mineral
Gold Nugget
Native Gold (Au)
AI-generated identification · may be incorrectHardness: 2.5-3 (Mohs scale), Color: Golden yellow, Luster: Metallic, Crystal Structure: Cubic, Cleavage: None, Specific Gravity: 19.3
- Hardness
- 2
Identified More mineral →
Explore Gold Nugget in the encyclopedia →Identify your own rocks.
Get a report just like this from any photo, free.
Physical properties
Hardness: 2.5-3 (Mohs scale), Color: Golden yellow, Luster: Metallic, Crystal Structure: Cubic, Cleavage: None, Specific Gravity: 19.3
Formation & geological history
Formed in hydrothermal quartz veins by precipitation from hot mineral-rich fluids deep in the crust, or concentrated in placer deposits through erosion and stream transport.
Uses & applications
Financial investment (bullion), jewelry, electronics (conductivity), and dentistry because it is non-reactive.
Geological facts
Gold is incredibly malleable; a single ounce can be beaten into a sheet covering 100 square feet. Most terrestrial gold originated from meteorite impacts billions of years ago.
Field identification & locations
Identify by its density (it is much heavier than it looks), malleability (it bends rather than shatters), and bright yellow streak. Found in quartz veins or stream beds.
More like this
Other mineral specimens
Sandstone (with potential mineral staining/concretions)
Arenite (SiO2 based)
sedimentary
Mineral Sand (Heavy Mineral Sand Concentrate)
Placer deposit concentrate containing minerals such as ilmenite, rutile, zircon, and magnetite
mineral
Calcite–fluorite mineral specimen with iron-oxide staining
Calcite (CaCO₃), likely fluorite (CaF₂), with possible quartz and iron/manganese oxides
mineral
Septarian Pebble
Septarian nodule / Concretion
sedimentary
Soil with Mineral Detritus and Quartz Fragments
Regolith / Silicate Mineral Aggregate
sedimentary
Schist
Schist
Metamorphic