Gold came to earth in meteorite rainImage Credit source: gemeni
Gold, a metal that has both created and destroyed human civilizations. It is not just jewelery or investment, but has been a symbol of power, prosperity and passion for thousands of years. But perhaps you will be surprised to know that the gold for which we yearn so much is not the product of our earth. Every particle of the gold ring or chain you have in your hand today was formed billions of years ago in some corner of space. So, let us tell you how it reached Earth from space, how humans understood its value and why it remains so important for the world economy today.
Gold came to earth in meteorite rain
According to scientists, gold was born not on Earth, but in the supernova, the super-explosion of dying stars in space. About 4 billion years ago, an extraordinary event happened on Earth. There was a huge shower of meteorites from space, which created a deep disturbance in the upper layers of the earth. Gold also came to Earth with these meteorites and due to the upheaval caused by the collision of planets, it reached the upper layers of the Earth, i.e. crust and mantle. This is the reason why today we are able to extract gold from mines.
Apart from this, natural phenomena like earthquakes and volcanoes also help in the formation of gold. During an earthquake, due to the movement of fault lines, hot water filled with minerals rapidly rises up as steam and deposits thin layers of gold and quartz on the rocks.
How did humans notice this shining metal?
The biggest quality of gold is that it never rusts and its shine never fades. Perhaps this was the reason why thousands of years ago, when humans saw it shining in the sand of rivers or among the rocks, they got attracted towards it. According to archaeologists, humans have been using gold since about 6,000 years ago.
The Egyptian civilization was the first to use gold extensively for jewelry and religious symbols. The gold masks and jewelery found in the tombs of their kings, who were called pharaohs, are evidence that they associated gold with power and immortality. Its history is very old in India also. Gold beads and jewelry have been found in the excavations of the Indus Valley Civilization. In our Vedas and Puranas, gold has been called ‘Hiranya’ and it has always been considered a symbol of prosperity and purity.
Gold became the symbol of power, trade and empires.
Gradually the use of gold was not limited to just adornment, but it became the foundation of trade and economy. The Lydia Kingdom of modern Türkiye first made gold coins around 600 BC. After this, from Rome to China and India, all the major civilizations made gold coins a sign of their power and prosperity.
In the Middle Ages, the desire for gold increased so much that it changed the map of the world. European countries discovered continents like America because of this desire for gold. The world is full of ‘Gold Rush’ stories, where people risked their lives to find gold.
Why has the shine of gold not diminished even today?
Today we have modern methods of investment like digital currency and stock market, but the importance of gold still remains. Even today it is considered to be the safest investment in the world i.e. ‘Safe Haven’. This is the reason why whenever there is an economic crisis or an environment of uncertainty in the world, investors start investing money in gold, due to which its prices start skyrocketing. Central banks of almost all the countries of the world including India are depositing gold in their treasuries. Its objective is to reduce our dependence on paper currencies like dollar.