Why Gold is Valuable

Research Article| October 01, 2009 Why Gold is Valuable Charles R. M. Butt; Charles R. M. Butt CSIRO Exploration and Mining Minerals Down Under Flagship PO Box 1130, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia E-mail: Charles.Butt@csiro.au Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Robert M. Hough Robert M. Hough CSIRO Exploration and Mining Minerals Down Under Flagship PO Box 1130, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia E-mail: Robert.Hough@csiro.au Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Charles R. M. Butt CSIRO Exploration and Mining Minerals Down Under Flagship PO Box 1130, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia E-mail: Charles.Butt@csiro.au Robert M. Hough CSIRO Exploration and Mining Minerals Down Under Flagship PO Box 1130, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia E-mail: Robert.Hough@csiro.au Publisher: Mineralogical Society of America First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1811-5217 Print ISSN: 1811-5209 © 2009 by the Mineralogical Society of America Elements (2009) 5 (5): 277–280. https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.5.5.277 Article history First Online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Charles R. M. Butt, Robert M. Hough; Why Gold is Valuable. Elements 2009;; 5 (5): 277–280. doi: https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.5.5.277 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyElements Search Advanced Search Abstract Gold has fascinated people of most cultures since earliest times because of its colour, seeming immutability and ease of fabrication into exquisite objects. Due to gold's rarity, its principal functions have been as currency and a store of wealth. Most of the gold ever mined has been hoarded, and rich discoveries over the past 160 years have increased the notional global amount per capita two to five fold. This rate of inflation is minor in comparison to that of currency, so gold still performs its historical financial role. Research is directed at discovering new deposits to support this role, and at finding practical applications commensurate with its monetary cost. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.