Gold

Gold, a chemical element, is a dense lustrous yellow precious metal. Gold has several qualities that have made it exceptionally valuable throughout history. It is attractive in color and brightness, durable to virtual indestructibility, highly malleable, and usually found in nature in a comparatively pure form. The history of gold is unequaled by that of any other metal because of its perceived value from the earliest times.

Because of its unique qualities, gold has been the one material that is universally accepted in exchange for goods and services. In the form of coins or bullion, gold has occasionally played a major role as a high-denomination currency, although silver was generally the standard medium of payments in the world’s trading systems.