Gold is the most recognizable precious metal on earth. Its rich history dates back to the Chalcolithic Era (5000 BCE) when it was first used in decoration. Today, gold has applications in industry, is used to denote currency, and over course in the creation of fine jewelry, with the jewelry industry representing 50% of the total gold consumption throughout the entire world.
As one of the densest metals on the periodic table, one of the most surprising things about gold is where it came from. Because gold is so dense, all of the gold that was present at earth’s formation would have sunken to the core. What this means for us is that all of the gold that has been used in human history originally came from meteorites! Every white gold diamond ring, every golden cuff and necklaces, every pair of golden earrings: the stuff of meteorites.
As well as being one of the densest metals, gold is also the most malleable metal known to us. Gold is so malleable that a single ounce of it can be spread into a 300 square foot sheet (That’s bigger than a football field!). It’s this quality that makes it possible, often necessary, for metallurgists to create gold alloys by mixing soft gold with harder metals. These gold alloys are used to create the vibrant colors of gold that we have come to know so well. A mixture of silver and gold results in white gold while a mixture of gold and copper results in rose gold. All of the other tones of gold such as green, yellow, and black gold are all the products of mixing pure 24k gold with additional metals.
