The elemental symbol for Gold, Au, is a tribute to this shining dawn. Not to be confused with Ag (Greek: Argentum), which is the "shiny white" substance we know as Silver.

According to Investopedia, Gold has inherent value because "the metal is abundant enough to create coins but rare enough so that not everyone can produce them. Gold doesn't corrode, providing a sustainable store of value, and humans are physically and emotionally drawn to it."

Gold's position on the periodic table makes it a metal; many of its desirable features can be attributed to its metallic properties.

Au is a pretty big atom, with an atomic number of 79 and an atomic mass of 196.97. In its elemental state, it has 79 electrons. Elements typically "ionize" when they remove or gain outer orbital electrons to retain a full outer shell. Gold has 1 electron in it's outer shell, so it yeets it off ASAP. Au+1 is the most common ion for Gold. Compounds with gold ions are "aurous" or "auric".

When multiple Gold atoms come together as a solid, they have enough space in their unoccupied electron orbitals to share extra electrons across multiple atoms. This is known as the "sea of electrons" model, and can help explain many of the attributes of metals like Gold, discussed below.

When an electron is excited by light, it goes up in energy. These levels of energy are quantified (n = 1, n =2, n = 3, etc) It releases this energy as another photon, which eventually hits our eyes and gives that substance it's unique color.

Because of the "sea of electrons" model, metals can absorb photons of many frequencies and also give off many frequencies of light. This causes many metals, like Gold, to have a valuable shine that we call "luster".

Because of the "sea of electrons" model, metals can be drawn out into wires. This is known as ductility. Substances that don't share distributed electrons, like NaCl salt, fracture into crystals.

Because of the "sea of electrons" model, metals allow electrons to flow across the substance. This free flow of electrons is known as "electricity." Expensive audio cables advertise good conductivity with gold-plated tips, which may provide a slightly better connection even though the increased cost is probably not warranted.

Because of the "sea of electrons" model, metals can be pounded down into thin sheets but still retain a stable structure. Gold can be pounded down into very thin sheets, often called "gold leaf".

A lot of gold jewelry is actually other metals coated in layers of gold sheeting. Solid gold is more expensive than gold filled or gold plated pieces.