Jewelry is one of the most common uses for gold, but there are lots of things that make this precious metal interesting. Check out these five interesting facts to learn more about gold.

1. It's Soft

On its own, gold is surprisingly soft for a metal. You can bend and reshape pure gold into different shapes, and it's also really easy to scratch and ding. Gold is one of the softest metals, which you probably wouldn't expect based on the jewelry you own.

2. It's Conductive

Some metals are conductive, which means they can be used to conduct electricity. Along with copper, silver, and aluminum, gold is one of the more conductive metals. This is one of the reasons gold is used for so many different things other than jewelry.

3. It's Often Combined with Other Metals

The gold you see in jewelry pawn shops probably isn't the gold that comes out of the ground. Since gold is so soft on its own, it's usually combined with other metals to create an alloy. According to the World Gold Council, 24-karat gold is more than 99% pure, while 12-karat gold is 50% gold combined with another metal.

4. It's Used in Everything from Dentistry to Electronics

You probably think about jewelry when you think of gold, but jewelry pawn shops aren't the only place you'll find gold. Gold is commonly used in dentistry to cap teeth, and it's even used in some of the electronics you probably have at home. Thanks to its unique properties, it's a particularly useful metal for certain things.

5. It's Measured in Troy Ounces

Unlike most things which are measured in pounds, gold is measured using a different system. According to the World Gold Council, gold is measured in troy ounces, each of which is equal to about 31 ounces. This can make it a bit tricky to figure out the price of gold based on its actual weight, but troy ounces are all you really have to worry about, and we'll be able to tell you how much your gold is worth.

The unique properties of gold combined with its rarity make it one of the most popular metals, particularly for jewelry. If you have any gold jewelry you want to convert to cash, contact us at Center Gold or bring your jewelry in today. We want to help you make some extra cash from pawning your gold pieces.