gold dust

gold in fine particles.

Origin of gold dust

First recorded in 1695–1705

For long it was tried to write down California; but the gold-dust at length became too strong for them.

Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 69, No. 424, February 1851 |Various
As the search for nuggets and gold-dust became less fruitful, many of the men turned homeward, some enriched and some—alas!

Stories of Later American History |Wilbur F. Gordy
So then the three had nothing to do but to gather up the gold-dust, and add pile to pile and bag to bag of the precious metal.

Gold, Gold, in Cariboo! |Clive Phillipps-Wolley
To think of the slaves, and the gold-dust, and the ivory, I have lost.

The Arab's Pledge |Edward L. Mitford

Gold-dust was the universal medium, and it seemed to be cheaper than anything else.

The Columbia River |William Denison Lyman

gold dust

gold in the form of small particles or powder, as found in placer-mining

a valuable or rare thing tickets for this match are gold dust