Native Gold
Eagles Nest Mine
Placer County
California, USA

This specimen measures 12.5cm x 5cm

     Gold was one of the earliest known elements. It's chemical symbal Au is from the Latin Aurum. This rich, yellow metal has been cherished by mankind since prior to recorded history. Archeological findings as far back as 4000 BC find crafted gold ornaments in the Mesopotamian region and in pre-Columbian artifacts of the New World.
     Gold's high atomic mass and closest cubic packing make it one of the densest of metals. It is highly malleable, chemically inert to most elements, and highly conductive to electricity.
     Most of the world's gold is mined in the native state as hydrothermal lode and disseminated deposits, or as alluvial placers.

Gold Au

Native elements, often forms with some silver, copper, and iron

Color and Luster: Gold-yellow, brass-yellow, pale yellow; does not tarnish; metallic; streak gold-yellow, shiny

Hardness: 2.5-3

Cleavage: None

Fracture: Hackly, ductile and malleable

Crystals: Isometeric; commonly octahedral, dodecahedral, and cubic; commonly distorted; also grains, scales, lumps, plates, leaves, and wires

Photo by Mary Sutherland

Descriptions taken from
The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and Minerals