Au is the chemical symbol for gold on the periodic table.
The symbol comes from the Latin word aurum, meaning “gold” or “shining dawn.” Gold has atomic number 79 and is a dense, soft, yellow metal prized for its resistance to corrosion and tarnishing.
Gold is a transition metal and is relatively unreactive compared with many other metals. Its malleability allows a small quantity to be beaten into extremely thin sheets, while its conductivity and resistance to oxidation also make it useful in electronics.
Ag is silver's symbol, derived from the Latin argentum, and Fe represents iron, from ferrum. Gd is gadolinium, a separate element named after the Finnish chemist Johan Gadolin.