This GOLD might already be 9,000 years old. On the 'immutability' and 'sustainability' of gold.
Among the many types of metals, it seems that gold is the only one that is golden in color.
As you all know, gold is the undisputed 'king of metals' and a globally recognized asset. Beyond its asset value, gold has many other fascinating qualities.
In this article, I would like to touch upon the material value of gold.
The golden glow of gold was not created on Earth. It is said to have been born from the 'tremendous power' generated by the collision of planets in the distant past. -> It seems platinum is the same.
This gold has a characteristic known as 'immutability'.
It is a property where the quality of gold does not change, remaining golden even after years, decades, centuries, or even millennia. -> Often, when jewelry is worn for a while, it appears to change color due to oxidation, but that is just the metals mixed with the gold (such as silver or copper in 18K gold) reacting and oxidizing.
It also has the characteristic that its properties do not change at all, no matter how many times it is processed.
-> By the way, it also has excellent ductility (the ability to be stretched), and it is said that 1 gram can be stretched to reach 2,800 meters.
Since gold can be processed over and over again, it is naturally used in recycling as well.
Here is a question.
It is said that the total weight of gold currently in use on Earth is about 170,000 tons. -> It seems there are about 70,000 tons left to be mined.
And while about 3,000 tons are produced annually, what percentage of the annual demand do you think is recycled gold?
In fact, it is said that about 30% is recycled gold.
Once gold is melted down, there is no distinction between old and new, and even gold from industrial products like PC circuit boards cannot be distinguished from its original source once it has been refined.
This is also a feat made possible by its immutability.
If it were a metal that could rot or wear away, it might have disappeared by now.
A metal like a phoenix that can be reborn time and time again.
That is gold.
By the way, the oldest gold is said to date back to around 7000 BC.
Therefore, the gold we have today
could be gold from the ancient Mesopotamian civilization,
gold that was inside the pyramids of the Egyptian civilization,
gold mined during the Gold Rush,
fragments of the golden land of Zipangu that Columbus saw,
or hidden treasures from the legend of El Dorado.
It may have been all of these.
And, perhaps,
the passion for gold has become our 'DNA'
and I feel it has been passed down to us as well.
Try this: take a newborn baby
and hand them some gold.
They will surely not let go of it.
Such is gold,
and now is the era of sustainability.
The value of the material remains unchanged and connects to the future;
isn't that truly the theme of sustainability?
Finally,
If gold has existed since 7000 BC and has been circulating through recycling, it would be 9,000 years old today.
It probably
knows more about the world than anyone else.
When you are troubled or cannot see the answer,
why not try asking gold?
Gold should know the answer.
By the way, we have started a 'Kaeru System' (exchange system),
a system where you can exchange your unwanted jewelry for 'new pure gold products.'
Please feel free to play a part in sustainability.