Real nuggets come from Australia, Alaska, Canada and New Zealand. They are formed in gold-bearing rock, usually quartz. When quartz in a river bed is washed out by the water it separates from the gold. The gold remains and is ground and polished as it travels. So each individual nugget has its own unique shape reflecting its history. This uniqueness - only 1%of the gold produced in the world is found as nuggets - puts their value on a par with that of diamonds.