Spotlight On... Gold
Posted by Lindsey Scoggins Studio on Dec 17th 2020
Spotlight On...
SPOTLIGHT ON... GOLD
BY MEREDITH JAYME
WHETHER YOU'RE A YELLOW, WHITE, OR ROSE GOLD TYPE, HERE IS OUR GUIDE WITH ALL OF THE FACTS ABOUT GOLD AND GOLD JEWELRY THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
FACTS ABOUT GOLD:
CHEMICAL SYMBOL:
Au
ATOMIC NUMBER:
79
COLOR/CUT/ALLOYS:
As a refresher, the karat is the quantity of gold used in a piece. 24k is pure gold, so anything less than that is a mix of gold and an alloy of metals. Different alloys are created to strengthen and achieve different colors- copper for a rose effect and palladium for a white effect, among many others. Pure 24k gold is extremely soft and can scratch and bend very easily so we use 18k gold because we prefer to maintain as much of the precious metal in the material as possible while ensuring the longevity of wear.
WHEN/WHERE:
Gold was first discovered in California in 1848, spurring the infamous Gold Rush, however gold has been a part of history long before that. The Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks all used gold as adornment and currency beginning thousands of years ago. It is not known exactly when gold was first discovered.
HEALING PROPERTIES:
Another interesting fact about gold is that it is said to have many benefits to the wearer including purification, attracting wealth, and enhancing the effects of gemstones that are within a close proximity— so feel free to wear your gold jewels and soak in the benefits 24/7.
VALUE OF GOLD OVER TIME:
The value of gold can be interesting to track. Looking at this chart dating back to 1915 we can see how much the price of gold has fluctuated over the years. Gold is currently quite expensive, hovering between $1,850-$1,900 per ounce since the pandemic began. To put things in perspective, in 1970, the average price of gold was $35.96 per ounce. In 2019, the average closing price for an ounce of gold was $1,393.34. In 2001, the average price per ounce for the year was $271.19. In true 2020 fashion, as of this writing, the average closing price for an ounce of gold is $1,854. If you needed another selling point for that new gold chain necklace, remind yourself that it’s an investment piece. This is a fact about gold jewelry that we love to remind ourselves of.
MOST NOTABLE GOLD PIECES
WELCOME STRANGER
To date, the largest gold nugget ever found weighs in at 173 pounds. It was discovered by John Deason and Richard Oates in 1869 in Australia. It was found just three centimeters below the surface of the ground.
GOLD TOILET
Maurizio Cattelan’s America might be the most notorious toilet of all time. This 18k fully functional toilet was stolen from Blenheim Palace in 2019 and is still missing in action.
GOLD TOILET
Maurizio Cattelan’s America might be the most notorious toilet of all time. This 18k fully functional toilet was stolen from Blenheim Palace in 2019 and is still missing in action.
KING TUTANKHAMUN'S TOMB
King Tutankhamun’s innermost coffin was made of pure gold. It weighed 243 pounds. His mummy wore a solid gold “death mask” that weighs over 20 pounds.
GOLDEN BUDDHA
Located in Bangkok, this solid gold Buddha statue weighs 5.5 tons and is nearly 10 feet tall. At one point it was covered in glass and stucco to disguise it’s true value.
GOLDEN BUDDHA
Located in Bangkok, this solid gold Buddha statue weighs 5.5 tons and is nearly 10 feet tall. At one point it was covered in glass and stucco to disguise it’s true value.
GOLDEN GATES OF VERSAILLES
For about 8 million dollars, the golden gates of Versailles were recreated in 2008 after being torn down during the French Revolution.
SHOP A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE GOLD JEWELRY DESIGNS AVAILABLE FOR COMMISSION
Contact us to learn more facts about gold jewelry, to inquire about any of the jewelry shown here, or to commission a one of a kind gold design to add to your collection.