The price of gold has reached historic record levels. In times of unrest, we see gold as a safe investment. But what is it that makes this particular commodity so special? Voyage seeks the answer to gold's enigma.
Royal Splendour
Tutankhamun's magnificent gold mask has become the epitome of Egypt's mighty Pharaohs. A tour of the new Grand Egyptian Museum.
SOUTHERN BULGARIA. In the ruins of a prehistoric building, archaeologists found a small gold amulet. Only four millimetres in diameter. Tiny – yet one of the oldest gold objects created by humans in history. The small gold amulet dates back to approximately 4,600 years before our time. After a little polishing, the small gold object shines as brightly as it did when, for some reason, it was left behind, or perhaps hidden.
The mind boggles. Who carried it? Why? Who found the gold – and understood how to shape it into jewellery? Gold has fascinated us throughout the ages, in all parts of the world. One of the few metals that is naturally golden. It doesn't oxidise, is almost indestructible, and so malleable that it can be hammered into leaf thinner than paper. And while objects made of other metals that have lain in the earth for a long time change and are destroyed, old gold still gleams. gold It's like new, just needs a bit of a polish. Historically, gold has been the companion of the sun and the gods. The word Au comes from the Latin aurum, which can be linked to Aurora – the goddess of the dawn. In the Andes, gold was seen as the sun god's sweat over mountains and rivers. The Egyptians called it the flesh of the gods. When Christianity took hold, saints, angels, halos, and churches gleamed with a golden light. Gold also became synonymous with power and money. Rulers have been adorned with crowns and other attributes made of gold.
FUN FACT – GOLD IS COSMIC:
Gold was created in the final stages of stars. When massive stars exploded as supernovae, or when neutron stars collided, gold atoms were formed and dispersed into space. Some fell to Earth via meteorites – and billions of years later, you can wear it in a piece of jewellery.
Tutankhamun, with his magnificent gold mask, has become the icon of Egypt's mighty pharaohs. And countless are the tales, legends and myths that speak of our desire for gold – and what it can lead to. King Midas wished that everything he touched would turn to gold. But his wish instead became a golden curse. Even food and drink turned to gold… However, its economic value has tarnished the shine of gold. King Ferdinand, who financed Christopher Columbus [Leader's name], urged his men: ”Get gold, humanely if you can, but at all costs, get gold.” The hunt for gold led to human suffering, destroyed civilisations, and to this day, mining causes environmental problems and social injustices. And yet... there is something magical about that golden metal that never loses its quality, that remains softly gleaming all the way from vein through nugget to coin and necklace – millennium after millennium. As if holding time itself.
Golden Facts
Gold does not rust and retains its shine for a very long time.
The gold content is expressed in thousandths, for example 750, 18 carats (75% gold).
9 carat (375) is the lowest standard that may be called gold in Sweden.
Gold comes in several colours, for example yellow, white and red, depending on the metals that are mixed in.
Gold can be recycled and melted down without any loss of quality. Two hallmarks are mandatory. In Sweden: a maker's/name stamp and a fineness stamp. Sometimes you also see the Swedish cat's paw.
