Gold is one of the most important elements for civilization and historically for humanity. It is striking how a metal with so few practical uses has marked the development of our current shape as a society, either for better or for worse.
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Gold has a long history of living alongside humans. We have been using it for about 6,000 years, and that's according to what we have been able to find.
Because of its beauty and scarcity, its value is mainly aesthetic and commercial. In addition, it reacts very little to other elements, that is to say, it does not oxidize or degrade easily*.
As it is very malleable, it can be easily given quantities of form, obviously treated with heat. It is a good conductor of heat and electricity.
Gold is highly inactive. It is unalterable by air, heat, humidity and most chemical agents.
Its most widespread use is in jewelry. 70% of gold is used to adorn our figure and as a sign of social position.
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In addition, it is also known to be used, of course, as a medium of trade. Coins minted in gold can be traced back to most civilizations in history, but mostly to Europe. And over time, its commercial importance grew to serve as a basis of value for other media and currencies, i.e. gold became the standard of value for systems using currencies with no real value.
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