• Credit Cards
    • Balance Transfer
    • Purchase
    • Balance Transfer & Purchase
    • Credit Building
    • Bad Credit
    • Cashback
    • Rewards
    • Foreign Use
    • Money Transfer
  • Loans
    • Car Finance
  • Savings
  • Current Accounts
  • Mortgages
  • Utilities
  • Insurance
    • Life Insurance
  • Investing
  • Money Transfer
    • Send Money Abroad
Sign In
  • Best Buys
  • Household Money
  • Banking & Borrowing
  • Mortgages & Home
  • Saving & Making Money
  • Rights, Scams & Politics
  • Motoring & Travel
  • Investing & Pensions
  • Savings & ISAs
  • Features
  • Compare
  • Credit Cards
    • Balance Transfer
    • Purchase
    • Balance Transfer & Purchase
    • Credit Building
    • Bad Credit
    • Cashback
    • Rewards
    • Foreign Use
    • Money Transfer
  • Loans
    • Car Finance
  • Savings
  • Current Accounts
  • Mortgages
  • Utilities
  • Insurance
    • Life Insurance
  • Investing
  • Money Transfer
    • Send Money Abroad

A history of gold: from star dust to global obsession

The glittering tale of this prized precious metal
Gold's cosmic origins
Gold is discovered by our ancestors
First gold artefacts
First known gold mine and evidence of smelting
Gold's Bronze Age boost
Ancient Egypt's many gold firsts
Nubia's vast gold resources
First gold alloy coins are minted
First pure gold coins are minted
Roman obsession with gold
West Africa's medieval golden empires
The Inca and Aztec Empires' abundant supplies of gold
Gold fuels Spanish colonisation of the Americas
Gold drives European colonisation
Royal gold crowns
The UK adopts the gold standard
Major cities built on gold rushes
The Bretton Woods system puts the US dollar in front
The end of the gold standard
Gold's many uses today
How much gold is there in the world?
Which countries produce the most gold these days?
Which countries consume the most gold these days?
The global gold spree
What's next for gold?
1 of 26
JOE KLAMAR/AFP via Getty Images

The glittering tale of this prized precious metal

From ancient civilisations to modern economies, gold has played a crucial role in history of humankind and remains a symbol of wealth, power and prestige to this day. But why did humans start prizing gold – and why are countries and consumers alike still scrambling to get their hands on some? 

With the price of gold hitting record highs, read on to discover the fascinating story of the enduring valuable commodity. 

All dollar amounts in US dollars

Gallery view |
List View

Daniel Coughlin

17 March 2025

Features

See more on this topic

Share the love