Gold is not only a pretty piece of metal, it is quite interesting too. It is the only metal that has the yellowish color to it. Many people keep gold for its investment purposes, as it can often be sold at high values. But how much do you really know about this type of metal, other than it makes for great jewelry. Here are fun facts about gold, you might not have known.
- The 79th element on the periodic table is gold and it has the chemical symbol Au, which comes from the Latin world “aurum”, which means “shining dawn.” The name gold is derived from an Old English word “geolu” which, quite simply, means yellow, a nod to the color of the metal.
- The majority of gold today is used to create jewelry. In fact, about 49% of gold is used for just this. But this isn’t something new; gold has been used to make jewelry since as far back as 4000 B.C.
- All of the gold on earth was brought here 4 billion years ago when meteors crashed into the surface of our planet.
- Gold is extremely malleable, being able to be hammered thin enough it is transparent. In fact, gold is used in the glass on astronaut’s helmets. This helps the helmet reflect infrared rays.
- Considered non-toxic, it can be put in foods and drinks to be consumed safely. Some countries in South Asia have been known to put gold in fruit and tea. Europeans, as far back as the 1500s, have been putting gold flakes in their liquor bottles. Gold has also been known to be liquefied and injected into patients who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis.
- One of the world’s largest gold nuggets was found in Australia, in 1869. It weighed around 158 pounds. After its discovery it was soon melted down into ingots, to be shipped to the Bank of England. This was a common practice with large nuggets around that time.
- Gold is one of the rarest metals not only on earth, but entire universe. This is because of how hefty this element is, it takes a lot to create. In fact, it takes a very cataclysmic event, a short gamma-ray burst, to be produced. Although rare, gold has been discovered on every continent of earth.
- This metal has been often equated with the wealthy, through the history of our species. Even early civilizations were known to associate gold with the gods and rulers, putting a high value on this metal. Even today, gold is still associated with the wealthy, which is not surprising as the metal is one of the rarest.
- Gold is not a very reactive metal, which means it never rusts, resisting degradation from exposure to air, moisture, or acidic conditions. In fact gold needs to be dissolved with a special mix of acids. Because of this property, gold doesn’t cause skin problems or irritations, unless it has been mixed with other types of metals.
- It is estimated that around 161,000 tons of gold have been mined through the years. However, around 80% of the gold on the earth is believed to still be underground. Scientists estimate that around 10 billion tons of that gold is in the world’s oceans. That’s a lot of gold that has yet to be found.
If you are looking to sell your gold jewelry, contact a professional who can offer you more information on how this is done. Pinto Cash For Gold, offers you free appraisal to help you sell your items. Contact us online today, or visit us at 2570 Yonge Street, near the intersection of Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue.
