What are the gold looking flakes inside a Ford diesel catalytic converter?

Catalytic converters contain something called platinum or rhodium or palladium flakes. Here is a quote from the Related Link: "Catalytic converter -- an integral part of vehicle emission control systems since 1975. Oxidizing converters remove hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide (CO) from exhaust gases, while reducing converters control nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. Both use noble metal (platinum, palladium or rhodium) catalysts that can be 'poisoned' by lead compounds in the fuel or lubricant."