Emulsions of oil droplets decorated with gold nanoparticles can be used to enhance contrast in ultrasound and photoacoustic imaging. Plasmon resonance in the gold nanoparticles enables absorption of near infra-red (NIR) light, which can penetrate two to three centimeters below the skin in the human body. Upon irradiation with a NIR laser, oil droplets with a shell of gold nanoparticles will heat and vaporize as the gold absorbs the light. The vaporization of the oil creates a microbubble, providing contrast enhancement in imaging as well as a mechanical pressure wave which could be used to deliver mechanical forces inside the body. If the gold nanoparticles are functionalized with ligands that are designed to target specific areas or threats inside the body, the process could also be used to deliver targeted therapy. Emulsions are thermodynamically unstable and will coalesce over time without external stabilization. We utilize gold nanoparticle surfactants to stabilize the oil-water interface. We investigated a charge based stabilization of perfluorohexane emulsions with cationic gold nanoparticles. Size is characterized by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS). Successful adsorption of the cationic gold nanoparticles to the oil-water interface is represented by zeta potential, which approximates surface charge. Emulsions of oil have a negative surface charge and the presence of cationic gold at the interface will result in a positive charge. Ultra-Violet Visible Spectroscopy (UV-Vis) is used to measure the NIR absorbance of the emulsions, which should be maximized to enable rapid heating of the gold nanoparticles and subsequent oil vaporization. Stability over time is determined by changes in the DLS and UV-Vis curves. The results of the investigation are analyzed in terms of size, stability, and NIR absorbance in order to determine the potential effectiveness of a charge based stabilization mechanism in creating plasmonic emulsions for contrast agents and therapeutics.