In the nature gold occurs in the pure state (that is, as metal) though it is usually alloyed with silver more often. Native gold contains usually silver on eight - ten percent, but often and it is much more. Alloys with silver additions on more than 20 % are named elektrumom. The more the quantity of silver increases, the colour becomes more white, and the specific weight becomes more low.



The ores having native gold, consist of grains or microscopic particles of the metal gold enclosed in a rock, is frequent in cooperation with veins of quartz or sulphide minerals as pyrite. Them name "well" deposits. Native gold also is found in the form of free flakes, grains or the big nuggets which have been destroyed from rocks and come to an end in alluvial deposits (named with deposits of a gold mine). Such free gold is always richer in a surface of veins having gold owing to oxidation of the accompanying minerals accompanied, maintaining, and washing from a dust in streams and the rivers where it gathers and can be welded water action to generate nuggets.



Gold sometimes occurs in minerals in a chemical compound to other elements, especially in cooperation with tellurium. Examples - calaverite, sylvanite, nagyagite, petzite and krennerite. Gold also seldom occurs as a rtutno-gold mix, and in very low concentration in sea water.