why is gold considered valuable across so many cultures?

[DaiShan]

Originally posted by: OS

Originally posted by: Ameesh
scarce

scarcity alone isn't enough to give an item worth. Like I'm sure fossilized dodo sh*t is really rare, but there's not going to be large demand for it.

That is irrelevant, the fact of the matter is, prior to Bretton Woods Gold was the standard means of exchange, I'm sure there are many reasons for this, the most pertinent being that it is scarce. Value is a relative term, I'm sure there is some one whose life is dodo's and would give his right arm for some fossilized dodo sh!t

 

[PunDogg]

its been hard to get ever since people first saw it, scarcety is the reason it costs soo much

DOgg

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: PlatinumGold
was gold valued by all cultures?? or is that value one imposed by the western world on everyone else?

No way. The ancient tribes that were prevalent in South America & Latin America had oodles and oodles of it and treated it as an object of value. Long before the Spanish and various other western cultures raped and pillaged them of it.

The Egyptians also highly valued it and that was long before many western cultures were estabished as well.

 

[TooOne21]

Originally posted by: OS
It's not a particularly useful metal, it's just shiny and interesting to look at.

Same reason diamonds are so valuable...

Women want them!

 

[dighn]

gold actually has a higher resistivity than copper

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: B00ne
from Webelements: "It is estimated that all the gold in the world, so far refined, could be placed in a single cube 60 ft. on a side"

That's $160,898,631,890.98 worth of gold on Nov 11, 2003.

 

[Siddhartha]

Originally posted by: OS
It's not a particularly useful metal, it's just shiny and interesting to look at.

It is rare and hard to get.