PRECIOUS METAL
OCTOBER 14, 2023
Some Important Facts Of Gold
One of the most precious metal on Earth, gold is the ultimate material for jewelry and many other functions in humanity.
- Gold is a chemical element in the periodic table having the symbol Au (Latin: ‘aurum’) and having atomic number 79, Au is a transition element in the periodic system of elements, shiny, yellow, heavy, “malleable”, and “ductile”.
- The history of gold begins with the discovery of these minerals by the kingdom of Lydia in Turkey. Gold also appears in Greek and Incan mythology as a precious object from the sky. Initially, gold was used as a material for making jewelry and objects of worship in religious ceremonies.
- This shiny metal comes from the process of magmatism or concentrating deposits on the earth’s surface. The earth’s crust contains about 0.005 parts per million of precious metals.
- When compared to silver or copper, gold is more special because it is stronger. Gold is not easily destroyed, in the sense that it retains its purity for a long time. Gold also will not be dissolved by an acid solution or ordinary solvents.
- There is no record that confirms when gold was first discovered, but many believe that this precious metal was first found in rivers and natural caves in a very natural form. As found in caves in Spain in 40,000 BC.
- Gold mining has existed since 4,000 years BC, even before. Gold is generally found in lowlands such as river banks. In the past, the Greeks built primitive gold mines around Asia Minor to Macedonia. Around 3600 BC, gold was processed through a smelting process carried out by goldsmiths in Egypt.
- The estimated amount of gold in the world mined throughout history is estimated at 169,643 tonnes, with a total amount recovered of 221,353 tonnes.
- Nevada Gold Mines (United States of America) The largest gold mine in the world is the Gold Mines Nevada. This mining complex produces 68.5 percent of precious metals.
- According to an analysis conducted by researchers from the University of Bristol, gold came from meteorite impacts more than 200 million years after Earth formed. In the study explained that during the formation of the Earth, liquid iron sank to the center of the planet to form the core.
- Karat is a system of measuring the purity of gold. Gold purity is measured based on the percentage of pure gold contained in a metal. The 24 carat content is expressed as a gold content of 99.90 – 99.98% while pure gold is 99.99%. So 23-karat gold means the purity level is 23/24 X 100% or around 95.83 – 99.98%. So if the gold content is 22 carat and weighs 15 grams, then the pure gold content = 22/24 x 15 = 13.75 grams.
- According to world jewelry experts, a good gold content for jewelry is 75 percent or the equivalent of 18 carats. A gold content of 75 percent is considered a suitable combination to keep jewelry beautiful in the long term.
- Primary raw gold is generally found with the characteristics of a very high level of hardness with the main mineral being quartz (a mineral with a glass-like appearance). However, it is not uncommon to find primary ores that have a milky white color.
- Gold can maintain its luster without complicated maintenance. Gold is a soft metal that is easy to carve but tough enough to try to crush. Second, gold is stable, easy to carry, does not react, and is non-toxic. In appearance, gold is also strong but malleable. It is a metal that is non-magnetic, meaning it cannot be attracted by a magnet.
- Gold has the benefit of being able to reflect radiation from sunlight. As a radiation reflector, gold is often used in the manufacture of high-rise buildings. Gold is also used by NASA as an element for making spacecraft. Such as for circuit materials and lubricants.
- Although gold is commonly used for jewelry, the use of gold on the body can cause health problems related to the nervous system as a whole. One of the relatively mild negative impacts due to the use of gold is depression. This is why not everyone can use gold.
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