Product Reference

Physical and chemical characteristics:

• Latin name Aurum (Au);
• chemical element of Group 1 in Mendeleev's periodic table;
• Atomic number 79;
• Atomic weight 196.9665;
• Density 19.32 g/cmі;
• Melting point 1064.4°C;

Chemically rather inert, exposure to air does not change it in any way, even when heated. Pure gold is extremely soft, liable to swift abrasion, and products made from it are vulnerable to crushing and tearing.

History:

Gold was the first metal to be discovered by man, and is most commonly found in its virgin state, both in core and disseminated deposits. The understanding of what constitutes a nugget in terms of weight or size has changed in the course of time. For example, in the 1954 edition of the Great Soviet Encyclopaedia, it is defined as being of 5g or greater in weight, whereas nowadays a nugget can be anything exceeding a weight of 1g. The "Great Triangle" nugget, found in Russia in 1842 in the southern Urals and now kept in the Diamond Reserve, has a weight of 36,015.7g, and a grade of 900.6.

Natural gold is never found in an absolutely pure state, it is always contaminated to some degree by other elements. The colour of natural gold varies in accordance with the presence of other metals and the quality of the admixture.

Being the most valuable of precious metals, gold has long served as a means of exchange in trade, and as a result of this, methods of making gold-like alloys based on copper were devised. As these methods developed and became widespread, they gave birth to what became known as alchemy. The Holy Grail of alchemists was to find means of transforming (transmuting) base metals into gold and silver.

Uses:

Gold is usually used in alloys with other metals, which, while preserving the main qualities of gold itself, are characterised by greater hardness and density, and allow for more economical use of the gold. Alloys of gold and platinum are used to make chemically resistant apparatus, and alloys of gold, silver and platinum are used to manufacture electrical contacts for important equipment. Gold and alloys containing it are also used for gilding, as well as the manufacture of jewellery and false teeth. The radioactive isotope Au198 is used for the radiotherapy of tumours.