Gold Jewelry -The Rest of The Story

Gold is one of the metals taken from the earthas the savage found it easy to beat out the pure
and is probably the first metal known to man. Itsore into circlets to adorn his limbs. The universal
first use has been traced back to 3600 B. C. anduse of gold in preference to all other metals is
was probably originally obtained in Egypt, as thedue to its many properties; its color and luster, its
ancient methods of obtaining gold in Egypt aremalleability and its indestructibility. Gold does not
illustrated in early rock carvings. It is said in thetarnish nor can it be destroyed. It may be
book of Genesis that Abraham, in the twentiethreduced to a liquid and the liquid transferred to a
century B. C., when he went out of Egypt, waspowder, and the powder when melted in a
very rich not only in cattle but in gold and silvercrucible returns to its natural state. It is the most
both in dust and ingots. In Exodus xxv, 29, wemalleable of all metals and has been hammered
read that Moses was commanded by the Lord tointo leaves 1-282,000th of an inch thick. An ounce
make spoons of gold for the Tabernacle. In theof gold may be drawn out into a wire fifty miles
writings of Homer, Sophocles, Herodotus, Pliny andlong. The tenacity of gold is seven tons per
others, gold is frequently mentioned.Gold is widelysquare inch.Pure gold, being too soft for all
distributed in nature and is found in many waysordinary purposes, is generally alloyed with other
and in all parts of the world. It is found in water, inmetals. Silver and copper are the principal alloys
the ice of Alaska, in the sand of South Africa, andused, although iron is used in small quantities for
in the quartz of Colorado, and is frequently founddifferent purposes. Pure silver has a brilliant white
native, though usually alloyed with silver or iron.color and is the whitest of all metals. No metal
The purest specimens of native gold have yieldedsurpasses silver in its luster and hardness it ranges
from 96 to 99 per cent, pure metal.It isbetween pure gold and pure copper. It is more
remarkable that all of the races of mankind havefusible than copper or gold, melting at a bright red
selected gold as the first and chief representativeheat or at 1873F. It is commonly used for the
of value. In the earliest times it was used as apurpose of alloying gold in its pure state, but if too
medium of exchange in the form of bars, spikesmuch is added it makes the gold pale. Pure copper
and rings; the rings could be opened and closed sois the only metal that has a reddish appearance. It
that a chain could be made for convenience inis both malleable and ductile; hence it is very
carrying. Gold was also used at a very earlyuseful as an alloy for gold.
period for the construction of personal ornaments,