Gold is an element, i.e. is made entirely from one type of atom, and, we are told, is found in streams and mines all over the planet.  Our ancestors were working and fashioning articles in gold many thousands of years before we learned to smelt and use ores for iron and copper.

Gold is not found “all over the planet” because there isn’t any in my back garden - I’ve looked!  Found in its natural state, gold was soft, easy to work, did not tarnish and was very pleasing to the eye. Also, it was permanent and, because of this was linked to the gods, was a sign of wealth and even worshipped. It still is, by some.

In the science bit, its atomic number in the periodic table is 79, its symbol is Au. It is rated soft, malleable, ductile and one of the least reactive of metals. It occurs naturally as grains or nuggets and resists tarnishing in air or water.

Only alkaline cyanide or nitro-hydrochloric acid will dissolve it, and it will dissolve in mercury to form other amalgams. However, these are not really everyday chemicals we are likely to come across.

The saying the “Acid Test” comes from the fact that gold will not dissolve in nitric acid whereas silver and other base metals will.

There have been approx 174,000 tons mined, and gold is used in industry, dentistry and jewellery.

But where did it come from?

The boffins are pretty certain that due to gold’s density, it sank to the core of our planet, during the Earth’s formation. There is enough of it to put a 4m skin all around the surface of Earth.  However, we cannot get at it.

Physicists tell us it is possible that gold was created by the collision or explosion of neutron stars, the core of dead stars, one of the most powerful explosions in the universe. During this explosion, gold to the mass of ten of our moons was ejected. Physicists also tell us noone is sure - who coined the phrase “Scientific Fact”?

In the Earth’s formative years, we were being bombarded by gold bearing meteorites for about 200 million years. During this formation molten iron sank to the centre forming the Earth’s core, taking with it the dense metals such as platinum and gold.

Finally, as the earth was cooling, a huge meteorite with 20 billion billion tones of material hit the planet. Because our planet was now cooling, its load of elements did not sink to the core. Scientific fact does support this as this gold in the Earth’s crust is a quarter of a billion years older than the rocks it is found in, so it must have come from somewhere else, i.e.  the meteorite.

If you have any queries on gold, gems, or have any jewellery requirements, call us.

StrawberryWood makes beautiful jewellery.

Gold - The Element