Gold has several qualities that have made it exceptionally valuable throughout history.
It is attractive in color and brightness, durable to the point of virtual indestructibility, highly malleable, and usually found in nature in a comparatively pure form. The history of gold is unequaled by that of any other metal because of its value in the minds of men from earliest times. Gold is one of the heaviest of all metals. It is a good conductor of heat and electricity. Because gold is visually pleasing and workable and does not tarnish or corrode, it was one of the first metals to attract human attention.