Do You Know Who Discovered Gold?
It is impossible to determine exactly who discovered gold. Gold has been used since antiquity. It is hard to determine the one person who discovered gold because of that. Gold has been known to exist for at least 5500 years. Alchemists use to refer to gold as the shining sun because of its bright yellow hue. Since its atomic name Au which is Latin for aurum meaning sun.
The one who discovered gold probably found it free in nature but it is often together with another element such as silver, quartz, calcite, lead, zinc, copper and tellurium. The one who discovered gold would probably also found it in seawater.
It is believed that the one who discovered gold must have known that is very malleable and ductile. As a matter of fact, it is the most malleable and ductile among all elements. It is so malleable that an ounce of gold can be hammered into a sheet 5 meters on the side.
Thin sheets of gold are known to be used in arts and crafts. A sheet of gold leaf could be as thin as .000127 millimeters. This is 400 times thinner than the human hair.
The one who discovered gold must have known that gold can be mixed with other metals. This is called gold alloy. Popular gold alloys include silver, copper, nickel, platinum or palladium. All of them except copper give gold a whiter, lighter hue.
Gold alloys make gold harder. That is why it is easier to turn gold into jewelry, decorative items, coins and other purposes with the aid of gold alloys. The one who discovered gold most probably did not know that an alloy is measured in carats represented by symbol K. One carat is equivalent to one part in twenty-four. An 18 carat gold ring therefore is equal to 18 parts gold and 6 parts alloy to make it total to 24.
Golden Qualities
The one who discovered gold must have known about its wonderful qualities. For one, it does not tarnish when exposed to air. This is because gold conducts heat and electricity. Gold currently is being used in modern technologies such as electronic parts.
Gold also reflects infrared radiation and can help shield spacecraft and even skyscrapers from the oppressive heat of the sun. Gold coated mirrors are often made into telescopes that can easily determine infrared light.
Gold is also used to treat cancer. It can also treat arthritis by using it with other elements such as sodium and sulfate. The one who discovered gold could not have known how popular and greatly sought this wonderful element he discovered had become. Gold thumb ring comes in different sizes to be able to fit you perfectly.
