Fascinating Gold Facts and Trivia

Since the dawn of civilization, gold with its radiant sunflux. For more than 6000 years gold has been
yellow texture and metallic luster has fascinated andconsidered symbolic of power, wealth and status. In
captivated mankind. The unique coloration of gold1350 B.C. the Egyptian boy king, Tutankhem, was
catches the eye, enabling the seeker to detect tinyinterred in a coffin elaborately cast from 242 pounds
grains in an aggregate of other materials. Theof solid gold. Throughout recorded history men and
smallest flakes and grains are easily visible.women have adorned their bodies with gleaming gold.
Excavations of Stone Age burial sites indicate thatThe ancient Custom of exchanging gold during
gold was the earliest element collected and treasuredmarriage ceremonies continues today. The nobility of
by man. The mysterious metal, gathered in the formMedieval Europe liberally sprinkled gold in the form of
of nuggets, appears to have been highly prized butdust, flake or leaves on their food to demonstrate
was not used in practical applications. Rating 2.5 - 3the host's great wealth. Today gold is still often used
on Mohs scale of hardness, gold was much too softin food and has the E Number 175. However, since
to be hammered into functional weapons or tools.metallic gold is inert to all body chemistry, it adds no
Gold was of little use to prehistoric man except totaste nor has any other nutritional effect and leaves
be admired for its rare, intrinsic beauty. However, asthe body unaltered.
man developed he soon discovered numerousEarly man believed gold contained a hidden, internal
non-ulitarian applications for the revered golden metal.fire, a gift from the Gods with mysterious healing and
The earliest record of gold exploration dates tomagical powers. Numerous cultures of
Egypt around 2000 B.C. Ancient records tell of ansun-worshippers revered gold as the tangible essence
enormous alluvial gold deposit in Nubia, between theof their God; solid sunshine. In modern day Japan
Nile River and the Red Sea in southeastern Egyptbelievers seek gold's medicinal magic by immersion in
that encompassed over one hundred square miles.a bathtub designed in the form of a phoenix crafted
Using the most primitive of tools and working to anfrom 400 pounds of pure gold. Health and gold have
average depth of less than seven feet, these firstlong been entwined in the belief that something so
"miners" wrestled an estimated one thousand tons ofrare and beautiful could not be anything but healthy.
gold from this rich concentration. Egyptian artisans,Today modern esotericists and forms of alternative
recognizing the extraordinary malleability of goldmedicine embrace the healing properties of gold.
fashioned incredible jewelry, ornaments and idols ofSome gold salts have anti-inflammatory properties
breathtaking beauty. Throughout the history of man'sand are used as pharmaceuticals in the treatment of
involvement with gold, the precious metal has beenarthritis and other similar conditions. However, only
cherished not only for its beauty but for gold's abilitysalts and radioisotopes of gold are of pharmacological
to withstand the rigors of time. No substance thatvalue, as elemental or metallic gold is inert to all
appears commonly in nature will destroy gold.chemicals it encounters within the body. Gold is a
Unaffected by air, moisture, heat or cold, this noble"storehouse of value", the natural way for man to
metal will not tarnish, rust or corrode. Shimmering goldpreserve capital and protect against financial
dust, golden nuggets of placer gold and brilliant veinuncertainty or monetary collapse. In modern times
occurrences have survived 4.5 Billion years ofgold has served as a hedge against the threat of
cataclysmic geologic and climate changes; volcanicinflation and as a secure and safe way to secret
Eruption, earthquakes, upheavals and deposition.away assets. The "hoarding" of gold occurs most
Treasures of gold jewelry, bullion and coins, buriedfrequently during times of war, adverse world
for thousands of years beneath land and sea haveconditions and international fears of economic
been recovered intact; as brilliant as the day theyuncertainty. Gold has often defeated the attempts
were abandoned. A relatively rare native metallicof governments to inflate the currency of their
element, gold ranks fifty-eighth in abundancecountry as well as circumventing the aims of those
amongst the ninety two natural elements thatholding political power to direct the economy of other
compose the earth's crust. Although considered anations. Gold, the acknowledged king of metals, is
rare element, of all metals Gold is, with the exceptionconsidered the ultimate monetary exchange. Gold is
of iron, the most broadly distributed over the planet.the only currency that isn't someone else's
Gold has been located on 90% of the earth's surfaceresponsibility or liability; it is more that just a paper
and is mined in deserts, high mountain ranges, in thepromise to pay upon demand. Gold's worth does not
deeply weathered soil of the tropics and in therely on the economic viability of any nation, political
permanently frozen ground of the Arctic. Gold ispower or financial cartel. Gold has value in and of
commercially mined on every continent exceptitself. The current world price of gold is set daily by
Antarctica. The foremost gold producing area of thethe London Gold Market which trades gold bullion and
world is the Witwatersrand District in South Africa.coins with other financial world centers such as
This ultra-rich area has already yielded eighteenZurich, Hong Kong , Frankfurt and Paris. The price is
thousand tons of gold with no end in sight. Otherbased on pure or "fine" gold, so the value of gold
main gold bearing areas around the world are Siberiagleaned in its natural state may vary depending on
in the former USSR, the Porcupine District in Ontario,the impurities it contains. However, raw gold sold as
Canada and in the United States the famousspecimens or jewelry will bring a considerably higher
California Mother Lode District and the Yukon Districtprice. Gold nuggets are as distinctively different as
of Alaska. In America nature was extremelysnowflakes, although similar, no two nuggets are alike.
generous. Thirty-two states have recorded significantA nugget of unique character and shape will sell for
commercial gold production. The highest yield areasas much as five times its value by weight. Do you
are located within the western states, California,have broken or discarded gold jewelry you not longer
Colorado, Alaska, Nevada and South Dakota. Otherwear? Now may be the time to cash in on the
abundant locations for prospecting include Georgia,current gold rush. With the price of gold exceeding
Arkansas, Idaho, Utah, Montana, Washington, Newthe $1000 an ounce benchmark, an errant earring or
Mexico, Wyoming, North and South Carolina,broken gold chain could add up to a significant sum.
Tennessee, Michigan, Vermont and New Hampshire.To receive the best price for gold you may wish to
The recreational gold prospector can find gold insell, know the karat count. Because of the softness
practically every state of the union. Gold is an idealof pure 24k gold, it is usually alloyed with base metals
media for craftsmen. It is a metal that can befor use in jewelry, altering its hardness, color, melting
deformed by pounding without crumbling or breaking.point and ductility. Alloys with lower karatage,
Gold, in its pure form is the most malleable of alltypically 22k, 18k, 14k or 10k, contain higher
metals. A solitary ounce of gold can be drawn andpercentages of copper, silver or other base metals in
stretched into an ultra fine wire over 50 miles inthe alloy. The higher the karat the more you should
length without breaking or hammered to the amazingexpect to be paid. If you only have a piece or two
thinness of one hundred thousandth of an inchto sell, try a local jeweler or take a vintage piece to
without disintegrating. Gold is easily carved, readilyan antique jeweler. They'll take the artist's
buffs to a gleaming polish, can be heated repeatedlycraftsmanship into consideration and you will net a
without discoloration and joins to itself or othermuch higher price than for just the gold weight.
metals by soldering without the need for a bonding