You are indeed correct that impurities can cause gold to break up into smaller pieces under force. Also, the vast majority of gold is fine to invisible, so to even see flakes is to see uncommonly large gold.
No question is stupid, as you can learn from a answer. My questing is with gold being so malleable why is it, or how is it ground up into such small pieces? Is it due to impurities that can harden it where it will shear instead of compressing? Why is it some gold is rather a rough texture rather than the common weathered nugget?
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Textured gold usually indicates that it either hasn't traveled far from the source, or it hasn't traveled far since being freed from it's host.
You are indeed correct that impurities can cause gold to break up into smaller pieces under force. Also, the vast majority of gold is fine to invisible, so to even see flakes is to see uncommonly large gold.