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Gold is one of the most widespread precious metals in the world. It played a significant role in many cultures even before these cultures started actively communicating with each other. With time, people have discovered more useful features of gold. For example, this metal is a good electricity conductor, is easily malleable, and doesn’t rust.
One of the five most common ways people use gold is by investing in Gold Bullion which holds value and serves as a stable investment option. You can explore a wide range of these products and investment opportunities to secure your financial future.
We collected the five most popular ways the world uses gold. In the end, there is a fun bonus about more strange options for gold usage. And also check out Goldco.
Money and investments
Gold has an extremely long history of being used as a medium of exchange. From the oldest civilizations like Sumerians and ancient Egyptians to the most modern versions of the gold standard, this metal was used to buy and sell or to support other kinds of money.
Today, gold has lost some of its functions in the financial sector, but it’s still a good asset to invest in. You can find some top coins and bars in various institutions or platforms like this website and buy gold for yourself. Also, gold coins can be entertaining to collect.
Jewelry
It’s hard to mistake the yellowish shining of gold with other glossy metals. People around the world always saw the beauty of gold so they decided to decorate themselves with it. Thanks to its softness, gold allowed jewelers to create amazing designs with fine lines and intricate patterns.
The first mentions of gold jewelry are dated around 4000 B.C. in Eastern Europe. From that time, the industry of producing gold jewelry evolved into a successful business that covers almost 40% of gold demand in the world.
Computers and electronics
It may be a surprise to some of you, but gold is actively used in the production of computers. Gold is a good electricity conductor that can carry electrical charges. This feature allowed gold to enter the industry of technology.
Now, most electronic devices in our houses have a small amount of gold in them. Phones, TV sets, laptops, GPS navigators, remotes, even old cameras—you can find gold everywhere. Sure, it’s just a tiny component, but the precious metal is still present.
Awards and symbols of power
Throughout the whole history of humanity, gold was earning more and more value. It could display the owner’s status and show everyone around that this person is rich and noble. There is no wonder gold started to appear in crowns, statues, and medals.
The modern awards for sports competitions of various scales still contain gold, but its amount is drastically decreased. For example, an Olympic medal can weigh up to 800 grams (1.8 pounds) and have only 6 grams (0,001 pounds) of gold.
Dentistry
Gold is used in dentistry for almost 3,000 years. Since the metal is malleable, inert, and hypoallergenic, it becomes easy to make bridges and crowns for teeth or even replace the missing ones. Even though there are plenty of alternatives for dental procedures, gold is still widely used by dentists and orthodontists.
Bonus: The most unusual gold use cases
The above-mentioned ways to use gold are the most common around the globe. However, there are more interesting situations where this precious metal can come in handy.
- Some restaurants use thin gold leaves to decorate the meals they serve. It doesn’t cause allergic reactions, it makes food look luxurious, and it adds quite a lot to the price.
- Gold is also added to beauty products. Companies are saying that gold helps with improving the skin and has an anti-aging effect.
- Besides dentistry, gold applies to other medical cases. For example, it’s used in the treatment of arthritis and even cancer.
Wrapping it up
The ways described above are not the limit for gold usage. The further humanity and civilizations are developing, the more interesting options there will be. For now, finance, health care, jewelry, and electronics continue to be the industries where gold continues to be important. There is a high chance that some of them will go obsolete and decrease the use of this precious metal. The only thing we can do right now is to watch and follow the further history of gold.