Spin-coated gold colloids showed a time-dependent increase in emission upon illumination at 532 nm. The emission originated from point-like locations and displayed blinking. The emission spectra of the individual spots and their spatial location remained constant, which is distinct from recent reports on silver nanoparticles. These results suggest the use of emission from gold clusters in nanophotonics devices and as luminescent probes with potential applications in medical imaging. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.