Gold is a precious metal that has been mined by people since ancient times. The high cost of this metal is explained by the difficulty of its extraction and the significant limitation of its reserves in nature. For example, one ton of rock contains no more than four milligrams of gold, and this is 3 times less compared to the same indicator for palladium, 15 times less for silver, 10,000 times less for copper.
Most people believe that raw pure gold looks the same as it appears in the items sold in jewelry stores. In fact, this is not the case, since for the manufacture of precious jewelry alloys are used that contain not only it, but also impurities of other metals (ligature). It is this that gives the alloy a special shade - pink, lemon, white, etc. For this reason, many people are interested in the question of what gold looks like in its natural form. But first of all, you should understand the physical properties of this metal.
Gold in nature
A little history
Because gold could be found almost anywhere in the world, it became an essential element in almost all human cultures.
Starting with Ancient Egypt, where decorative gold objects dating back over 5,000 years have been found. Advertising - Continued below
The beauty of gold was associated by ancient people with immortality and the wealth of the gods, so jewelry and decorative elements were made from it. Gold was also one of the first currencies to replace traditional barter exchange.
Children's gold bracelet. Egypt. Approximately 2650 BC Photo: www.metmuseum.org
The very first gold coins were minted in the kingdom of Lydia in 550 BC, and since then this metal has remained the main element of the monetary system. Even after modern paper money was adopted, currencies remained linked through the Gold Standard, a system introduced in the 1870s that fixed the value of these currencies in a certain amount of gold.
Myth No. 4. Gold does not cause allergies.
It is believed that since gold does not oxidize, it cannot release breakdown products that provoke an allergic reaction. However, it is not the gold itself that can cause body rejection, but one of the components of the alloy.
“I have not come across any cases of gold allergy in the medical literature. Or rather, an allergy to pure gold. Allergic reactions can be caused by metals that, in addition to gold, are part of the alloy from which the jewelry is made. For example, nickel. Also, local skin irritation can be caused by particles of cosmetics and household chemicals stuck between the links of chains and the bracelet, elements of rings,” says Alla Shkredova, an allergist at the medical center. She is supported by a colleague from the Allergomed clinic, Svetlana Kononova. “Even in precious metals of the highest purity of 999, there are 0.1% impurities, to which there may be a reaction,” the doctor emphasizes.
Due to the allergenicity of nickel, in 2000 the European Union banned the addition of this metal to white gold jewelry, but nickel alloys are still used in Russia.
Physical and chemical properties of metal
This is one of the few noble metals that can be found in nature in its pure form. Pure gold is very soft, only 2.5-3 on the Mohs hardness scale. This is a plus for easy metal processing: one gram of gold can be rolled into a thin sheet with a thickness of only 230 atoms and an area of one meter. But the softness of gold is a disadvantage for the strength of products made from it, so gold is most often alloyed with other metals.
Gold is a good conductor of heat and electricity and is resistant to oxidation and corrosion. The noble metal has a very high boiling and melting point.
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The temperature required to melt gold is 1065°C and the boiling point is 2856°C.
Bread crumb
To test the jewelry you will need a crumb of rye bread. Gold is rolled into it and left for two to three days, after which the bread is broken and the decoration is removed. If traces of oxidation are visible on the jewelry, then this means that this is a fake, since no oxidation processes are characteristic of the noble metal.
If, after such a check, the product is covered with a green coating, you can safely get rid of it. Most likely, it is made of polished copper with a cheap coating.
How gold is mined
North-Eastern Siberia, Kuranakh ore field.
Photo: PJSC Polyus Gold mining is carried out in the following countries: South Africa, Australia, USA, Canada, Russia, China and Pakistan. One of the largest gold mines is the Aurora mine, located in Guyana, Africa.
In ancient times, pieces of gold were simply found in a river or earth. During the Gold Rush, gold was mined by hand using a pick and shovel. By 1853, hydraulic mining had emerged and replaced independent gold miners. Today, gold is mined in large open-pit or underground mines.
The process begins with geologists taking samples of the ore to determine the best places to mine. Once mining engineers know where the gold is and what other materials surround it, the mining process can begin.
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If gold is located close to the surface, it is mined by open-pit mining. In fact, a huge hole is dug in the ground, along the inner perimeter of which a road goes down like a spiral. Equipment for mining and moving ore goes down and up along this road.
The word gold comes from the Old English word geolu, meaning yellow.
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And this thirst for gold is unique not only to a particular culture, but to cultures all over the world separated by vast distances, a fact which clearly shows that the high value attached to gold was established even before the historical records that speak of spread of civilizations. Of all the elements on the periodic table, gold is always chosen to be used as currency. Learn more about this amazing mineral with these 16 brilliant facts about gold that might just surprise you.
Modern uses of gold
Gold can be called the most popular precious metal of any era. Now it is used in various fields of human activity: from creating simple jewelry to complex medical devices.
Jewelry
Gold has been used to make jewelry for thousands of years. Today, up to 80% of mined or processed gold is used in jewelry. One of the reasons why this precious metal is so popular among jewelers is its malleability - gold can be used to create the most delicate works.
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Of course, jewelers do not use gold in its pure form; jewelry is usually made from gold alloys. To classify the gold content in an alloy, samples are used. Each sample of gold has its own color, because its shade is influenced by the composition of the alloy.
Electronics
Gold plated connectors.
Photo: Amazon Since gold is a good conductor, it is used in spare parts for electronic devices. For example, there is about 0.034 g of gold inside a mobile phone. In addition, gold is found in many connectors, cables and circuit boards, including computers, televisions and GPS devices.
Medicine
The first thing worth mentioning is dentistry. Gold is considered the best filler for cavities and crowns, bridges and other orthodontic appliances because the metal is malleable and easily molds to the desired shape. Also, gold does not react when mixed with other metals.
Small amounts of gold isotopes are used in some types of radiation therapy, which is often used for cancer.
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beauty
Mask made of the thinnest gold foil.
Photo: Getty Images Gold also has a place in the beauty industry, because... It is a good antioxidant, and gold has also been proven to fight signs of aging. Gold can work on the skin at the cellular level, activating collagen production and plumping the skin.
Everyone has heard about Cleopatra's milk baths, but there is another story - they say that the queen constantly made face masks from pure gold. Today, gold can be found in the composition of many cosmetic products: the same masks, creams, scrubs, peelings, etc. Of course, the content of the noble metal in them is low, and such products are expensive.
Sun protection
Chandrayaan-2 is an interplanetary station for lunar exploration.
Photo: ISRO Another amazing property of this noble metal is protection from ultraviolet rays. The largest area of application of gold for such purposes is astronautics. There is a special “gold foil” that is used to cover parts of spacecraft to protect them from solar radiation. Astronauts' spacesuits are also covered with gold, which allows a person to see, but does not allow harmful rays to pass through.
Cooking
Golden Opulence Ice Cream Garnished with Edible Gold Gold
is truly edible, and some chefs garnish their gourmet dishes with liquid gold. In one of the establishments in New York you can try pizza with pieces of gold, it will cost $2000, and in Abu Dhabi you can drink a golden cappuccino for $20.
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In fact, people have been eating gold since ancient Egypt, believing that the metal was sacred and would give them strength. The harm or benefit of eating gold has not been proven.
Awards
Gold has become a symbol of the award for first place in competitions, championships and other competitions. It is used to make medals for the Olympics, awards for film festivals and music awards, and even at smaller events, winners are often given gold jewelry.
Absolutely pure gold can be crushed by hand
JustarPoipt:
29.11.2020 at 14:29
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What stones go best with gold in jewelry?
18K Gold Carved Ruby Ring by ARTISAN
Gold is so versatile that it goes well with all stones. An exception is aquamarine on white gold - on it it is almost invisible and is lost from attention, but some will like this option. Also, some consider it unacceptable to combine bright red stones (for example, garnet or ruby) with yellow gold. But, again, this is a matter of taste.
