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- Oct 14, 2025
- 9 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
In order of most common to least common use, gold is used for:
Gold has been a symbol of wealth and power for centuries, but it serves a multitude of purposes extending far beyond adornment. The usefulness of gold metal extends into many industries, ranging from aerospace to medicine and electronics. It's a soft, dense metal that has a bright, yellow hue, and it can be hammered into thin gold leaf or made into bullion or coins. It can be found in the teeth of ancient Greek citizens, and scattered on luxurious desserts and drinks.
Gold is an ideal conductor of electricity, which makes it useful in printed circuit boards, or PCBs, which are used in electronics such as mobile phones and computers. It finds a place in medicine as well, where it is used for cancer treatments and in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. It continues to be used for financial investments, especially as a hedge against inflation. Due to its unique properties, gold is valuable across many different industries.
In this guide, we will examine the diverse applications of gold by delving into its various applications and uncovering the lesser known value to this precious metal. Gold is so much more than jewelry.
Jewelry: The Primary Use of Gold
Gold jewelry is an ancient and ever popular form of adornment and indulgence. Gold's natural beauty spelled out it's fate early on and it has been the ultimate material for jewelry for millennia, in fact, gold jewelry has been coveted by humans for over 6000 years. So much so in fact, that according to the World Gold Council, over 78% of the world's gold production each year is for use in jewelry. That's a lot of engagement rings! But gold jewelry isn't just for visual bling or 'drip' or whatever it is the kids call it these days; it also serves as a culturally enshrined mode of wealth transfer for families, heavy gold jewelry or family heirlooms made of gold have long been passed down from one generation to the next, as a blessing and ward against future misfortunes. Because of this, gold is alloyed with other metals to expand the working properties so that artisans could create ever more fantastical forms, patterns and shapes.
Gold Alloys
Pure gold or fine gold as it is also known, is a soft and pliable metal that is very malleable, but also highly susceptible to damage and scratches. When mixed with other metals, gold alloys can become harder, more durable and less vulnerable to damage. Gold alloys are measured by their purity, with a measurement unit known as a karat. The definition of karat in relation to gold refers to the proportion of pure gold in the alloy. As a general rule, the higher the gold content in the alloy, the more expensive it is, although other factors such as rarity, demand and craftsmanship can also play a role in determining the value of gold alloys.
Read more about alloys and gold purity or refer to the handy chart below for a quick guide on Karats and Purity.
Financial Gold: Coinage, Bullion, Backing
Gold as a Medium of Exchange
Gold has long been used as a medium of exchange. Before the hundreds of different currencies and paper bills, people would use gold to facilitate trade. They would carry around gold coins or even trade nuggets of gold themselves. This wasn't a random occurrence in history. Use of gold in trade can be traced back to ancient civilizations like the Egyptians and Greeks. One of the earliest and most notable uses of gold as a formal currency occurred over 6000 years ago. The first gold coins were actually minted under the order of King Croesus of Lydia, a region in present-day Turkey, around 560 BC. His initiative marked a pivotal moment in monetary history, setting a standard for future generations. The rarity, usefulness, and desirability of gold made it a substance of high value, ideal for transactions because it’s durable, portable, and easily divisible. Today, many governments, individuals, and institutions still hold investments of gold in the convenient form of bullion, echoing its enduring value.
Gold as a Backing for Currency
Back in the days when politicians would sport muttonchops and top hats, the world's currencies were directly linked to the gold standard, which was set at the price per ounce for gold. Over time, this practice fell from favor country by country, with the last country abandoning it in 1999. Gold standard aside, financial security continues to be a powerful motivator across the global economy so central banks and major financial institutions physically hold over 35,000 tons of the heavy yellow stuff. They hoard it like a 6-year-old clings to Halloween candy, which can make one wonder but it turns out it's the fiscally responsible thing to do, big reserves help to give countries a financial cushion when faced with economic uncertainty.
Why is Gold suitable for use as money?
Gold's suitability as money comes from its rarity, usefulness, desirability, durability, portability, and divisibility.
Gold as Coinage
Gold coins continued to be commonly used in transactions up until the early 1900s then paper currency became the norm, and gold coins were minted with mixtures of copper, nickel and other non precious metals until finally the worth of gold outgrew the value of coins and stopped being used in coinage altogether. Nevertheless gold coins remain a popular format for investment with American Gold Eagle Coins and Britannia Coins being popular choices. Approximately 10% of the world's supply exists as gold bullion which typically takes the form of coins which are made of one troy ounce of gold and gold bars which typically are made in 1 kilo bars.
Why is Gold Used in Electronics and Computers?
Gold has unique properties that make it an ideal material for use in electronics and computers. One of the most common applications of gold is in printed circuit boards (PCBs), which are found in almost all electronic devices. Gold is a highly efficient conductor of electricity and resistant to corrosion, these properties make it an ideal electrical conductor, ensuring that the electrons flow smoothly through the device without any interference. Only silver and copper surpass gold in this regard however gold's resistance to corrosion tips the balance in it's favor.
The prevalence of gold in electronics can be observed in the amount of gold that is present in the devices we use every day. A standard smartphone contains approximately 50 milligrams of gold, while a laptop or PC can contain anywhere from 200 to 400 milligrams, and these are just two things we use that contain gold! The high concentration of gold in electronics makes recycling the metal an attractive proposition. However, reclaiming gold on a small scale is not viable due to the high cost of the processes involved. While small amounts of gold can be extracted from electronic devices at home, the time and effort required make it impractical. On the other hand, recycling gold on a large scale is essential due to the limited availability of the precious metal. It is estimated that around 10-15% of the world's gold supply is used in electronics, and the demand for gold in this sector continues to grow. By recycling gold from electronic waste in a controlled and sustainable way, we can reduce the need for new mines and conserve the valuable resource for future generations.
Gold Used In Dentistry
Gold has a long history of use in dentistry. The earliest use of gold was recorded as being approximately 6000 years ago when Etruscan 'dentists' used gold wire to fix false teeth into patient's mouths. They wouldn't have put a name to it back then, but the quality that made gold a good choice for dental work was its bio-compatibility. This property allowed the gold to exist within the mouth without reacting to the normal chemicals and substances teeth usually encounter, this reduced the risk of infections and other complications. For this reason it was used for fillings. However, due to the price of gold, it fell out of favor in the 1970s for dentistry. Other materials such as composite resin and porcelain were more affordable. Despite this, gold is still used today in dentistry for cosmetic purposes. Its distinctive color and durability make it an attractive choice for dental crowns and other restorative work, providing patients with long-lasting and aesthetically pleasing results.
The Use of Gold in Medicine
Gold has held a place in Medicine for centuries with the earliest uses traced back to ancient China in 2500BC. Today, you can add gold injections to your list of medical procedures alongside your flu shot and annual check-up...maybe. The jury is still out on just how effective this is as a treatment for joint inflammation and damage but research continues in this area.
Gold nanoparticles are being studied for their potential use in cancer treatments. Some researchers believe that the unique properties of gold nanoparticles could be used to deliver drugs directly to cancer cells, minimizing damage to healthy cells. We are still some way from gold being used to treat cancer effectively however. Another treatment involves the use of gold needles in acupuncture. Some acupuncturists believe that using gold needles can enhance the healing benefits of this ancient practice. While the evidence for this is scant, research continues. It's heartening to know that of all this industrial use of gold, most have come about in the last three decades, so the future of gold used in medicine is bright.
Gold in Aerospace
According to the World Gold Council, NASA used a whopping 40.8kg of gold in the construction of the Columbia Space Shuttle. Who knew a space shuttle had more bling than a hip-hop music video? It turns out that gold serves vital functions in the aerospace industry.
We already know it's fantastic as an electrical conductor, so gold is frequently used in electrical contacts and circuit boards for satellites and space shuttles. However, gold really comes into its own in thin-film applications. Sheets of gold that are just 0.15 millimeters thick make great radiation shields, bouncing off harmful infra-red radiation like water off a duck's back. Astronaut visors are covered in a thin layer of gold for this very reason, as crispy flame-grilled meat suits floating around in zero-G is bad for space tourism. Thin-film gold is also used as a lubricant on spacecraft components to reduce friction and wear. Gold films are used on glass panels in high rise buildings on earth for the same reasons it's used on astronaut helmets, this helps bring down the costs associated with heating and cooling such large buildings.
Medals and Decorative Uses of Gold
Gold has been used for centuries decoratively. It was mainly used to decorate temples, shrines and other such culturally significant monuments and structures. We also have gold medals and awards, which is quite fitting because let's be honest, nothing really screams 'winner' more than a prize made from gold. Considering the rarity of the stuff and how heavy it is, it wasn't always practical to make huge monuments and structures out of solid gold, so most ancient decorative uses for gold involved gold leaf. This ended up being quite economical too as the amount of gold used to cover a surface was minimal since gold is extremely malleable and ductile.
Gold Leaf is essentially an extremely thin sheet of gold. The making of gold leaf is a fascinating process because gold can be beaten so thin that you can see through it, once it reaches this point, it's ready for use. It can be delicately placed onto everything from furniture and architecture, to art. So, if you want to make your living room look a little more luxurious, or you want to impress your friends with your knowledge of gold, consider adding some gold leaf to your décor. Your cat may not care, but at least you'll feel like the monarch of your castle.
Your Are What You Eat
Because of it's bio-compatibility humans have continued to find ever more creative uses for gold, so now we are eating the stuff. Gold leaf has been used historically as a decorative element in the most fancy of desserts and treats with gold and silver leaf continuing to be used in this way today. The visual effect is striking, without affecting the overall flavor of the dish at all due to how thin the gold is. And that has us at the butt end of the edible gold topic, er, that is, gold poop. If you happen to have extra money to burn, consider luxury gold pooping as one of your ultimate luxury experiences, as gold pills for blinging out your poop are actually a thing.
Congrats on making it to the end of this list of gold's uses, fancy a swig of Goldschläger?
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