The ABC’s of Gold
February 24, 2010 by Betsy Johnson
Filed under Dating Tips
Way before the American Dollar, the British Pound, or the Indian Rupee came on the scene there was another measure of wealth. Gold has been valued as a currency practically since it was found. It is still used today to denote one’s wealth. Rare and very heavy, it’s been used as a status symbol for kings and merchants alike. This is our guide into the world of gold, and we hope you enjoy this journey into the world of this precious metal.
Denoting itself as one of the worlds most valuable and precious metals, gold sets itself apart from the rest of the precious metals. It is so malleable and soft that just one mere ounce of it will produce a wire that can stretch 5 miles in length. If you would prefer to pound it rather than stretch it, you could create a sheet that will cover 100 square feet. Because it cannot corrode or rust it will last almost indefinitely.
Gold is all around us. It can be found in our rivers and seas, in the earth’s crust beneath our feet and in our plants as well. It is very expensive and difficult to extract, and this is why it is so pricey. It takes about 2.5 to 3 tons of gold ore to produce a mere ounce of pure gold…what a percentage!
Here’s a trivia question for you. Do you happen to know what popular metal is most often found in today’s jewelry? Any guesses? You got it…first try…it is gold! It is used in our heart jewelry, fine jewelry, cool jewelry, you name it. Most of this gold goes into one type of jewelry though…the wedding band. Since it is so soft and malleable, it is often not found by itself, but in combination with other metals. It is this combination that makes it durable and strong and ensures that it will not be bent so easily. Do you happen to know what a combination of two or more metals is? It’s an alloy. Most of the gold that is used in our jewelry is an alloy.
What are these types of jewelry you ask? How about: (1) Gold jewelry, (2) White gold jewelry, (3) Gold plated jewelry, (4) Gold charm jewelry, (5) Rose gold jewelry, (6) Wholesale gold jewelry, (7) Gold body jewelry, (8) 24k gold jewelry, (9) 22k gold jewelry, (10) 18k gold jewelry, (11) 14k gold jewelry, (12) Indian gold jewelry, (13) Gold horse jewelry, (14) Plus other fine gold jewelry items.
You have probably heard of the word karat when referring to gold. What exactly is it? The word karat is derived from the word for the fruit of the carob tree. Some examples are the Arabic word qirat, the Greek word keration, and the Italian word carato. This is because the seeds of the carob tree were used in ancient times for measuring the size of precious gems. The pure gold Byzantine coin called the solidus weighed in at 24 karats, so the 24 karat mark (i.e.: 24KT or 24K) became the mark used to indicate that the item was made of pure gold.
Did you enjoy this little journey into the world of gold? We hope so. If you would like to learn more we would love to have you visit our blog. We will go into more details on this subject, heart jewelry, and just jewelry in general. Welcome…
Betsy Johnson has some great deals for you at: open heart jewelry and heart jewelry. Check them out!
