The Basics of Gold

At Stewart Kuper Jewelers, we take a no-nonsense approach to buying gold. We use fair prices, and we do not play games. We know that it can be sad to say goodbye to a piece of gold whether it be jewelry or another item. You can rely on us as a trusted Tucson name with decades of experience and extensive knowledge. In today’s blog we will be sharing just a bit of the knowledge with you as we go over the basics of gold.

What is gold?

Gold is actually a chemical element! It appears on the Periodic Table of Elements with the symbol Au and the atomic number 79. It Is considered a transition metal and is one of the least reactive chemical elements on the table. The word “gold,” likely comes to us from a High German word which means “to shine, to gleam, to be yellow or green.”

Characteristics of Gold

Gold is a very unique metal possessing of some incredible characteristics. It is the most malleable of any metal on the planet. This means that gold is soft and easy to shape. Gold can be pounded out so thin it becomes transparent. This makes it very easy to shape into jewelry but also means it can be scratched and damaged easily. Despite the fact that gold is so soft and malleable, it is also very heavy. In fact, gold is denser than lead.

The Value of Gold

Gold has been considered one of the most valuable materials in the world for a long time. Even ancient civilizations such as the Ottomans, Greeks, Egyptians, and Romans placed and emphasis on the value of gold, in large part due to is rarity and beauty. Today, gold is valued by weight, or troy ounce. The current value of one troy ounce of gold is $1,232,20.