Gold is a metal.
Gold . In its purest form , it is a bright , slightly reddish yellow , dense , soft , malleable , and ductile metal . Chemically , gold is a transition metal and a group 11 element . Gold is insoluble in nitric acid , which dissolves silver and base metals , a property that has long been used to refine gold and to confirm the presence of gold in metallic objects , giving rise to the term acid test . As a precious metal , gold has been used for coinage , jewelry , and other arts throughout recorded history .