About

• Gold is a precious metal used in jewelry and investment, with the atomic number 79 and symbol Au (from Latin “aurum”).
• Around 10% of the global gold production is used in industry due to its desirable properties such as malleability, ductility, corrosion resistance, and electrical conductivity.
• Gold is resistant to nitric acid but dissolves in a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acid, called aqua regia or ‘Royal Water’.
• The largest gold producer today is China, though South Africa was the leading producer historically.
• The country with the most gold reserves is the United States, holding 8,133 tonnes followed by Germany and Italy. (India in 9th position with approx 800 tonnes) 
• Australia has the largest gold mine reserves in the world.
• The majority of India’s gold reserves are located in the state of Karnataka and account for 88% of the total, a further 12% are situated in Andhra Pradesh and an insignificant amount (less than 0.1t) are found in Jharkhand.