Introduction

A telephone contains over 40 different mineral materials, a television set has about 35, and an automobile about 15. Of the approximately 193,000 metric tons of gold discovered, 62% is found in just four countries on earth. All the gold discovered thus far would fit in a cube 22 meters on a side.

Of the approximately 1,740,000 metric tons of silver discovered, 55% is found in just four countries on earth. All the silver discovered thus far would fit in a cube 55 meters on a side.

What is the Meaning of the Karat Mark on Gold Jewelry

The fineness of jewelry gold is stated as the number of parts in twenty-four that are gold. Thus, 24 karat gold is pure gold; 12 K would be an alloy that is half gold and half copper or other metals. Fool's Gold can be one of three minerals; the most common mineral mistaken for gold is pyrite, chalcopyrite may also appear gold-like, and weathered biotite mica can mimic flake gold.