Gold Nugget

Hardness: 2.5–3.0 on Mohs scale; Color: Golden-yellow; Luster: Metallic; Crystal Structure: Isometric (rare in nuggets); Cleavage: None; Specific Gravity: 19.3

Primary formation occurs in hydrothermal quartz veins via volcanic activity. Placer nuggets (like this one) are formed as erosion releases the gold from the host rock and carries it downstream, where it is rounded by water and gravel, often found in Cenozoic era deposits.

Currency, investment/bullion, jewelry making, high-end electronics, and medical/dentistry applications.

Gold is incredibly ductile; a single ounce can be beaten into a sheet covering 100 square feet. Most nuggets found in rivers are 75% to 95% pure gold.

Identify by its high density (heavy for its size), metallic luster that remains bright in shade, and malleability (it will dent, not shatter). Commonly found in riverbeds and old stream channels using a gold pan.