Gold itself is a very interesting material. The uses of gold in our daily life is spread across many industries and its used for various purposes. Find out more about the precious yellow metal.
Uses of gold in daily life: main examples
The uses of gold is not limited to investments. This metal is used in the production of jewelry, in technology, in a wide range of industries, as well as in medicine. Checkout uses of gold in our daily life.
- The first example of the uses of gold metal is jewelry production
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Jewelry production has always been and remains the largest consumer of the yellow metal. Gold jewelry has existed for many centuries, one can recall the ancient Egyptian pharaohs and the decoration of their tombs. Wearing gold items used to have a slightly different meaning: it was protection from diseases, spiritual attacks, witchcraft.
In the modern world, jewelry made of gold shows high status and also carries aesthetic beauty. The assortment of jewelry made of gold is quite extensive, there are rings, earrings, chains, cuff links, fingers and other items.
Jewelers make their masterpieces not of pure gold (in most cases), but of its alloys. This is explained by the fact that the pure metal is very soft and does not possess the necessary strength in relation to mechanical influences.
To achieve the desired characteristics, jewelers add silver and copper to gold. Among other components of the alloy, there are palladium, zinc, cobalt, and nickel. Depending on the ratio of metals in the alloy, gold jewellry has one of shades of three-color palette: yellow, white and red gold.
The use of gold in jewelry occupies about half of total amount of the metal that is used by man.
- Gold in medicine
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Gold, because of its good malleability and the ability not to oxidize is widely used in dentistry. As well as for jewelry, people use gold alloys for dentures and crowns. As additional components, they use the same silver, copper, zinc and platinum.
Pharmacology is another sphere that uses the precious metals. Metal compounds are widely implemented in some medicines that are used in the treatment of arthritis, malignant tumors, tuberculosis.
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Radioactive gold is used in oncology for the diagnosis and treatment of malignant tumors, people use gold threads in aesthetic cosmetology, there are gold-containing skin care products that, thanks to the antimicrobial action of the metal, contribute to the elimination of skin problems and their rejuvenation.
- Uses of gold for food production
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Did you know that we eat gold? Gold is registered as a food additive E175. In some countries there are such popular products as beer with golden flakes, olive oil with golden leaves, pizza or coffee with tiny gold particles.
For example, recently one Swiss firm released sweets wrapped in an edible shell that contained gold. It is believed that the food supplement E175 does not interfere with digestion, and even has hypoallergenic properties. In fact, food supplement E175 is used in small quantities due to its high cost.
- Electronics and Computers
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Did you know that even your smartphone contains some gold? There is so-called technical gold in different devices. Technical gold is gold that has not passed the purification process. It can not be used for making jewelry, as it is prohibited by law, but there are many other areas of its application. Gold is irreplaceable as a material for contacts in electronics.
Recently it turned out that on average, one mobile phone contains about 25 milligrams of gold. A gold alloy with platinum group of metals helps the phone to withstand a huge number of switching operations without deceleration. The use of gold nanoparticles has an advantage in the manufacturing of displays.
Modern cars are equipped with microcircuits, which also contain gold. It is used in microcircuits, which are responsible for anti-lock of brake system, in sensors that activate airbags in the case of collisions and accidents.
- Gold as a financial instrument
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Gold is the most popular metal for investments. It is considered a reliable insurance against political and economic crises. The total volume of gold reserves of countries is around 30 thousand tons. Stocks of gold mean economic independence. The rate of gold is constantly growing, and that makes this noble metal a tidbit for most investors.
In the same topic, it is worth to maintain golden coins. Gold coins were in use even 6000 years ago. Modern gold coins are not in circulation, they are issued for investment or collectibles. The hardest gold coin in the world is included in the series of Australian Nugget, its mass is 1012 kg. The coin was made in 2011.
- Gold in architecture and building materials
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Gold is actively used in glass making. A small amount of gold added to glass produces a rich ruby color. It is also used in modern climate-controlled buildings, gold helps reflect solar radiation, that helps buildings to stay cool in hot weather, and reflect internal heat inward that helps to save warmth in winter.
Since ancient times gold was a symbol of perfection and wealth. The extraction of gold began a long time ago, approximately in the fifth millennium BC. The first gold products appeared in ancient Egypt.
About 10% of gold, in our time, is used for industrial products. The remaining 90% of it is divided between jewelry and centralized stocks in the form of gold bars. Gold in everyday life is used for various purpose.
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Source: Naija.ng
