The chemical element gold, atomic number 79, symbol Au (from the Latin aurum), is a soft, lustrous yellow, malleable metal. It is one of the transition metals and its atomic weight is 196.9; it belongs to group 1B in the periodic table along with copper and silver. +1 and +3 are the oxidation states of gold. The principal physical properties are showed in next lines:
- Color, yellow
- Luster, metallic
- Transparency, opaque.
- Crystal system, isometric
- Crystal habits, nuggets, grains, dendrites and arborescent clusters
- Absence of cleavage
- Fracture, jagged
- Streak, yellow
- Hardness, 2.5 – 3.0
- Specific Gravity, 19.3
- Common associated minerals include quartz, nagyagite, calaverite, sylvanite, krennerite, pyrite and other sulfides.
- Special properties: ductile, malleable and sectile. .
- Best Indicators are color and density
- Ionization potential, 9.223 ev
- Melting point, 1.063 oC
- Boling point, 2,966 oC
Below is a nugget, whose picture was taken with special camera lens that makes it look big and can be compared with 1/8 inch marks.
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| Gold Nugget | Microscopic gold grains |