The effect of selective excitation of gold atoms in a nonequilibrium oxygen plasma of a combined glow discharge (CGD) has been revealed. When working with alumina oxide as a matrix where the content of aluminum is about 30 wt.%, the atomic lines of Al are not seen at all in the CGD spectrum. But the atomic lines of gold have a very high intensity. Even when the aluminum and gold atomic lines overlap, gold can be detected at a content of 10−7%. This effect has been registered both in synthetic and natural ore samples.