Does gold stick to magnet?

Gold is Not Attracted to Magnets

Gold is a diamagnetic metal, meaning it is repelled by magnetic fields. So not only does gold not stick to magnets or get attracted to them, it is actually repelled! This comes down to the electronic configuration of gold atoms:

• Gold atoms have a filled outer electron shell, with all electron orbitals fully occupied.
• This complete outer shell makes gold atoms resistant to changes in their electron configurations.
• Applying an external magnetic field induces very weak magnetic moments in gold atoms that oppose the field.

So when exposed to a magnetic field, the electrons in gold will rearrange slightly to create small induced magnetic fields that oppose the external field. This results in a diamagnetic repulsion from the magnet.

Other diamagnetic metals include silver, zinc, and copper. Ferromagnetic metals like iron, cobalt, and nickel are the ones strongly attracted to magnets. Their incomplete outer electron shells allow alignment of electron spins with applied magnetic fields.

The lack of magnetic properties is one reason gold is such a stable and unreactive metal. Its resistance to magnetism also makes it invaluable for electronics and medical applications.