Know your Gold Facts

We use a wide variety of metals here at Qualitetch, and one of these metals is Gold. As one of the most popular metals on the planet, gold is an excellent material to use in the work that we do, including finishing parts and components.

Gold is one of the most sought after and readily available metals in the world, so you will know many of the products that are made using gold already, such as jewellery. However, there are many others that are not so obvious, including electronics, wiring and glass colouring.

Get to Know Gold

• Gold is very ductile and the most malleable element in the world – one that can be spun thin enough to be used in embroidery and can be spread over a distance of 5 miles
• Gold is a great conductor of both heat and electricity, hence its use in electronics and wiring
• The elemental symbol for gold is Au – meaning Aurum
• Gold is the only metal that is naturally golden or yellow. Any other elements that achieve this colouring are through reactions
• Gold is very heavy and dense as a metal. However, it is non-toxic and can be used in both food and drink safely
• There is approximately 0.2mg of gold found in our blood
• Gold is a noble metal, meaning it is quite unreactive in nature, and resists degradation easily
• However, your wedding ring will lose up tp 6mg of weight every year just through being worn
• The higher the carat, the purer the gold. Lower carat gold also contains silver, platinum, copper, zinc and nickel
• Gold is considered a symbol of wealth
• 78% of the world’s gold supply in any year is turned into jewellery
• Almost half of all gold in the world comes from Witwatersrand, South Africa
• The most valuable coin in the world is the 99.9% pure gold $1,000,000 coin. Due to its purity and weight, it is actually worth $45,000,000
• The largest gold bar on the planet weighs in at 250kg
• All of the gold ever mined would fill three Olympic swimming pools

There is always more than meets the eye when it comes to metals, especially gold. Not only is it valuable in monetary terms, but it holds a lot of physical value across many industries and allows the development of technology, too.

Now you know why people say you are worth your weight in gold, too! (Because gold is expensive, and you’re obviously worth it!)

We offer so much more than just metal etching so if your business requires any parts or components or would like to utilise our plating and finishing services, then please visit our website or contact us to discuss your needs.