Native Gold
Terrible Mine
Silver Plume, Colorado
This specimen measures 6cm x 5cm
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
Note: Specimen donated by W. A. N. Severance
Photo by Mary Sutherland
Descriptions taken from
The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and Minerals