Sandustry gold is the main research currency, the densest pixel in the game, and comes from Wet Sand, Burnt Residue, Flowers and condensed Florin.
Gold is the main progression currency and, together with Fluxite, pays for early and mid-game research. It has the highest density of any pixel in the game, so in a mixed pile it sinks to the bottom and can be separated with almost no filtering effort. Gold only counts toward your currency once it is sitting in a Collector block; smelting it into Liquid Gold doubles the value stored per pixel and saves space.
How to get Gold
The wiki documents 4 sources of Gold. Pick by what your factory already produces rather than by what looks fastest in isolation. The machines involved are Shaker, Kinetic Press and Condenser.
| Method | From | Machine | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Process Wet Sand | Wet Sand | Shaker | ~25% chance per Wet Sand. |
| Press Burnt Residue | Burnt Residue | Kinetic Press | 1 Burnt Residue -> 1 Gold + 1 Seed. |
| Destroy Flowers | Flower | — | Each Flower head holds 1 Gold and 4 Amethelis. |
| Condense Florin | Florin | Condenser | Condenser output is Florinol or Gold. |
What Gold is used for
Gold is an input to Research / currency and Liquid Gold, which is why it usually pays to buffer it rather than consume it the moment it appears.
| Produces | Machine or process | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Research / currency | Collector | Must be stored in Collector blocks to count as currency. |
| Liquid Gold | Smelter | Liquid Gold is worth double per pixel and is more space-efficient. |
Conversions
Ratios are documented for Gold, so you can size the line arithmetically instead of by trial and error.
| Input | Output | Process | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Sand | ~3 Gold | Full processing chain | 2:3 (approximate) |
| 1 Burnt Residue | 1 Gold + 1 Seed | Kinetic Press | 1:1 |
| Gold | Liquid Gold | Smelter | Not published |
- ~3 Gold: Wiki-stated approximate end-to-end yield.
- 1 Gold + 1 Seed: Requires a drop of at least 25 blocks.
Gold properties
Density 300 governs how Gold behaves in a stack, so read the number below as a sorting instruction rather than trivia.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Density | 300 |
| Matter type | Solid |
| Burnable | No |
| Wettable | No |
| Launchable | Yes |
| Interacts with | Currency |
Related machines and materials
Use this section as a map: machines that interact with Gold, then the neighbouring materials worth reading before you commit a layout.
- Shaker
- Kinetic Press guide
- Smelter
- Collector
Tips
- Highest density in the game means Gold self-separates to the bottom of any pile.
- One Gold pixel is 1 currency; Liquid Gold is worth double.
FAQ
How do you get gold in Sandustry?
Four routes: process Wet Sand in a Shaker, press Burnt Residue in a Kinetic Press, destroy Flowers for the single Gold in each head, or condense Florin.
What is gold used for in Sandustry?
Gold pays for early and mid-game research alongside Fluxite. It only counts as currency once it is sitting inside a Collector block.
Why is my gold not counting in Sandustry?
Loose Gold on the ground is not currency. It has to be stored in Collector blocks before the game counts it toward your balance.
Should you smelt gold into Liquid Gold in Sandustry?
Usually yes. A Smelter turns Gold into Liquid Gold, which is worth double per pixel and takes less storage space for the same value.
How much gold does sand produce in Sandustry?
The wiki gives an approximate end-to-end figure of about three Gold for every two Sand once the full processing chain, including the Residue and Kinetic Press branch, is running.
Sources
- wiki.hoodedhorse.com/Sandustry/Gold
- wiki.hoodedhorse.com/Sandustry/Wet_Sand
- wiki.hoodedhorse.com/Sandustry/Burnt_Residue
- wiki.hoodedhorse.com/Sandustry/Florin
Checked on September 4, 2026 against Early Access – Update #3 (v0.5.6). Values the sources do not publish are left out rather than estimated. Browse the other 20 materials or the patch notes archive.