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Gold at work
Gold in phones, space telescopes, medical tests, dentistry, jewelry, gilding and medals.
Gold is not only for vaults and jewelry boxes. Its resistance to corrosion, conductivity and reflectivity make it a quiet workhorse in technology, medicine and space.
UsesGold in electronicsGold conducts well, never corrodes and can be drawn into ultra-thin wire, which is why it sits inside nearly every phone and computer. Here is where it is used, how much there is and how it is recovered.
UsesGold in jewelry and cultureJewelry is the largest single use of gold. Learn why people have worn it for thousands of years, how tastes differ around the world and what to know about karats, colors and care.UsesGold in medicine and dentistryGold crowns, gold nanoparticles in rapid tests, gold compounds once used for arthritis and gold in medical devices. How a famously inert metal became useful in health care. General education only.
UsesGold in spaceThe James Webb Space Telescope's golden mirrors, gold-coated astronaut visors, the Voyager Golden Records and the shiny foil that is often not gold at all. How gold helps us explore space.
UsesGold leaf and gildingGold can be hammered thinner than almost any other material. Learn how gold leaf is made, the main gilding methods, where you will see it and why edible gold is safe in small amounts.