Gold Facts
Gold Facts
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| Interesting Gold Facts: |
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| Gold was in use by ancient civilizations and already was highly valued at that time. |
| The oldest known piece of gold jewelry dates back to the Mesopotamians in 2600 BC. |
| The Etruscans used gold to replace or secure teeth as early as 700 BC. |
| The malleability of gold allows for one gram of the element to be hammered to as much as 300 square feet. |
| This property makes gold very popular in gold leafing. |
| Due to this softness, gold is often alloyed with other elements. |
| An estimated 171,000 tons of gold have been mined by humans. |
| It is one of the highest atomic numbered elements to appear naturally and in its free state. |
| It is believed that most of the gold on Earth is at the core level, sinking when the planet was still molten. |
| Most of the gold retrievable from the crust is believed to have been as a result of meteorite bombardment about four billion years ago. |
| An estimated fifteen thousand tons of gold are in the oceans. |
| Gold is believed to be concentrated in ocean water at between ten and thirty parts per quadrillion. |
| Gold synthesis from seawater has been attempted over the years, but has not proven economically feasible. |
| Gold only has one stable isotope, Au-197. |
| This stable isotope is also its only naturally occurring isotope. |
| There have been thirty-six synthetic radioactive isotopes of gold. |
| Gold has a density greater than lead, and about midway between lead and osmium, the densest metal element. |
| While gold is prized for jewelry making and for investing, it is actually a good conductor of heat and electricity and therefore has electronics applications. |
| Gold has also uses in medicine, gourmet foods, and the commercial chemistry industry. |
| About half of all gold ever produced has come from mines in South Africa. |
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