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Discover Gold
People have sought gold since the beginning of recorded history, and have mined it since the times of the pharaohs in Ancient Egypt.
In modern times, the price of gold has been a barometer of the world’s economy, and its value as jewellery and as an investment vehicle has continued to increase.
Learn more about gold, the precious metal at the heart of our business, from supply and demand, to how it is used in today’s world.
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Gold Facts
- The chemical symbol for gold is Au, which is short for "Aurum", the Latin word for gold meaning "glowing dawn."
- "Carat" was originally a unit of weight based on the Carob seed or bean used by ancient merchants in the Middle East. Today, 24 carats is defined as 99.99% pure gold. Eighteen carat gold is defined as 75% pure gold.
- All of the gold mined in the history of the world, approximately 165,000 tonnes, can fit into two Olympic-sized swimming pools.
- Gold is so rare that the world pours more steel in an hour than it has poured gold since the beginning of recorded history.
- The largest gold nugget ever, the "Welcome Stranger", was found in Australia and yielded 2,248 ounces of pure gold.
