06:36
Faizan
Gold has been a symbol of wealth, power and luxury for thousands of years. Bulgarian burial chambers dated at 5000 BC have been shown to contain finely-wrought gold jewellery. Egyptians regularly referred to gold in their hieroglyphs as far back as 2600 BC, and there are mentions of it in the Old Testament.
Gold became important as currency from about 600 BC, when both the Chinese and Lydia (now part of Turkey) used it to make the first known coins.
Since then, its importance has only increased.
A malleable, easy-to-work and beautiful metal, gold is the number one choice for jewellery the world over. In addition, it is kept as a financial reserve by a number of countries. Gold leaf is used as the outer layer on everything from religious statues to domed roofs, and as a decorative but edible ingredient in many foods.
It is used in medicine (notably in the treatment of arthritis, and in dentistry), in the aerospace industry, and because of its excellent conductivity, also in an increasing range of computer and electronic devices.
Gold is also one of the ten rarest elements to occur in the Earth's crust.
It is formed when smaller elements fuse together, the same as every element heavier than iron. The only time this happens naturally is when enormous stars die; the gold particles then remain as space dust until it is condensed when planets are formed.
Because it is so heavy, most of the Earth's gold is thought to be deep in the core, out of our reach. However, a comparatively small amount has been brought to the surface through geological activity. It's also possible that some of it arrived here from space, carried inside meteors.
Gold became important as currency from about 600 BC, when both the Chinese and Lydia (now part of Turkey) used it to make the first known coins.
Since then, its importance has only increased.
A malleable, easy-to-work and beautiful metal, gold is the number one choice for jewellery the world over. In addition, it is kept as a financial reserve by a number of countries. Gold leaf is used as the outer layer on everything from religious statues to domed roofs, and as a decorative but edible ingredient in many foods.
It is used in medicine (notably in the treatment of arthritis, and in dentistry), in the aerospace industry, and because of its excellent conductivity, also in an increasing range of computer and electronic devices.
Gold is also one of the ten rarest elements to occur in the Earth's crust.
It is formed when smaller elements fuse together, the same as every element heavier than iron. The only time this happens naturally is when enormous stars die; the gold particles then remain as space dust until it is condensed when planets are formed.
Because it is so heavy, most of the Earth's gold is thought to be deep in the core, out of our reach. However, a comparatively small amount has been brought to the surface through geological activity. It's also possible that some of it arrived here from space, carried inside meteors.
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