Throughout history, why was gold always a universal valuable?

It became popular because it was consider more rare than other metals and it's color was beautiful. It was easy to work yet durable to last. It's color did not fade or tarnish as with other metals. It is truly the metal of which all other metal are compared. Although in earlier times metals were not solely considered the item of wealth. Some cultures did not trade with gold. Only societies with power, however over time it came to be the most precious metal on earth.