Why is gold so expensive?

There are much rarer metals on earth.

Faith Dorell wrote:


No one hoards the rare earths.

josh halpern

in article WY2kb.2586$[Only registered users see links. ], Josh Halpern at
[Only registered users see links. ] wrote on 10/17/03 9:04 PM:


There are some rare earths for which I would happily exchange an equal
weight of gold.

Bill

Faith Dorell wrote:

Because it's rare and we like it.


So? We still like gold and it's still rare.

au4-3 (= Au, 4e-3 mg/kg earth crust)
* means radioactive

ac5.5-10*
ir1-3
os1.5-3
pa1.4-6
ra9-7*
re7-4
rh1-3
ru1-3
te1-3


--
Low end Serverhousing ab 25 e inkl. 1x 11 e/GB, etc.:
[Only registered users see links. ]

Repeating Decimal wrote:


You also post in sci.chem.

However you do have a point. To be monetarized, a commodity has
to be rare enough you can't dig it up in your back yard, but common
enough that its total value can match the economy.

At this point a lot of gold hoarding is historical reflex.

josh halpern

Dear Josh Halpern:

"Josh Halpern" <[Only registered users see links. ]> wrote in message
news:_pckb.6175$[Only registered users see links. ]...

It also should not easily oxidize (doesn't explain silver as coinage). It
should not be toxic (doesn't explain silver as coinage).

David A. Smith

Josh Halpern wrote:


Yes, and a difference between gold and the rare earths
is that you can find the rare earths almost anywhere.
Like titanium, the cost is in the refining -- you can have
as much of the rare earths as you want, if you'll just pay
for the refining. That's why there can never be more
than a short-term shortage of any of the rare earths.

"Mark Thorson" <[Only registered users see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[Only registered users see links. ]...
How did rare earths become known as rare earths?
Does anybody know the history of the designation.
Many of the rare earths can't be that rare - the oxides and carbonates are
only a few bucks a pound.

Gregg

"Gregg" <[Only registered users see links. ]> wrote in message news:<8Hlkb.110569$[Only registered users see links. ].adelphia .net>...


The term rare earths was introduced by Johann Gadolin in 1794,"rare"
because when the first of the REE were discovered they were thought to
be present in the earth's crust only in small amounts, and "earths"
because as oxides they have an earthy appearance.
For further information and etymology of the names of "rare earths"
visit

[Only registered users see links. ]

Thanks,

That article was a very interesting read - I'll pass it along to some
co-workers who will appreciate it
..
Gregg.
"Mohammed Farooq" <[Only registered users see links. ]> wrote in message
news:66756669.0310190136.3930dcda@posting.google.c om...
news:<8Hlkb.110569$[Only registered users see links. ].adelphia .net>...
are
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