Humans have been fascinated by gold for thousands of years, by the way it never tarnishes and by its unique color.
Sadly, gold is useless in engineering terms, except for plating electrical contacts, to ensure they never tarnish and lose their conductivity. You will find gold plated contacts on good quality hi-fi components.
The metal is too soft, with too low a tensile strength to be used for much besides necklaces and rings.
As an investment though, gold is a different story altogether.
Gold prices fall and rise, according largely to the degree of fear that people have about the future. When war is imminent, gold prices soar, as more people buy gold.
They are buying gold for several reasons.