Okay 1st thing is 1st. You will find that the higher the level area, the better the mineral vein. You will find that the more of the world you explore and the more you level you will find better stuff. The best place for Gold I have found is Desolace. It is found there quite often. As an Artisan Engineer I really have not found a great need for Gold in my creations plus it stops leveling your skill fairly early. You will find that Mithril will stay green for skill-up well past 225 for mining and is way more common. Hope this helped.