> if gold could be synthesized, it wouldn't be selling for $1300/ounce.
That's not by itself true. If gold could be synthesized for less than $1300/ounce, then it wouldn't be selling for $1300/ounce. As noted in sibling comments, it is possible to synthesize. It's just unreasonable to actually do so in any meaningful quantity.
Let me amend my original claim: "If gold could be synthesized with something other than a multi-billion-dollar accelerator and produce daily yields greater than nanograms ..."
That's not by itself true. If gold could be synthesized for less than $1300/ounce, then it wouldn't be selling for $1300/ounce. As noted in sibling comments, it is possible to synthesize. It's just unreasonable to actually do so in any meaningful quantity.