The Basic History of Gold
The history of gold is long and even from the beginning when gold was first discovered it has symbolized wealth and guaranteed power to whoever owned it. People have been obsessed with gold and it has destroyed some cultures and gave power to others.
It is believed that the use of gold began in the Middle East; where the first known civilizations began. Some of the oldest pieces of gold jewelry that were ever found were Egyptian jewelry found in the tomb of Queens Zer and are believed to be from the third millennium BC.
Unfortunately, over the centuries most of the Egyptian tombs were raided. However, the tomb of Tutankhamen was discovered undisturbed by archaeologists. What they found inside was amazing, it was the largest collection of gold and jewelry in the world and included a gold coffin which showed the intricate craftsmanship and gold working of that time period.
The Persian Empire use gold frequently in their artwork and as part of their religion. Persian gold work is most famous for its animal art and dates back to the 7th century A.D. When Rome began to flourish it became known as a city where talented gold artisans could be found and they created a wide variety of gold jewelry. Later on in Rome, gold was used in household items and furniture of the upper class. By the 3rd century A.D. most citizens of Rome wore necklaces that contained gold coins with the image of the Emperor on them.
Once Christianity started to spread throughout the European continent, the Europeans quit burying their dead with their jewelry. Because of this very few gold items survived from the Middle Ages except for those of royalty and from church hordes. In the Americas the skill of the Pre-Colombian cultures was highly advanced in their use of gold and this was long before the arrival of the Spanish. The Inca Indians were adept at many different types of metal work, including, filigree, granulation, pressing and hammering and inlay methods.
During this time the Spanish conquerors melted down most of the gold that they took from people and most of the remaining examples of gold from this time have come from modern excavations of gravesites. The greatest deposits of gold were in the Andes and in Colombia.
During the frontier days in the US, news of discovery of gold in a region would result in thousands of new settlers, many risking their lives to find gold. Gold rushes occurred in many Western states and the most famous occurring in California at Sutter’s Mill in 1848.
The gold standard came into effect and was meant to stabilize the global economy. The gold standard meant that a nation must limit its issued currency to the amount of gold it held in reserve. In 1821, Great Britain was the first to adopt the gold standard and in the 1870s the rest of Europe followed suit.
The gold standard system remained in effect until the end of World War I. After World War I the US was the only country still honoring the gold standard. When the Great Depression came it marked the end of the US using the standard. By the mid-20th century the US dollar had replaced gold in international trade.
Gold has had a colorful history and is still considered very valuable today. Most of the jewelry found today has some sort of gold in it. Gold jewelry seems to be a favorite of all people no matter what century they live in.