Quick Facts about Gold

• Gold is a yellow, noble metal
• Its chemical symbol is Au, from Aurora, or dawn
• Pure gold is 24 karats, or 99.999% pure. 100% pure gold is nearly impossible to refine.
• Gold is a very dense metal with a density of 19.32 g/cm3 which gives it a very heavy atomic weight of 196.9665 g/atom, which is why solid gold jewelry is so heavy.

As most people are aware, gold is one of natures many elements as well as one of the rarest. It possess a number of desirable physical characteristics that have all contributed to making it one of the most valuable commodities in the world. It has a beautiful natural color, it is malleable to the extreme, and in its pure form, it is impervious to corrosion of any sort.

Because gold is ductile and malleable in it's pure form, it must be alloyed with various other metals to harden it and in some cases, change it's color. The metals used in the alloying process include silver, copper, nickel, zinc, tin and manganese.