Image Courtesy: Pixabay
If someone mentions gold or platinum, what’s the first thing you think of? In 2013, jewelry is most likely what comes to mind. It’s been many, many years since either was used as currency, though many people spend a big chunk of their time tracking gold on the stock market. But they still retain their value, as you can see by how expensive most jewelry is. Those precious metals have plenty of use beyond being the material out of which your earrings are made, however. Commercials and advertisements pleading with you to trade in your gold for cash are inescapable.
The fact is, everyone wants to buy precious metals because they’re everywhere in our lives. Gold, platinum, and other metals we usually associate with fancy accessories can be found in some weird and interesting places. Whether it’s the metal products created by a cold heading company or a piece of equipment every guitarist needs, gold and platinum are present. Check out this list and see how many of these items you already knew had precious metals in them.
1. Medical Equipment
The next time you overhear someone talking about how expensive healthcare is in this country, feel free to point out it’s because there’s gold in all of the equipment they’re using and someone has to pay for it. Ok, so that’s not exactly true. But seriously, precious metal alloys are used in a wide variety of medical devices including dental implants, portions of endoscopic tools, and more.
2. Sound Engineering
Image Courtesy: Tom Jemmett
For any of your rockers out there, this shouldn’t be much of a surprise. Here’s an interesting thread for the gearheads who want to see a bunch of guitar fanatics discussing different metals used in guitar cables. Even if you’re not a musician, it’s fascinating to know that metals conduct sounds differently. The material used to create guitar strings and cords actually affect the sound that the instrument will produce.
3. Medicine
Medicine changes rapidly and things fall out of fashion. But up until about twenty years ago, gold was routinely used in rheumatoid arthritis treatment. It must have been successful on some level, though you’d be hard pressed to find an actual scientific reason how it helped. In any event, doctors have moved away from it. However, precious metals are still popular in the world of holistic medicine.
Image Courtesy: Bill David Brooks
4. Food and Drink
Goldschlager and Frangelico with roasted pumpkin martini – Photo Courtesy: Waferboard
Yes, believe it or not, gold is a popular gimmicky ingredient in some foods and liquors. The one most people are probably familiar with is Goldschlager. There are also chocolates available with flecks of gold throughout. Your local gourmet food store probably has other items that surprisingly list gold as an ingredient.
There are so many uses for precious metals. When you sell your jewelry, you really don’t know where those materials may end up. If you want to learn more about how precious metal alloys are used in a wide variety of devices, read about a cold heading company that produces the components of many medical and automotive devices.
Rob Givens is a freelance graphic designer that likes to blog in his spare time about fun or interesting facts. He has always been addicted to trivia.
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