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Gold is a rare metallic element with a melting point of 1064 degrees centigrade and a boiling point of 2808 degrees centigrade. Its chemical symbol, Au, is short for the Latin word for gold, 'Aurum', which literally means 'Glowing Dawn'. It has several properties that have made it very useful to mankind over the years, notably its excellent conductive properties and its inability to react with water or oxygen.

Gold(III) oxide (Au2O3) is the stablest oxide of gold. It is a red-brown, thermally unstable solid that decomposes at 160 °C. The hydrated form is weakly acidic and dissolves in concentrated alkali to form salts that are believed to contain the [Au(OH)4]− ion.