Gold as an economic resource: Properties, industrial uses, and issues in food and medicine

Abstract

Gold is not only a precious metal but also an economic asset, an industrial input, and a material used in specialized medical, culinary, cosmetic, and technological applications. This article reviews the principal physical and chemical properties that support the economic value of gold and discusses how scarcity, durability, malleability, corrosion resistance, electrical conductivity, and infrared reflectivity contribute to its demand. The paper also preserves and reassesses commonly reported uses of gold in jewelry, electronics, dentistry, architectural coatings, satellite protection, food decoration, cosmetics, and medicine. Particular attention is given to the distinction between established material applications and health-related claims that require stronger scientific evidence. From an economic perspective, gold performs several functions simultaneously: it is held as a reserve asset, traded as a store of value, transformed into jewelry, and consumed in high-value industrial products where reliability can justify its relatively high cost. The review indicates that the same properties that make gold technically useful—chemical stability, conductivity, reflectivity, and ease of fabrication—also help explain its persistent market value. The article concludes that teaching gold through an integrated chemistry–economics approach can improve understanding of both material science and resource value, while medical and wellness claims should be communicated with appropriate evidence-based caution.