What metal was sought after during the Klondike?

Gold was the sought after metal at the confluence of the Klondike and Yukon rivers in the late 1890s, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica. The gold rush did not last long, mostly subsiding by 1899, after reaching its peak around 1897.

The Encyclopaedia Britannica states that gold was first discovered in the western Yukon territory of Canada on Aug. 17, 1896. Gold prospectors arrived in the territory by the tens of thousands within the next year, before prospection largely moved on to Alaska. Avalanches, hypothermia and malnutrition were common causes of death among the prospectors. A national historical park commemorating the gold rush is located in Skagway, Alaska.