Gold was the world's currency for ages, and is a very interesting element. Here are key facts about this most unique metal.
The name "Gold" originally comes from a very old Ango-Saxon word which literally means "yellow." Gold has been used as a world currency and as an investment. In addition to facts about gold investing, there are also important facts about gold in chemistry and gold facts about jewelry.
Gold Facts Chemistry
- Symbol of Element : Au
- Atomic Number of Gold : 79
- Atomic Mass: 196.96655 amu
- Density @ 293 K: 19.32 g/cm3
- Melting Point: 1064.43 °C - 1337.5801 °K
- Boiling Point: 2807.0 °C - 3080.15 °K
- Number of Protons/Electrons in Gold : 79
- Number of Neutrons in Gold : 118
- Crystal Structure of Gold: Cubic
- Color of Gold : Soft yellow
- Gold is considered the most non-reactive of all metals
- Gold has been located on 90% of the Earth's surface
- A single ounce of gold could be stretched into a wire 60 miles long
Gold Facts Jewelry
- The Ancient Egyptians were the first to use gold to create jewelry.
- Gold mines produce gold commercially on every continent except Antarctica.
- Gold is the only precious metal that is yellow in color.
- Generally, pure gold is too soft and delicate to be used for jewelry, and must be alloyed with other metals to create a metal strong enough to be durable against wear and tear.
- Gold is the most common and popular precious metal used for wedding rings.
- Gold is the only known metal that is impervious to rusting.
Gold Facts Investing
- In 1980, gold reached $800 per ounce, the all-time highest market value for gold. Adjusted for inflation, this would be more than $2200 per ounce today.
- For several decades, the United States government made it illegal to own gold bullion.
- The United States 1933 Double Eagle sold at Sotheby’s auction house in New York in 2002 for $7.59 million, which is the highest price ever for a gold coin.
- The first gold coins used as currency were produced in Lydia, which is now part of the nation of Turkey.
- The world’s biggest producer of gold is South Africa.
- The biggest gold mine in the U.S. is the Homestake Mining Company in Lead, South Dakota.
- In many developing nations, people trust gold as currency more than they trust the paper money issued by the government as currency.
- Large gold nuggets are often worth more than the gold that they contain because they are extremely rare.
- Most pension investment funds in western nations have some investment in gold, as protection against inflation or some kind of economic collapse.
The facts about Gold have amazed scientists with its chemical properties, impressed untold millions as jewelry, and has served as a currency and and investment for thousands of years.
Sources: About.com, Goldgold.com
Copyright Jared Plotkin. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.
Jared Plotkin - I recently graduated from UC Irvine and I am trying to make a career out of freelance writing. I enjoy writing about a wide variety of ...
Join the Conversation