mineral
Gold Nugget
Native Gold (Au)
AI-generated identification · may be incorrectHardness: 2.5-3.0 Mohs; Color: Golden-yellow; Luster: Metallic; Crystal Structure: Isometric (cubic); Cleavage: None; Specific Gravity: 19.3
- Hardness
- 2
- Color
- Golden-yellow
- Luster
- Metallic
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: 2.5-3.0 Mohs; Color: Golden-yellow; Luster: Metallic; Crystal Structure: Isometric (cubic); Cleavage: None; Specific Gravity: 19.3
Formation & geological history
Primary deposits form from hydrothermal fluids in quartz veins; secondary 'placer' deposits form when erosion washes gold into streams where it concentrates due to high density.
Uses & applications
Used in electronics for high conductivity, jewelry for aesthetic and non-reactive properties, as a financial reserve/investment, and in dentistry.
Geological facts
Gold is incredibly ductile; a single ounce can be drawn into a wire 50 miles long. Most gold on Earth's surface arrived via meteorite impacts billions of years ago.
Field identification & locations
Identify by its 'malleability'—it will dent rather than shatter like pyrite ('Fool\'s Gold'). Look for it in stream beds, inside bends of rivers, or in quartz outcroppings.
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