Gold

Gold is a dense, soft, bright-yellow transition metal and a noble metal, valued for its malleability and resistance to corrosion. It is usually found as native metal in rock veins or in stream and river sediments, often alloyed with silver. Miners extract it from ore or sediment; industrial refining can use electrolysis or chlorine. Gold is used in jewelry and investment, and its corrosion resistance and electrical conductivity make it useful in reliable electronic connectors. It is also used in gold leaf and some glass, while gold alloys serve in tooth restoration and certain gold compounds have medical uses.