THE HISTORY OF GOLD
Gold is the king of precious metals!
Its rarity as well as its physical and chemical properties have made gold one of the most wanted natural resources on earth. Gold is a soft, malleable, ductile metal that can be easily hammered, mixed with other metals, melted and shaped into highly detailed shapes. It is non-toxic, it does not cause allergies, it does not oxidize and it does not rust. These unique features make gold one of the most useful and popular metal for jewelry.
Coins, medals, jewelry, historical monuments and statues have been decorated with gold since ancient times. Even the sciences of chemistry and medicine base their evolution on the use of metal, from the Middle Ages and the alchemists, to the present era of modern medicine with various applications.
Gold has always been considered as a way of storing value and has always been a safe refuge for investors, especially in times of economic instability and war. The history of gold can be traced back to ancient civilizations, where gold was used as a form of currency and as a symbol of wealth and power. Over the centuries gold reserves became established as the basis of the wealth of the central banks of the countries and naturally, gold became a valuable commodity.
In addition to all the above uses, gold is also inextricably linked to tradition, usually in the form of jewelry or other decorative heirlooms. Jewelry is a form of artistic creation that satisfies the human need for beauty, by connecting everyday life with art. Most ancient civilizations regarded gold as a symbol of prestige, dominance and power. It is no coincidence that every language uses the adjective “gold” to describe something superior, valuable and beloved.
Its chemical symbol is Au, which is derived from the Latin word Aurum with a specific gravity of 19.3, a melting temperature of 1064.43oC and a boiling point of 2807oC. Gold can be measured either in carats or in millimeters, with 24 carats or 1000 millimeters corresponding to 100% gold content.
CARE
Gold is a durable metal with unique physical properties, but it is also soft, so gold jewelry and objects require the right treatment and maintenance, in order to stay shiny.
For this reason, we should avoid wearing our gold jewelry when we exercise, when we bathe and when we put on perfumes and body creams. The metal of gold does not corrode, however acidic sweat and chemicals from cleaners and cosmetics can affect its outer surface and cause changes in its color and luster. We also cause a lot of damage to our jewelry when we wear it while sleeping or when we do some intense manual labor or household chores. In these cases, we risk breaking it or and even destroy it. In most cases, we can clean gold jewelry with a soft cotton cloth and then store it properly to protect it from wear and tear. We can, of course, whenever necessary, ask a professional to clean and polish our gold jewelry with appropriate products and restore it to its original shine.
