Artificial gold produced in laboratories... may constitute a "revolution" in the yellow metal market

According to a report published by Euronews, San Francisco-based startup Marathon Fusion, which specializes in nuclear fusion technologies, announced that it has developed a method aimed at converting mercury into stable gold. However, this claim has not yet been subject to independent verification.

The ad revives an ancient dream of chemists of turning cheap metals into gold, and also raises concerns about the impact lab-grown gold has on the market, similar to the impact lab-grown gemstones have on the diamond industry.

The company also claims to have broken a 40-year-old Soviet record by using a plasma centrifuge, in which electrically charged gas spins at high speeds to separate the isotopes needed to produce nuclear fusion fuel. It says it is currently building a reactor in San Francisco that aims to achieve record power density, that is, producing the most energy possible for its size.

Artificial gold raises controversy

According to the World Gold Council, the production of mines around the world reached 3,672 tons of gold during the year 2025, while the total amount extracted throughout history is estimated at about 222,600 tons. A study by Marathon Fusion suggests that a one-gigawatt fusion plant could produce about five tons of gold per year. According to these estimates, operating 100 similar stations could add about 500 tons of gold annually, equivalent to approximately 14% of the current annual global production.

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