Gold is a highly sought-after precious metal that for many centuries has been used as money, a store of value and in jewellery. It is a soft, shiny, yellow, dense, malleable, and ductile transition metal. Gold forms the basis for a monetary standard used by the International Monetary Fund and the Bank for International Settlements.

Wedding rings are traditionally made of gold; since it is long-lasting and unaffected by the passage of time, it is considered a suitable material for everyday wear as well as a metaphor for the relationship.

Credit card companies associate their product with wealth by naming and colouring their top-of-the-range cards “gold;”

Gold is associated with notable anniversaries, particularly in a 50-year cycle, such as a golden wedding anniversary, golden jubilee, etc.

Great human achievements are frequently rewarded with gold, in the form of medals and decorations. Winners of races and prizes are usually awarded the gold medal (such as the Olympic Games and the Nobel Prize), while many award statues are depicted in gold (such as the Academy Awards, the Golden Globe Awards the Emmy Awards, the Palme d'Or, and the British Academy Film Awards).

When selling it in the form of jewellery, gold is measured in carats, with pure gold being 24c. However, it is more commonly sold in lower measurements of 22k, 18k, and 14k. A lower "k" indicates a higher percent of copper or silver mixed into the alloy, with copper being the more commonly used metal between the two. Fourteen carat gold-copper alloy will be nearly identical in colour to certain bronze alloys, and both may be used to produce police and other badges. Eighteen carat gold with a high copper content is found in some antique jewellery and will have a distinct, though not dominant copper cast, giving an attractively warm colour. A similar carat weight when alloyed with silvery metals will appear less warm in colour, and some low carat white metal alloys may be sold as "white gold", silvery in appearance with a slightly yellow cast but far more resistant to corrosion than silver or sterling silver. carat weights of twenty and higher is more common in modern jewellery.