Gold has several properties that make it a good candidate for attention. It is impressively heavy. It is relatively rare. It is, as you say, shiny. And also - and this is important - it can be found in a free state and it doesn't often combine with other elements. Because it is naturally in a free state, even people without the ability to break down complex molecules can mine gold.

I work with the history of gold and silver mining, and I always tell my students that silver is the slut of precious metals: it will cohabitate with any number of companions, while gold is exclusive. Silverware tarnishes (because silver is combining with sulfur in the air - just to show how willing it is to sleep around). Gold will not tarnish and does not need to be polished in the way silver does.

There are other heavy metals that are rarer than gold, but with all its properties and the fact that while rare, it is not impossible to find, gold is a good candidate for the standard of wealth.

fyi you'll find some previous posts in this FAQ section

• Why was gold always considered so valuable?