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Gold

 

Gold (from Old English, of Germanic origin; related to the Dutch goud and the German Gold, Geld, Gyld) is an element represented on the periodic table by the symbol Au and the atomic number 79. With a density of 19.4 g/cm3, gold is among the heaviest base metals—it is more than twice as heavy as silver or lead. Because gold is chemically inert, it is not affected by oxidation. Similarly, it withstands chemical changes that diminish the brilliance of other metals over time.

 

Gold is not only sought after because of its rarity, but also for its range of beautiful colours, for the distinctive character of its soft metallic glow, for its resistance to tarnishing, and for its easy malleability.

 

Gold is so soft and malleable that one ounce (1 ounce = 31.1035 g) can be stretched into a wire 50 miles long, or hammered into a sheet so thin that it covers an area of 9.3 square metres. A standard gold bar weighs about 400 ounces, or approximately 12.5 kg.

 

 

The purity of gold

 

Jeweller’s gold is mixed with one or more other metals to increase its rigidity. It can have white (white gold) or red (red gold) hues, depending on which other material (silver, copper, etc.) is mixed into the alloy. The base colour of pure gold is yellow, and glitters with complex reflections when exposed to light.

 

Pure gold (not alloyed with any other metal) has been used in jewellery in some parts of Asia. But since pure gold is so soft and malleable, its use is limited to simple forms such as twisted bracelets.

 

Percentage of gold in the alloy 37.5% 41.7% 58.5% 75% 100%
North America 9 kt 10 kt 14 kt 18 kt 24 kt
Rest of the World 375 417 585 750 999

 

Gold standards

 

In England, the first laws governing the marking of gold jewellery came into force as early as 1239. In that year, a law was enacted to establish a procedure for authenticating the purity of the gold used in various items of jewellery. The process involved the use of an official mark, which was stamped on the object. That process took place at Hall’s, a goldsmith in London, or at one of the many British government offices responsible for examining such jewellery. Those “Hallmarks” introduced a new practice that has since been replicated in virtually every civilized country in the world.

 

And just as remarkable as that law itself was the severity of the punishments meted out to those deemed to be breaking it. For example, in 1397, two goldsmiths convicted of stamping their items of jewellery with false hallmarks were sentenced to have their ears nailed to the pillory in which they had been placed. Similarly grisly sentences have been handed down in most other countries for offences of this nature.