GOLD, IN ITS MANY FORMS, has been around since approximately 3000 BC with no known single point of origin or discovery, as it can be found in around 66 per cent of the world’s countries. The name ‘gold’ comes from an Old English word geolo which means yellow, and it is represented on the periodic table with the symbol Au which is derived from the Latin word aurum (meaning gold).
It is and has always been a very valuable metal which can be used for many purposes, both decorative and industrial. The popularity of gold in both areas is due to many reasons – its unique colour and appearance, how easily it can be fabricated, its ability to conduct heat and electricity and its corrosion resistance. As heat, moisture, oxygen and most corrosive agents have little effect on gold, it is very well suited for
