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**Symbol:** Au **Atomic number:** 79 **International name:** Gold **Relative atomic mass:** 196.966 g/mol **Mohs scale hardness:** 2.5‒3 **Crystal system:** Cubic **Unit cell:** Face-centered cubic **Crystal habit:** Gold often occurs in its elemental form as nuggets or grains in rocks, veins, and alluvial deposits. **Description:** Gold is a chemically resistant, soft, yellow precious metal with excellent thermal and electrical conductivity. It is highly stable and does not dissolve in conventional acids or bases, except in aqua regia, a mixture of hydrochloric and nitric acids. **Applications:** Gold is predominantly used in jewelry, electrical contacts, dentistry, and for gilding objects made from less noble metals. **Occurrence:** Gold primarily occurs in its pure elemental form. ## Keywords gold, crystal, metals, metallurgy
