Within this research I have investigated the effect of pH and the ratio of gold to silica colloids on the formation of nanoshell precursor seed particles thereby leading to the optimization of the process by which gold nanoshells are formed. With a focus on nanoshells for the thermal ablation of cancer cells, 104.5 nm core shell particles having a peak resonance at 940 nm were formed. The study also presents two new methods by which ‘textured’ nanoshells may be formed for use in applications such as substrates for Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy. The thesis has also investigated the effect of temperature on the surface morphology of the gold nanoshells. Investigations in this respect have led to the finding that the formation of nanoshells at an elevated temperature allows for the generation of nanoshells having a smooth surface morphology, irrespective of the shell thickness.