Gold is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile precious metal.
Core Principles & Analysis
Gold has been treasured since prehistory, with the graves of Varna, Bulgaria holding gold artifacts more than 6,000 years old.
It is the most malleable of metals, beatable into sheets a few hundred atoms thick, and it resists tarnish, dissolving only in mixtures such as aqua regia.
Beyond bullion and jewelry, gold plates reliable electrical contacts in electronics and its nanoparticles enable rapid diagnostic tests.