Gold has been held in high esteem in every civilization on earth throughout the centuries. It has been used for currency, for adornment, and for practical purposes, such as dental crowns. Gold is considered valuable for a number of reasons.
Limited Resources
You may have heard of gold referred to as a precious metal, and it is. That’s because it’s rare. It’s only found in certain places around the world. Today, most new gold comes from South India and South Africa, with significant deposits also found in Nevada.
It’s also difficult, expensive, and sometimes dangerous to extract from the ore. It can involve chemical processes, acids, and heat. The cost of extracting the gold and then processing it adds to its price. And that’s just the first step in turning the gold into something useful or artistic.
Keeps Its Beauty
You’ve probably visited a museum and seen gold jewelry from ancient times. Think about the famous funeral mask of King Tut. It’s just as shiny today as it was 3,000 years ago when it was first made.
Gold doesn’t rust, corrode, or degrade in any way, and it’s quite durable. That’s why it stays beautiful and sturdy, and why it’s been used in practical ways, such as in electronics. It’s still often used in dentistry because it’s easy on the mouth and lasts a long time.
Easily Reused
Gold is malleable and can be melted, hammered, engraved, pulled into threads, pressed into foils, and otherwise fashioned and refashioned in endless ways. In these ways, it can be easily recycled and reused multiple times without ever losing its integrity or beauty.
Since gold is soft, it’s often combined with other metals to strengthen it. Gold is often alloyed with nickel, zinc, silver, copper, and zinc. Often, porcelain dental crowns are lined with gold. When gold is recycled, it can be separated from the metals or other substances it’s combined with.
For these reasons and more, gold is considered valuable all over the world. If you have old gold jewelry or gold dental work you no longer need, you can sell them to recyclers. You can earn a little money, and at the same time, you can help put a rare and precious metal back into circulation.
Do you have gold dental crowns you no longer need? Click here to find out how to recycle them for cash.