Au
Gold
A nugget bends under a knife, which is why the ring on a hand is almost never pure.
- Formula
- Au
- Mohs hardness
- 2.5–3
- Crystal system
- cubic
- Colour
- yellow
- Element
- fire
- Chakra (tradition)
- solar plexus
- Zodiac
- Leo
- Month
- —
- Where the earth keeps it
- South Africa, Australia, Russia
What it actually is
Gold is Au before it is a story. The lattice is cubic, Mohs 2.5–3, and the eye meets yellow.
The better pieces still come out of the ground in South Africa, Australia, Russia. A nugget bends under a knife, which is why the ring on a hand is almost never pure.
What the old tradition whispers
The parlour tradition ties Gold to fire and to the solar plexus centre. The old site stood it near: Leo.
How not to turn it to ash
Clean gold and platinum gently. Silver darkens in air — chemistry, not a curse. Use a cloth, not grit.