToBeEarned / dei_LegalEntityAxis = vgz_CangoldLimitedMember / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember |  |  |  |  |  |
Payments to Acquire Interest in Joint Venture |  | 5,000,000,000 us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireInterestInJointVenture / dei_LegalEntityAxis = vgz_CangoldLimitedMember / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember |  |  |  |  |  |
Second Year [Member] | Cangold Limited [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Payments to Acquire Interest in Joint Venture |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,500,000 us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireInterestInJointVenture / vgz_JointVentureInstallmentPaymentsAxis = vgz_SecondYearMember / dei_LegalEntityAxis = vgz_CangoldLimitedMember / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember |
First Year [Member] | Cangold Limited [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Payments to Acquire Interest in Joint Venture |  |  | 1,000,000 us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireInterestInJointVenture / vgz_JointVentureInstallmentPaymentsAxis = vgz_FirstYearMember / dei_LegalEntityAxis = vgz_CangoldLimitedMember / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember |  |  |  |  |
Third Year [Member] | Cangold Limited [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Payments to Acquire Interest in Joint Venture |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2,500,000 us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireInterestInJointVenture / vgz_JointVentureInstallmentPaymentsAxis = vgz_ThirdYearMember / dei_LegalEntityAxis = vgz_CangoldLimitedMember / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
Buy back Option [Member] | Cangold Limited [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Payments to Acquire Interest in Joint Venture |  | $ 5,000,000 us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireInterestInJointVenture / vgz_JointVentureInstallmentPaymentsAxis = vgz_BuyBackOptionMember / dei_LegalEntityAxis = vgz_CangoldLimitedMember / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember |  |  |  |  |  |

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