In Gomori Methenamine Silver staining, the fungi appear golden brown color. What is the likely cause?

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In Gomori methenamine silver staining, the gold chloride toning step after silver deposition sets the final color and contrast of the fungal elements. The hue depends on how long the tissue stays in the gold toning bath. If the toning time is too short, the silver image isn’t fully stabilized, and the fungi appear golden brown instead of the desired dark/black. Giving more time in gold chloride push the color toward a deeper, black tone and improve contrast against the green background. So a golden brown appearance points to not enough time in gold chloride for toning.