GOLD

Name: Gold (from the Latin "Aurum", the name of the metal in this language)

Symbol: Au

Group: 11

Period: 6

Block: d

Category: Transition metals

Atomic number: 79

Atomic mass: 196.97 u

Electrons per shell: 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 1

Electronegativity: 2.54

Density: 19.30 g/cc

Melting point: 1064ºC

Boiling point: 2865ºC

Thermal conductivity: 320 W (m·K)

Electrical conductivity: 4.5 × 10^7 S/m

Magnetic order: Diamagnetic

Ordinary state: Solid

Oxidation states: +3

Mohs Hardness: 2.5

Vickers Hardness: 216 MPa

Brinell Hardness: 2450 MPa

Most stable isotopes: Au-197 (100% - monoisotopic element)

Discoverer: Known since ancient times

Summarizing the history of Gold in a few paragraphs feels like a complicated task, but I will try.

Gold has been known for at least 4,000 years BC. It is the noblest of all metals, and is usually found in its pure state, forming the famous "nuggets" of golden color that stand out among any other solid substance due to their high density and golden luster, which has been described as possessing an "overpowering beauty" in the sense that it can enchant locals and strangers alike, as if it were something mystical, inexplicable in profane or purely scientific terms, which effectively reinforces the metal's mystical "aura." Because it is easily obtained (it appears as a pure, elemental metal) and due to its unique color among all known solids, it has been categorized, on a more lyrical/poetic level, as "the tears of the Sun." This explains, in part, why it has been known since such remote times, as it has allowed its working with minimal conditions: no metal or element in general is easier to work, even when cold.

It has been known worldwide since the dawn of time, and has been cited in virtually all ancient documents, not only concerning strictly material matters (documents that praise its properties from a technical point of view) but also those that delved into the "spiritual." This element is more than a perfect metal in many aspects; it is an authentic pillar of universal culture. Even to this day, Gold maintains its status as an idealized perfect material, the most elaborate of all, nothing less than a gift from the gods.

No people have the right, as is the case with other isolated elements like Tin, to claim greater prominence regarding Gold in the sense that it has been valued in the same way by peoples as distant as the Mayans and the Ancient Greeks, who coveted it more or less (depending on the case) to a great extent. It has also been directly or indirectly responsible for thousands of bloody wars, from tribal times and even recently, due to its preponderant role in the world economy, which I will discuss later.

Since time immemorial, Gold has played a much greater role than any other solid or non-solid substance, and is synonymous with all the good that can be said about an inert thing that is neither alive nor dead. Personally, I believe that Gold is the only element capable of entering through the eye into the "mind" or "soul" of men and women alike. I say this because otherwise it is very difficult for me to understand how so much killing has occurred in the mere exercise of accumulating it, given that it actually has no empirically proven positive effects, and being so scarce, it has very few uses "as a metal," unlike the vast majority of elements classified as such.

No, certainly Gold has never been valued merely for its properties, which are already incredible in themselves, but for its value as a jewel: it was, is, and will be the primary use of the element until the end of time.

Many have qualified this metal as the most "perfect" or "beautiful" element, not only among metals but among all members of the Periodic Table, to such an extent that it could be said to possess a special unwritten property for no other metal or element (not even Carbon in its Diamond form) capable of capturing everyone's attention and universally obtaining a disproportionate value if we consider that small nuggets of the metal have been used to pay for food, medicine, weapons, and tools—truly useful things—since Gold has no truly "essential" uses, no matter how much pseudo-scientists insist on attributing supernatural properties to it, such as curing diseases or purifying the soul, among many other things. It is important to always bear in mind that the symbolic value of Gold far exceeds its actual properties, which are unbeatable in themselves, which only reinforces the (vague and abstract, it must be said) idea that it is truly surrounded by a kind of magic (please do not take this statement literally) capable of enchanting anyone.

As a result, its role has been reflected not only in necessarily factual stories, such as chronicles, but also in fiction, which after all constitutes, in its own right, one of the strongest roots of people's cultures, whether in the form of tales, novels, brief treatises, poetry, as an analogue to everything that can be considered beautiful in some way.

Gold is the intrinsic "property" of all great emperors, kings, and princes; nobility in general, as well as gods or exalted figures. No material has ever been valued more than Gold in any culture of the world, and wherever you go, it will have a different name, but it will be revered equally.

Regarding this, the metal often goes from being considered the most perfect and sacred to something sterile and with a bloody background because the pursuit of accumulating it has displaced hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of soldiers over the centuries, across all continents and peoples without exception. Its negative aspect derives precisely from the value given to it; it is a symbol of pure materialism in the worst sense, the abandonment of soul, sensitivity, and empathy, and the selling of all humble and simple principles in exchange for something that is, precisely, just a metal (beyond pseudo-mystical properties attributed to it). This is Gold; it awakens interest among all people equally, or at least it is well known even among those who see it as more of an evil than a good for humanity for the reasons I have previously mentioned.

In any case, it leaves no one indifferent, and its cultural weight is much higher than that of the metal itself in the purely physical, scientific, elemental sense.

Gold appears in its native state as nuggets, which exhibit great purity. This is because the metal is reluctant to combine with chalcogens (Oxygen and Sulfur) as well as with Carbon. It also does not usually mix with other metals naturally, although Gold-Silver alloys, Gold-Copper alloys, and even mixtures of all three in nugget form exist. Gold's affinity for these metals is high, so it can be obtained in trace amounts in ores, i.e., as a byproduct of Copper and Silver mining. It can also be found in Tin, Zinc, Lead, Nickel mines, among others, though this is rarer. Gold is one of the few metals that forms tellurides, meaning it prefers to combine with Tellurium (a chalcogen) rather than with Sulfur or Oxygen, which are in the same family as this element.

The world's main reserves are in South Africa and other parts of that continent, explaining the British and French expansion in this land, just as the Spanish and Portuguese expansion was in Central and South America, with parts also in North America. But even before the "Overseas" expansion of the great European powers of the late Middle Ages and early Modern Age, Rome had already extended throughout Western Europe (both north and south, Britannia and Iberia respectively) in the "hunt" for the metal. The largest Gold mines in Europe, after more than two thousand years of exploitation, continue to be those in Northwest Spain. The original amount of Gold in Europe is estimated to be much greater than the current amount, but having been revisited for centuries in search of new deposits (the vast majority now exhausted), it is considered, rightly so, depleted (not in vain do we refer to Europe as "the old continent").

Gold frequently appears in fluvial deposits (rivers, streams) where it is carried by the current from the mountain peaks where rivers and riverbeds originate, traversing the land. Being so dense, it sinks among the stones, making its extraction problematic.

It is one of the few metals you could find walking through a jungle in its elemental state. The problem, of course, is that such jungles, forests, deserts (think of any remote or virgin place) are no longer so and have already been explored.

It is a very scarce and expensive metal.

Gold (Au), chemical element with atomic number 79, is known as "the King of Metals" for its unique combination of physical, chemical, and cultural properties. As a noble and precious metal, it stands out for its chemical inertia, resisting corrosion by oxygen (O₂), sulfur (S), or most acids, including aqua regia under certain conditions. Its characteristic yellow color with a slight reddish tint, along with a soft, non-crystalline metallic luster, distinguishes it from other elements. In its pure form (24 carats), Gold presents a more intense hue than in common alloys, such as 18k Gold (75% Au), which incorporates metals like Copper (Cu) or Silver (Ag) to modify its color and resistance.

With a density of 19.32 g/cm³, Gold is one of the heaviest metals, surpassed only by elements such as Osmium (Os) or Iridium (Ir). It is the most malleable and ductile element on the periodic table, surpassing Platinum (Pt); a single gram of Gold can be flattened into a sheet of approximately 1 m² or stretched into a wire several kilometers long. This malleability, along with its softness (2.5–3 hardness on the Mohs scale), allows it to be worked cold without the need for heating, a key advantage for jewelers and goldsmiths. However, this softness limits its mechanical resistance, so it is traditionally alloyed with Copper, Silver, Nickel (Ni), or Zinc (Zn) to improve its rigidity and dimensional stability in applications such as jewelry and coins.

Gold is an excellent thermal and electrical conductor, surpassed only by Silver (Ag) and Copper (Cu), with an electrical conductivity of approximately 70% of Copper. Its diamagnetic nature allows it to repel magnetic fields, a useful property in high-precision electronic applications. Chemically, Gold forms alloys with transition metals unusual for its group, such as Iron (Fe), Cobalt (Co), Nickel, Aluminum (Al), Zinc, and, in small proportions, Titanium (Ti). These alloys expand its versatility in industrial applications. Although its main use remains jewelry (about 50% of world production), Gold is also essential in electronics, where it is used in connectors and circuits due to its corrosion resistance, and in dentistry due to its biocompatibility. Its scarcity (0.004 ppm in the Earth's crust) and ease of working have consolidated its status as a metal of universal value, from antiquity to the modern era.

Gold (Au), with atomic number 79, is the noble metal par excellence due to its exceptional chemical inertia, which makes it practically immune to corrosion under most conditions. It does not react with common acids or bases, nor with oxygen (O₂), sulfur (S), or elemental halogens, such as fluorine (F₂), at temperatures below 500 °C. The only notable exception is aqua regia, a mixture of nitric acid (HNO₃) and hydrochloric acid (HCl) in a 1:3 ratio, which dissolves Gold with relative ease, forming gold chloride (AuCl₃). This property, which inspired the name "regia" (royal water) for its ability to dissolve the "king of metals," underscores its chemical singularity. Gold's stability, derived from its high ionization energy and low reactivity, makes it the noblest metal, surpassing Platinum (Pt), Rhodium (Rh), Iridium (Ir), and Palladium (Pd).

In corrosive environments, such as those generated by a galvanic cell (for example, metals submerged in seawater), Gold stands out for its high electrode potential (1.50 V against the standard hydrogen electrode). Under these conditions, less noble metals, such as Copper (Cu), bronze, or Silver (Ag), corrode rapidly by acting as anodes, while Gold, as the noblest metal, remains virtually intact. This resistance explains why, in treasures recovered from centuries-old shipwrecks, Gold coins retain their luster with minimal surface stains, requiring only light polishing to restore their brilliance, while Copper or Silver coins are severely corroded, and Iron (Fe) is usually completely degraded. This durability, combined with its density (19.32 g/cm³) and malleability, has made Gold a revered material since antiquity, ideal for jewelry (50% of its global use) and electronic applications, where its inertia ensures reliability in connectors and circuits. Gold's corrosion resistance, along with its scarcity (0.004 ppm in the Earth's crust), reinforces its status as the most coveted and durable metal.

Gold (Au), with atomic number 79, is a noble metal whose primary application remains jewelry, representing approximately 50% of its global use. Its exceptional malleability (one gram can be flattened into a 1 m² sheet), softness (2.5–3 hardness on the Mohs scale), and corrosion resistance make it the ideal material for creating high-precision pieces, from wedding rings to intricate filigree, an art perfected by Andalusian goldsmiths who inherited Arab techniques. Gold's ductility allows it to be molded cold, facilitating the creation of complex designs that have maintained their relevance from antiquity to contemporary jewelry, valued for both its aesthetics and its chemical durability against oxygen (O₂), sulfur (S), or common acids.

The second prominent use of Gold is plating or coating pieces, both in jewelry and other industries. In jewelry, Gold plating over base metals, such as brass or Silver (Ag), allows imitating its appearance at a lower cost, achieving a durable finish thanks to its chemical inertia. In the electronics industry, Gold is used in coatings for contacts and connectors due to its excellent electrical conductivity (70% of Copper's, Cu) and its immunity to oxidation and sulfation, unlike Silver or Copper, which corrode over time. Although its high cost (derived from its scarcity, 0.004 ppm in the Earth's crust) limits its use to critical components, such as integrated circuits and high-reliability connectors in aerospace and medical devices, Gold ensures stable performance under demanding conditions.

Historically, Gold was the preferred material for minting coins, a use dating back to civilizations like Sumeria (circa 3000 BC), where circular coins were stamped, possibly evoking the solar disk, a symbol associated with Gold in many cultures. Since then, Gold circulated as currency and ingots until the 20th century, when factors such as inflation, banking speculation, population growth, and stock markets led to its replacement by more economical alloys, such as brass (Cu-Zn), which mimics its color. Even brass faces cost pressures due to the price of Copper, reflecting the continuous search for more accessible alternatives. Other modern uses include dentistry (for its biocompatibility) and the aerospace industry, where Gold is used in reflective coatings to protect equipment from solar radiation. Gold's versatility, combined with its cultural value and unique properties, secures its place as an irreplaceable material in high-value applications.

Gold is not the only, but certainly the most important, among metals that have a non-scientific value; that is, it is appreciated as a material beyond a purely scientific perspective.

This metal is associated with the Sun, with divinity (usually neutral, but in any case more masculine than feminine, as Silver serves as a contrast).

It is the metal associated with everything noble, directly or indirectly, a gift from the gods (or from a single God in monotheistic religions) accessible only to a few. A metal of kings, conquerors, emperors, and relevant figures in general. Note that when I say king, I also include pharaohs, chieftains, jarls, et cetera, virtually any position of power, regardless of geographical location and consequent culture.

Gold is associated with the sign of Leo (which in turn is considered the most excellent of the 12), just as the metal is associated with the Sun, also linked to Leo.

The metal itself is a symbol of prosperity, good health, high status quo, among other things.

Although originally the modern Olympics awarded a Silver medal for first place and a Bronze medal for second, Gold was quickly integrated such that Silver moved to second place and Bronze (Copper-based) to third. It is curious because, if you look at the Periodic Table, you will see that these metals are family to each other and share many characteristics.

It appears frequently in literature of any kind, and is often synonymous with blond hair, which is especially praised in the female gender; for example: "her hair was golden and beautiful like threads of Gold." Light melanin pigmentation, typical of Nordic races, has long served as a symbol of beauty or, rather, as an "ideal of beauty." Currently, this has negative connotations (it already did since the end of World War II) as it supposedly induces racism or the mere idea that there are superior races to others, something that has little or nothing to do with Gold itself. The Spanish word "rubio" or "rubia" (blond) has an etymological origin that could lead to confusion, as it refers to reddish hair rather than strictly golden. In Galician, "louro" or "loura" is used, which clearly derives from "ouro", which in turn comes from the Latin "aurum", the original name of the metal.

Gold is the only element that has value in itself in the sense that if we compare it with a Diamond (after all, a modification of Carbon), it clearly wins: while a Gold object maintains its value even if brutally broken, a broken Diamond is not worth even a thousandth of what it could cost in its original form, and of course, it is irrecoverable. Gold melts easily and can be molded infinitely without fear of harming its physical properties.

Gold is used to recognize the effort, merit, or performance of an individual or a group. Medals, awards, trophies... et cetera.

Even to this day, in the video game industry, when an achievement is unlocked, it is usually said to be "gold."

Curiously, the famous Platinum records (and lately Diamond and even Rhodium for Paul McCartney) are awarded to those who surpass Gold records. This is done because, at the time, selling enough to obtain a symbolic "Gold" record was thought to be a difficult barrier to match. Currently, they have had to search for new metals or solids like Diamond to reward those who surpass this barrier, but in practice, Gold is superior to all.

One of the main goals of the alchemists was the transmutation of "base" (non-noble) metals into Gold and, to a lesser extent, Silver. Lead and Copper/Tin, respectively, were used for this purpose. Alchemists never achieved their goal, naturally; it's not their fault. For them, all solid substances were made of the same thing (an inheritance from Greek philosophy of the four elements) and could be altered if a special formula was found that also required, among other things, vitriol, Mercury, and the so-called "philosopher's stone." Although they failed, most made great discoveries for modern science (specifically, chemistry), such as during the distillation of the famous seventy vats of urine with sand, which indirectly led to the discovery of elemental Phosphorus.

Ironically, the transmutation of Lead to Gold was carried out by the Swede Niels Bohr in the early 20th century, by removing 3 protons from Lead isotopes (Z=82 for Lead - 3 = Z=79 for Gold). Bohr himself would say that although he succeeded in the goal pursued by ancient alchemists, the price of the entire process was much higher than the amount of Gold that could be obtained through it, so he discarded the idea.

In theory, the Mercury isotope Hg-196 could be doped with a proton in a cyclotron to obtain Hg-197, which decays into Au-197 (the only isotope of Gold). However, again, the process is very expensive and yields only a tiny amount of atoms. Consider that the head of a pin contains hundreds of millions of Iron atoms.

Regarding the conversion of base matter into noble (Gold), many defend the theory that perhaps alchemy was in part more lyrical than literal, in the sense that its search for the perfection of matter was a more spiritual process than one strictly driven by greed. In a way, even before Bohr, England and Germany (and then the rest of Europe to a lesser extent) achieved their goal by selling hundreds of tons of Steel to other neighboring countries and also in the "New World" (the Americas), ergo converting their Steel into "Gold" (not always literally, it suffices to say money, which in turn is synonymous with Gold in many contexts).

Even Salvador Dalí, whom I consider an authentic genius beyond his eccentricities, mentions the alchemist process and, in fact, considers himself (I don't know if completely, although he describes the process) a kind of alchemist who transforms base matter into noble matter, not necessarily taking elemental Gold as a reference. He refers to the fact that both he and other artists were capable of creating masterpieces (paintings, drawings) from materials that by themselves are worthless or at most, very cheap. It is like saying: give me a pencil and a sheet of paper and I will produce a mediocre drawing, but in the hands of Dalí (or any other great artist), it will be capable of producing something that can be valued at thousands of euros or dollars. In this case, both the pencil and the paper remain the same; the difference is the talent between a humble servant and the genius that was Dalí.

This also reminds me of when Shakespeare says through the character of Benedick in the play Much Ado About Nothing:

"Is it not strange that sheep's guts should hale souls out of men's bodies?"

He refers to how braided sheep's guts (guts from other animals were also used) were used to make the strings of musical instruments from which such noble sound was drawn—again, from "base matter," the "alchemical" transformation into something noble, beautiful.