| Since the dawn of civilization, gold with its | | | | more than 6000 years gold has been considered |
| radiant sun yellow texture and metallic | | | | symbolic of power, wealth and status. In |
| luster has fascinated and captivated mankind. | | | | 1350 B.C. the Egyptian boy king, Tutankhem, |
| The unique coloration of gold catches the | | | | was interred in a coffin elaborately cast |
| eye, enabling the seeker to detect tiny | | | | from 242 pounds of solid gold. Throughout |
| grains in an aggregate of other materials. | | | | recorded history men and women have adorned |
| The smallest flakes and grains are easily | | | | their bodies with gleaming gold. The ancient |
| visible. Excavations of Stone Age burial | | | | Custom of exchanging gold during marriage |
| sites indicate that gold was the earliest | | | | ceremonies continues today. The nobility of |
| element collected and treasured by man. The | | | | Medieval Europe liberally sprinkled gold in |
| mysterious metal, gathered in the form of | | | | the form of dust, flake or leaves on their |
| nuggets, appears to have been highly prized | | | | food to demonstrate the host's great wealth. |
| but was not used in practical applications. | | | | Today gold is still often used in food and |
| Rating 2.5 - 3 on Mohs scale of hardness, | | | | has the E Number 175. However, since metallic |
| gold was much too soft to be hammered into | | | | gold is inert to all body chemistry, it adds |
| functional weapons or tools. Gold was of | | | | no taste nor has any other nutritional effect |
| little use to prehistoric man except to be | | | | and leaves the body unaltered. |
| admired for its rare, intrinsic beauty. | | | | |
| However, as man developed he soon discovered | | | | Early man believed gold contained a hidden, |
| numerous non-ulitarian applications for the | | | | internal fire, a gift from the Gods with |
| revered golden metal. The earliest record of | | | | mysterious healing and magical powers. |
| gold exploration dates to Egypt around 2000 | | | | Numerous cultures of sun-worshippers revered |
| B.C. Ancient records tell of an enormous | | | | gold as the tangible essence of their God; |
| alluvial gold deposit in Nubia, between the | | | | solid sunshine. In modern day Japan believers |
| Nile River and the Red Sea in southeastern | | | | seek gold's medicinal magic by immersion in a |
| Egypt that encompassed over one hundred | | | | bathtub designed in the form of a phoenix |
| square miles. Using the most primitive of | | | | crafted from 400 pounds of pure gold. Health |
| tools and working to an average depth of less | | | | and gold have long been entwined in the |
| than seven feet, these first "miners" | | | | belief that something so rare and beautiful |
| wrestled an estimated one thousand tons of | | | | could not be anything but healthy. Today |
| gold from this rich concentration. Egyptian | | | | modern esotericists and forms of alternative |
| artisans, recognizing the extraordinary | | | | medicine embrace the healing properties of |
| malleability of gold fashioned incredible | | | | gold. Some gold salts have anti-inflammatory |
| jewelry, ornaments and idols of breathtaking | | | | properties and are used as pharmaceuticals in |
| beauty. Throughout the history of man's | | | | the treatment of arthritis and other similar |
| involvement with gold, the precious metal has | | | | conditions. However, only salts and |
| been cherished not only for its beauty but | | | | radioisotopes of gold are of pharmacological |
| for gold's ability to withstand the rigors of | | | | value, as elemental or metallic gold is inert |
| time. No substance that appears commonly in | | | | to all chemicals it encounters within the |
| nature will destroy gold. Unaffected by air, | | | | body. Gold is a "storehouse of value", the |
| moisture, heat or cold, this noble metal will | | | | natural way for man to preserve capital and |
| not tarnish, rust or corrode. Shimmering gold | | | | protect against financial uncertainty or |
| dust, golden nuggets of placer gold and | | | | monetary collapse. In modern times gold has |
| brilliant vein occurrences have survived 4.5 | | | | served as a hedge against the threat of |
| Billion years of cataclysmic geologic and | | | | inflation and as a secure and safe way to |
| climate changes; volcanic Eruption, | | | | secret away assets. The "hoarding" of gold |
| earthquakes, upheavals and deposition. | | | | occurs most frequently during times of war, |
| Treasures of gold jewelry, bullion and coins, | | | | adverse world conditions and international |
| buried for thousands of years beneath land | | | | fears of economic uncertainty. Gold has often |
| and sea have been recovered intact; as | | | | defeated the attempts of governments to |
| brilliant as the day they were abandoned. A | | | | inflate the currency of their country as well |
| relatively rare native metallic element, gold | | | | as circumventing the aims of those holding |
| ranks fifty-eighth in abundance amongst the | | | | political power to direct the economy of |
| ninety two natural elements that compose the | | | | other nations. Gold, the acknowledged king |
| earth's crust. Although considered a rare | | | | of metals, is considered the ultimate |
| element, of all metals Gold is, with the | | | | monetary exchange. Gold is the only currency |
| exception of iron, the most broadly | | | | that isn't someone else's responsibility or |
| distributed over the planet. Gold has been | | | | liability; it is more that just a paper |
| located on 90% of the earth's surface and is | | | | promise to pay upon demand. Gold's worth does |
| mined in deserts, high mountain ranges, in | | | | not rely on the economic viability of any |
| the deeply weathered soil of the tropics and | | | | nation, political power or financial cartel. |
| in the permanently frozen ground of the | | | | Gold has value in and of itself. The |
| Arctic. Gold is commercially mined on every | | | | current world price of gold is set daily by |
| continent except Antarctica. The foremost | | | | the London Gold Market which trades gold |
| gold producing area of the world is the | | | | bullion and coins with other financial world |
| Witwatersrand District in South Africa. This | | | | centers such as Zurich, Hong Kong , Frankfurt |
| ultra-rich area has already yielded eighteen | | | | and Paris. The price is based on pure or |
| thousand tons of gold with no end in sight. | | | | "fine" gold, so the value of gold gleaned in |
| Other main gold bearing areas around the | | | | its natural state may vary depending on the |
| world are Siberia in the former USSR, the | | | | impurities it contains. However, raw gold |
| Porcupine District in Ontario, Canada and in | | | | sold as specimens or jewelry will bring a |
| the United States the famous California | | | | considerably higher price. Gold nuggets are |
| Mother Lode District and the Yukon District | | | | as distinctively different as snowflakes, |
| of Alaska. In America nature was extremely | | | | although similar, no two nuggets are alike. A |
| generous. Thirty-two states have recorded | | | | nugget of unique character and shape will |
| significant commercial gold production. The | | | | sell for as much as five times its value by |
| highest yield areas are located within the | | | | weight. Do you have broken or discarded |
| western states, California, Colorado, Alaska, | | | | gold jewelry you not longer wear? Now may be |
| Nevada and South Dakota. Other abundant | | | | the time to cash in on the current gold rush. |
| locations for prospecting include Georgia, | | | | With the price of gold exceeding the $1000 an |
| Arkansas, Idaho, Utah, Montana, Washington, | | | | ounce benchmark, an errant earring or broken |
| New Mexico, Wyoming, North and South | | | | gold chain could add up to a significant sum. |
| Carolina, Tennessee, Michigan, Vermont and | | | | To receive the best price for gold you may |
| New Hampshire. The recreational gold | | | | wish to sell, know the karat count. Because |
| prospector can find gold in practically every | | | | of the softness of pure 24k gold, it is |
| state of the union. Gold is an ideal media | | | | usually alloyed with base metals for use in |
| for craftsmen. It is a metal that can be | | | | jewelry, altering its hardness, color, |
| deformed by pounding without crumbling or | | | | melting point and ductility. Alloys with |
| breaking. Gold, in its pure form is the most | | | | lower karatage, typically 22k, 18k, 14k or |
| malleable of all metals. A solitary ounce of | | | | 10k, contain higher percentages of copper, |
| gold can be drawn and stretched into an ultra | | | | silver or other base metals in the alloy. The |
| fine wire over 50 miles in length without | | | | higher the karat the more you should expect |
| breaking or hammered to the amazing thinness | | | | to be paid. If you only have a piece or two |
| of one hundred thousandth of an inch without | | | | to sell, try a local jeweler or take a |
| disintegrating. Gold is easily carved, | | | | vintage piece to an antique jeweler. They'll |
| readily buffs to a gleaming polish, can be | | | | take the artist's craftsmanship into |
| heated repeatedly without discoloration and | | | | consideration and you will net a much higher |
| joins to itself or other metals by soldering | | | | price than for just the gold weight. |
| without the need for a bonding flux. For | | | | |