Gold

Hardness: 2.5–3.0 (Mohs scale); Color: Metallic gold yellow; Luster: Metallic; Crystal Structure: Isometric (cubic); Cleavage: None; Specific Gravity: 19.3 (very high)

Formed in hydrothermal veins through hot, mineral-rich fluids passing through fissures in the Earth's crust; also found in secondary alluvial (placer) deposits through weathering and transport by water.

Primary use in jewelry, investment/bullion, and electronics due to its high conductivity and resistance to corrosion; also used in dentistry and aerospace.

Gold is one of the least reactive chemical elements and is solid under standard conditions. It is so malleable that a single ounce can be beaten into a sheet covering 100 square feet.

Identify in the field by its distinct yellow color that does not tarnish, its high density (it will quickly sink to the bottom of a gold pan), and its malleability (it will dent rather than shatter like pyrite). Found in quartz veins or stream beds.