4600 BCE

Gold

• Formed in supernovas
• or by neutron stars colliding
• and deposited on Earth
• by asteriods,
• gold has always been a part
• of civilization
• which prospectors have escaped
• and thieves have thwarted
• always in search of gold.

Atomic number 79

• The earliest gold artifacts
• were found in graves
• in the Varna Necropolis
• dating from 4600 BCE.
• Chinese doctors used gold
• to treat skin problems and smallpox
• as early as 2500 BCE.
• Gold in Egypt from Nubia
• was entombed with pharaohs
• including Tutankhamun
• in 1323 BCE.
• Chinese were the first
• to use gold coins as money,
• in 1091 BCE.
• Moses forbade
• worshipping the golden calf
• and built the ark of the covenant
• plated entirely in gold.
• The Romans perfected
• hydraulic mining for gold
• in Hispania from 25 BCE.
• The gold ducat of Venice
• introduced in 1284
• was the most popular gold coin in the world
• for the next five centuries.
• The Spanish rushed to the Americas
• to rob the Aztecs of their gold
• after 1519.
• Sir Walter Raleigh and his son
• in the New World went on fruitless quests
• for El Dorado the city of gold,
• which cost them their lives.
• Nazis pulled gold teeth and fillings
• of the Jews whom they murdered,
• and likely used the same gold
• to fill Hitler’s cavities.

Electrum

• The Lydians used electrum,
• a naturally occurring alloy of gold and silver,
• and stretched out the gold with more silver
• to make their coins.
• *
• Philosophers in the sixteenth century taught
• base metals could be transmuted into gold.
• It could be they fooled everyone
• into thinking they were trying to make real gold,
• and not simply perfecting
• their spiritual paths.
• *
• Arthurian quests for the Holy Grail,
• the gold chalice of Christ’s last supper,
• were in search of happiness and eternal youth
• or at least a good legend.
• *
• King Midas got his wish
• that everything he touched
• would turn to gold
• but then there was nothing he could eat.
• *
• Pure gold is soft;
• therefore, for your ring,
• we suggest an alloy with nickel,
• which we call “white gold.”
• Ha, ha. We make you think
• you’re getting a good deal.
• Anyway, you’ll never make
• a golden anniversary.
• What percentage of base metal
• should we bet on?
• *
• Beautiful flatware
• nothing can tarnish,
• but don’t wash it too hard.
• The plating might be thin.