Since the beginning of civilisation man has placed great value on GOLD. As far back as 4000 B.C. the ancient Egyptians fashioned beautiful artifacts from GOLD. Universally considered to be the symbol of everything precious and of lasting value, GOLD has taken many forms over the centuries: from nuggets, coins, ingots and idols. Considered valuable not only because of it's rarity but also because of natures reluctance to give it up GOLD is the first element mentioned in the Bible (Genesis 2: 10-12), and GOLD has fascinated and seduced man since the very beginning.....
Gold is the most beautiful of all metals and probably the earliest metal discovered by man. It is the only truly yellow metal found free and almost pure in nature. It is non-magnetic and one of more than one hundred elements that make up the planet Earth. Gold is the most important of the precious metals and is, and always has been , of the greatest economic importance. Many nations base the value of their currency on the amount of gold in their reserves. Gold is the only universally accepted medium of exchange.
Pure gold is soft, only about 2.5 to 3 in the mohs scale, almost too soft to be used in jewellery without being alloyed with another metal. It is the most ductile and malleable of all metals and can be beaten into a sheet or leaf so thin that one ounce will cover an area of 160 square feet. Gold is almost completely insoluble in nature and in ordinary acids, only a mixture of hydrochloric and nitric acids called "aqua regia" and some cyanide solutions will dissolve it.
GOLD is the most malleable and ductile of all metals. It is said that a single ounce of GOLD can be drawn to form a wire more than 60 kilometres long without breaking. With a specific gravity 19 times that of water, virtually immune to the effects of oxygen it will not corrode or rust and is an excellent conductor of electricity. GOLD cannot be broken down into any more elementary substances, nor can any other substance be made from it. Its colour and lustre have lured men and women with an irrational attraction since it was first discovered. Many have succumbed to "GOLD FEVER". It has been said by many an astute observer, that once a person has been afflicted with GOLD FEVER one is then afflicted for the rest of their lifetime, an illusive love affair that never truly fades.
From fine particles, almost invisible to the naked eye, through to nuggets many kilograms in weight. The largest GOLD nugget ever found in the world was found on 5th. February 1869 at Moliagul, just 14 kms northwest of Dunolly, in the heart of the Victorian Goldfields, Australia. It weighed a massive 2280 troy ounces. That's more than 70 kilograms. The Hand of Faith Nugget found at Kingower approx. 30 kms north of Dunolly in October 1980 is the largest GOLD nugget known to remain in existence today. It is also the largest GOLD nugget ever found with a metal detector weighing 875 troy ounces, more than 27 kilograms. Sold in1982 for a reputed sum of around AUD$1,000,000.00 it is now on display in the Golden Nugget Casino in Las Vegas. Rarely ever, is GOLD found in it's crystalline form.
GOLD NUGGETS are worth far more than crushed or smelted gold as each nugget is truly unique. Created by nature, no two nuggets are ever the same, each has it's own special beauty.
As with other precious metals,GOLD is weighed in Troy Ounces
World GOLD price is quoted in $US per Troy oz
Troy Weight;
12 Troy ounces (oz.) = 1 Troy pound (lb.)
20 pennyweights (dwt.) = 1 Troy ounce (oz.)
24grains (gr.) = 1 pennyweight
480 grains (gr.) = 1 Troy ounce
Metric equivalent;
1 Troy Ounce = 31.1 grams
1 Pennyweight = 1.5552 grams
1 Grain = 0.0648 grams
Chemical Symbol = Au
Atomic Number = 79
Atomic Weight = 196.967
Specific Gravity = 19.3
Melting Point = 2000 deg. F
FINE GOLD (Bullion) = 99.99% pure also known as Four Nines gold.
GOLD has been used to make fine Jewellery for centuries. It has been alloyed with various other metals over the years to give it hardness or to change the colour slightly ie, Rose Gold.
The method used today to show the purity and hardness of a piece of GOLD jewellery is to quote how many Carats (or Karats) the GOLD is.
24 Carat = 100.0% pure
18 Carat = 75.00% pure
14 Carat = 58.33% pure
12 Carat = 50.00% pure
10 Carat = 41.67% pure
9 Carat = 37.50% pure
Various metals are used to produce alloys including nickel, silver, palladium, & copper.
How can you tell?
Many tests can be done, the most common are ;
Scratch testing ........ When GOLD is scratched it leaves a mark of the same colour. Copper Pyrites, commonly mistaken for GOLD leaves a greenish / black powder & Iron Pyrites is very hard to scratch.
When struck with a hammer GOLD will simply flatten but both copper & iron pyrites will be reduced to powder.
Chemical testing ........ GOLD will not be affected by a drop of nitric or hydrochloric acid. Pyrites will foam slightly & eventually dissolve.
--- GOLD IS BEAUTIFUL ---
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