Gold and Silver have been useful to mankind since ancient civilization. Even today, we use gold and silver in our everyday lives. But most of the people nowadays don’t know the purpose and the importance of both metals. Let’s talk further about two of the most important metals ever discovered by mankind.Here are some amazing facts about Gold and Silver.
Gold characteristics
Gold is one of the oldest metals continually used since ancient civilizations. Its bright yellow color has been valued for thousands of years. The oldest gold treasure ever found was in a burial site in Varna, Bulgaria from around 4000 BC ( from the ancient Thracian civilization).
By 3100 BC man has evidence of gold and silver used by the Early DynasticPeriod of ancient Egypt. Egyptians used gold plates to decorate shrines, ornaments, weapons, ceramics, statues, glassware and jewelry. Gold has also been used as a standard for currencies all over the world.
The world’s largest gold bar was manufactured by the Mitsubishi Materials Corporation, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi. The gold bar stands at 250 kg (551 lb), measuring at the base 45.5 cm x 22.5 cm and 17 cm high with a 5-degree draft angle (equal to 15,730cm³, or 17.9 in × 8.9 in × 6.7 in ≈ 1062.04 in³).
Gold is found on every continent on Earth, except for Antartica. The largest amount of gold can be found in the oceans.
Gold is edible, pure gold is chemically inert and passes through the human digestive system without being absorbed into the body. Since 24-karat gold is very soft and fragile, most edible gold – whether leaf, flakes or dust – also contains a little bit of silver which is also inert ( so it means we can eat a whole 24-karat gold without falling ill).
Earthquakes can turn water into gold (sounds like a shake rattle and gold!). During an earthquake, the fault jog suddenly opens wider. It’s like pulling the lid off a pressure cooker. The water inside the void vaporizes instantly, flashing to steam and forcing silica, which forms the mineral quartz and gold out of the fluids and onto nearby surfaces.
