Gold is a highly valued precious metal with intrinsic beauty and has an inherent rarity. According to scientific research, it is believed that gold was delivered to the earth’s surface through the impact of meteorites in the galaxy, and deposits of the crashed meteorites landed on the earth’s surface and enriched it with gold. Gold as a chemical element is less chemically reactive and has the chemical symbol Au and atomic number 79 on the periodic table. The word gold is derived from an old English word, “gyldan.”
Gold is used in jewelry, various art forms, technical manufacture of electronics, and central banks reserve. Gold has been incorporated into a monetary system called the “gold standard” that attaches value to a certain weight of gold over a unit of money. Culturally, gold is often associated as a symbol of wealth in society.
Interesting Facts
1. Hand of Faith
The largest gold nugget found in Australia in 1980 and weighs 27 kilograms is named the “Hand of Faith.”
2. Measurement
Gold is measured in carats. A carat (k) is a unit of a mass originally obtained from the carob seed and symbolizes a unit of purity.24-carat unit measurement is the purest form of gold. Carats were fruits of the carob tree, and each single carat pod weighed 200milligram.
3. Gold capital of the world
Over the last century, nearly half of the entire world’s mined gold originates from Witwatersrand in South Africa and is referred to as the gold capital of the world.
4. Properties of Gold
Gold is a noble metal because of its unique properties such as; soft, dense, malleable excellent electrical conductivity, and gold cannot rust or be discolored; gold does not react with air and cannot form oxides when exposed to air.
5. Most expensive gold coin
The most priced gold coin worldwide is the 1933 Double eagle. In 2002, it was sold at $7.59 million in Sotheby’s in New York. Almost half a million of these coins were made in 1933 but were never circulated but melted down except two. However, it was later discovered that twenty coins were stolen hence not melted. Nine of the coins were recovered by the U.S government and melted; the ten coins in existence are held in Fort Knox by the U.S government, two at the U.S National Numismatics collection, and one privately held.
6. Ocean Gold
An estimated 10 billion tons of diluted gold in the oceans are impossible to explore and mine.
7. Color
Gold is the only metal that is yellow in its natural form without any chemical reaction.
8. Chemical Symbol of Gold
The chemical symbol of gold is Au, derived from the Latin word aurum, which means “shining dawn.”
9. Consumption of Gold
Gold can be used in small quantities as an additive in luxury beverages and foods. Gold does not possess any nutritional value and cannot be absorbed in the body due to its inert nature.
10. Virtually indestructible
Gold is an everlasting metal and can be continuously melted down, purified, and reused due to its indestructible nature. Gold cannot be destroyed with any naturally occurring substance on earth.
11. Heaviest gold coin
The heaviest cold coin in the world is Austria’s Philharmonic that is fifteen inches in diameter and weighs 1000 ounces of gold.
12. Medicinal value
Rheumatoid arthritis patients and tuberculosis patients can be injected with chemically liquefied quantities of gold to help in the reduction of pain and inflammation, and this treatment has proved successful in seven out of ten cases. Physicians also use gold to perform based treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy in cancer treatment.HIV and pregnancy test kits have colloidal gold technology that facilitates rapid tests.
12. Deepest gold mine
South Africa boasts of the deepest gold mine estimated to reach up to 2.5 miles underground with temperatures reaching 130 degrees Fahrenheit and is referred to as the Mponeng mine.
13. Dentistry
For over 3000 years, gold has been used in the dentistry field to fill cavities, crowns and create dentures due to its corrosion resistance.
14. Malleable
Gold is highly malleable and can be transformed into a miniature sheet that can become translucent. An ounce of gold can create a 60 miles long wire.
In its purest form, gold is soft and malleable, thus easy to be molded by hand at room temperature.
15. Astronomy
Gold is used in astronomy to protect astronauts from the glare and radiation experienced in space. A thin film of gold is used to block harmful glares.
16. Largest gold reserve
The U.S has the largest gold reserve that is estimated to be 2% of the world’s gold reserve, and held at Fort Knox in Kentucky.
17. Gold Vending machine
Dubai has the first gold dispensing machine where individuals can buy gold from the machine.
18. Olympic Gold meddles
Until the year 1912, Olympic gold medals were made of pure gold. Currently, gold medals must contain a minimum of 6 grams of gold and 550 grams of silver.
19. Melting Point
Gold’s melting point is at 1,064 degrees Celsius or 1,947 degrees Fahrenheit
20. World’s mined gold
When archived together, the entire world’s gold ever mined can measure up to 157,000 metric tons and occupy an area as wide as three Olympic-sized swimming pools.
21. Discovery
Copper and gold were the first two metals to be discovered by people in 5000 B.C, and interestingly, gold and copper are the only two non-white-colored metals.
22. Electricity Conductor
Gold is an excellent electric conductor and does not corrode, thus heavily used in technological manufacturing.
23. World’s largest consumption of gold
China and India is the world’s largest consumer of gold due to its use in jewelry and technological manufacture.
24. Density
Gold is one of the densest metals such that a cubic of gold could weigh up to 19,300 kilograms.
25. Rarity
The rarity of gold is ranked at position 58th out of the 92 naturally occurring elements. Compared to steel, more steel is poured in a single hour than the entire amount of gold excavated since the recording of its history. Scientists believe that 80% of gold in the world is undiscovered in the ground.
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