 Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from the Latin aurum) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, it is one of the least reactive elements. Gold is a good conductor of heat and electricity. It has a density of 19.3 g/cm3 By comparison, the density of lead is 11.34 g/cm3, and that of the densest element, osmium, is 22.6 g/cm3. 
Gold often occurs in free elemental form, as nuggets or grains, in rocks, veins, and alluvial deposits. Traces can easily be found in most Canadian rivers. Nitric acid will dissolve silver and other base metals, but not gold. This property has long been used to refine gold, and confirm the presence of gold in compounds, giving rise to the term 'acid test'. A relatively rare element, gold is a precious metal that has been used for coins, jewelry, and other works of art throughout recorded history.  
Gold coins ceased to be minted as a circulating currency in the 1930s, and the world gold standard was abandoned for a flat currency system in 1971. In 2024, the price of gold increased to record highs, rising from around $2,000 to nearly $2,800 per ounce (right).
In 2023, China was the world's leading gold-mining country, followed in order by Russia, Australia and Canada. Gold is mined in most Canadian provinces and territories, although Ontario and Quebec accounted for 70% of Canada’s total gold output of $15.1 billion in 2023.As of 2020, a total of around 201,296 tonnes of gold existed in the world in various forms. This is equal to a cube with each side measuring roughly 21.7 metres. Gold's high malleability, ductility, resistance to corrosion and most other chemical reactions, as well as conductivity of electricity have led to its continued use in corrosion-resistant electrical connectors in all types of computerized devices, which is its chief industrial use. Gold is the most malleable of all metals. It can be drawn into a wire of single-atom width, and then stretched considerably before it breaks. A single gram of gold can be beaten into a sheet of 1 square metre. Gold leaf can in fact be beaten thin enough to become semi-transparent. Such semi-transparent sheets strongly reflect infrared light, making them useful as infrared shields in the visors of heat-resistant suits and in sun visors for spacesuits.  Karats and Types of Gold 
Pure GoldPure gold is a metal that is 100% gold, unmixed with any other element. Pure gold is also commonly referred to as 24 karat gold (or 24K gold). Pure gold is beautiful and rare, but is also relatively soft and not really suitable for jewelry that will be worn daily. In order to make gold jewelry that is beautiful but also hard and durable enough to be worn, pure gold is made into an alloy (a mix) with other metals, such as silver, palladium or copper, depending on the desired colour. The mix of metals results in the three main types of gold: yellow gold (the natural colour of gold), white gold, and rose gold. The "karat" is the unit used in jewelry to measure how much gold is in a piece relative to the other metals that are present. A higher karat means a higher percentage of gold in the jewelry. For example, while 24K is pure gold, 18K jewelry contains 75% gold, and 10K contains just 41.7% gold. White Gold To make "white gold" jewelry, pure gold is mixed with white metals such as silver & palladium. The karat of white gold follows the same pattern as yellow gold, with 18K white gold containing 75% gold, 14K white wold containing 58% gold, and 10K containing 42%. Rose Gold Rose gold is very similar to yellow gold, except that a greater proportion of copper is used in the alloy to bring out a red or "rosy" color. Again, 18K rose gold contains 75% gold, 14K contains 58% and 10K contains 42%.  |