Wiccan Pentacles
. 14kt Gold
. 14kt Gold
Gold has been known and highly valued since prehistoric times. It may have been the first
metal used by humans and was valued for ornamentation and rituals. Egyptian hieroglyphs
from as early as 2600 BCE describe gold, which king Tushratta of the Mitanni claimed was
as "common as dust" in Egypt. Egypt and Nubia had the resources to make them major
gold-producing areas for much of history. Gold is also mentioned several times in the Old
Testament. The south-east corner of the Black Sea was famed for its gold. Exploitation is
said to date from the time of Midas, and this gold was important in the establishment of
what is probably the world's earliest coinage in Lydia between 643 and 630 BCE.
The European exploration of the Americas was fueled in no small part by reports of the
gold ornaments displayed in great profusion by Native American peoples, especially in
Central America, Peru, and Colombia.
Gold has long been considered one of the most precious metals, and its value has been
used as the standard for many currencies (known as the gold standard) in history. Gold has
been used as a symbol for purity, value, royalty, and particularly roles that combine these
properties (see gold album). Gold as a sign of wealth and prestige was made fun of by
Thomas More in his treatise Utopia. On that imaginary island, gold is so abundant that it is
used to make chains for slaves, tableware and lavatory-seats. When ambassadors from other
countries arrive, dressed in ostentatious gold jewels and badges, the Utopians mistake them
for menial servants, paying homage instead to the most modestly-dressed of their party.
There is an age-old tradition of biting gold in order to test its authenticity. Although this is
certainly not a professional way of examining gold, the bite test should score the gold
because gold is considered a soft metal according to the Mohs' scale of mineral hardness.
The purer the gold the easier it should be to mark it. Painted lead can cheat this test
because lead is softer than gold.
Gold in antiquity was relatively easy to obtain geologically; however, 75% of all gold ever
produced has been extracted since 1910. It has been estimated that all the gold in the
world that has ever been refined would form a single cube 20 m (66 ft) a side.
The primary goal of the alchemists was to produce gold from other substances, such as lead
— presumably by the interaction with a mythical substance called the philosopher's stone.
Although they never succeeded in this attempt, the alchemists promoted an interest in
what can be done with substances, and this laid a foundation for today's chemistry. Their
symbol for gold was the circle with a point at its center, which was also the astrological
symbol, the Egyptian hieroglyph and the ancient Chinese character for the Sun.
metal used by humans and was valued for ornamentation and rituals. Egyptian hieroglyphs
from as early as 2600 BCE describe gold, which king Tushratta of the Mitanni claimed was
as "common as dust" in Egypt. Egypt and Nubia had the resources to make them major
gold-producing areas for much of history. Gold is also mentioned several times in the Old
Testament. The south-east corner of the Black Sea was famed for its gold. Exploitation is
said to date from the time of Midas, and this gold was important in the establishment of
what is probably the world's earliest coinage in Lydia between 643 and 630 BCE.
The European exploration of the Americas was fueled in no small part by reports of the
gold ornaments displayed in great profusion by Native American peoples, especially in
Central America, Peru, and Colombia.
Gold has long been considered one of the most precious metals, and its value has been
used as the standard for many currencies (known as the gold standard) in history. Gold has
been used as a symbol for purity, value, royalty, and particularly roles that combine these
properties (see gold album). Gold as a sign of wealth and prestige was made fun of by
Thomas More in his treatise Utopia. On that imaginary island, gold is so abundant that it is
used to make chains for slaves, tableware and lavatory-seats. When ambassadors from other
countries arrive, dressed in ostentatious gold jewels and badges, the Utopians mistake them
for menial servants, paying homage instead to the most modestly-dressed of their party.
There is an age-old tradition of biting gold in order to test its authenticity. Although this is
certainly not a professional way of examining gold, the bite test should score the gold
because gold is considered a soft metal according to the Mohs' scale of mineral hardness.
The purer the gold the easier it should be to mark it. Painted lead can cheat this test
because lead is softer than gold.
Gold in antiquity was relatively easy to obtain geologically; however, 75% of all gold ever
produced has been extracted since 1910. It has been estimated that all the gold in the
world that has ever been refined would form a single cube 20 m (66 ft) a side.
The primary goal of the alchemists was to produce gold from other substances, such as lead
— presumably by the interaction with a mythical substance called the philosopher's stone.
Although they never succeeded in this attempt, the alchemists promoted an interest in
what can be done with substances, and this laid a foundation for today's chemistry. Their
symbol for gold was the circle with a point at its center, which was also the astrological
symbol, the Egyptian hieroglyph and the ancient Chinese character for the Sun.
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