Application Insights

Gold is a highly valued substance that has been used for thousands of years, and its usefulness is derived from a diversity of special properties.

Gold is too expensive to use by chance, and it is used deliberately and only when less expensive substitutes cannot be identified. As a result, once a use is found for gold, it is rarely abandoned for another metal. This means that the number of uses for gold has been increasing over time, and as our society requires more sophisticated and reliable materials, our uses for gold will increase.

Here are some of the most common uses of gold:

Gold has been used as a medium of exchange or money for over 6000 years. Its rarity, usefulness, and desirability make it a substance of long-term value. Gold was once used as a backing for paper money, and the United States once used a “gold standard” that backed every paper dollar in circulation.

About 78% of the gold consumed each year is used in the manufacture of jewelry. Gold is perfect for manufacturing jewelry due to its high luster, desirable yellow color, tarnish resistance, ability to be drawn into wires, hammered into sheets, or cast into shapes. Gold is also alloyed with other metals such as copper, silver, and platinum to increase its durability.

Gold is the highly efficient conductor that can carry tiny currents and remain free of corrosion, making it the most important industrial use of gold. It is used in connectors, switch and relay contacts, soldered joints, connecting wires and connection strips.

Gold is chemically inert, nonallergenic, and easy for the dentist to work, making it the best option for fillings, crowns, bridges, and orthodontic appliances. Gold isotopes are also used in certain radiation treatments and diagnosis.

Gold is used in the production of glass as a pigment and can produce a rich ruby color when suspended in the glass. Gold is also used when making specialty glass for climate-controlled buildings and cases.

Gold is used in circuitry because it is a dependable conductor and connector. Gold is also fitted with gold-coated polyester film in many parts of every space vehicle. This film reflects infrared radiation and helps stabilize the temperature of the spacecraft. Gold is also used as a lubricant between mechanical parts in space vehicles.