How Far Can Gold Be Stretched?

The properties of gold allow the metal to be stretched for a distance much longer than many people realize. Under the right conditions, a single Troy ounce (31 g) of gold can be stretched into a wire that will extend 50 miles (80.5 km).

More facts about gold:

• For most of the 19th and 20th centuries, the worth of gold remained fairly stable, fluctuating by only a small percentage. The price of gold remained more of less constant through a number of wars, economic downturns and other events that tend to affect the value of other precious metals.


• Gold has led to the decline of a nation. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Spain seized huge quantities of gold from the Americas, using a substantial amount of gold and silver to purchase imported goods rather than enhance the nation’s infrastructure. The result was an increase in the costs of imported goods and services while the value of gold decreased significantly.


• Roughly 70 percent of the output of gold goes into the creation of jewelry. By contrast, 13 percent is used to manufacture coins for use as legal tender. The remainder is used for a variety of purposes, including the creation of gold fillings used in dentistry.