10 Surprising Gold Facts

As specialists in specie insurance, we love high-value items, such as gold - whether in the form of jewellery or bullion!

Gold is the most loved and prized metal across the World, but I bet you won't know some of the following surprising gold facts...

1. ​Nearly all of the gold on Earth came from meteorites that bombarded the planet over 200 million years after it formed. Source.
2. Small traces of gold have been found in the leaves of Eucalyptus trees. Source.
3. Earthquakes turn water into gold. Australian researchers have found gold is formed when an earthquake widens a fluid-filled rock fracture, causing a drop in pressure, which in turn allows gold dissolved in the fluid to rapidly leach out. Source.
4. The world's largest gold bar weighs 250 kg (551 lb). Source.
5. Aurophobia is the fear of gold. Source.
6. Gold has been discovered on every continent on earth. Source. 
7. Gold is edible. Although gold is a heavy, dense metal, it is generally considered non-toxic. Gold metal flakes may be eaten in foods or drinks. Source. 
8. Our bodies contain about 0.2 milligrams of gold, most of it in our blood. Source.
9. Gold is extremely ductile. A single ounce of gold (about 28 grams) can be stretched into a gold thread 5 miles (8 kilometers) long. Gold threads can even be used as embroidery thread. Source.
10. The world's oceans contain nearly 20 million tons of gold. Source.