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RedDeerGuy1's avatar

Does 100% pure gold and silver exist?

Asked by RedDeerGuy1 (24461points) May 31st, 2023

Not five 9’s, but pure gold and silver?

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4 Answers

Hawaii_Jake's avatar

I don’t know, but it seems improbable. Tiny bits of microscopic dust and such will get in and cause it to be only 99.999% pure.

Zaku's avatar

You can get six 9’s, and it has been done, back in the 1950s.

A bit more than six 9’s may be possible, but there is no real reason anyone wants to do that.

Wanting absolutely infinitely pure gold, would tend to be a misunderstanding, an obsession, and/or an unrealistic theoretical/philosophical/alchemical notion.

Usually people intentionally mix other metal(s) with gold, because pure gold is so soft, and they want certain colors, and/or to have more metal for less cost per weight.

24K (five 9’s) is the most pure that people generally (if not always) make or sell.

@Hawaii_Jake Gold is quite heavy, and when one melts it into bars, other stuff tends to get worked out.

gorillapaws's avatar

I’m just guessing but I doubt one would find some mass where every single atom is only gold or only silver. However the universe is a big place. Maybe there are natural phenomena/processes where this is possible? Perhaps there are regions within stars where gold and/or silver exist as pure gas? or within pockets of the mantle of planets or moons? That’s pure speculation. I know nothing of the subject.

Maya_01's avatar

Not a very intellectual response but in my personal opinion I think that gold and silver are not pure anymore. In this age of inflation, I think the purest gold you can get is gold-plated jewellery. Again this is relative to where I live.

Disclaimer: This is my personal opinion. This response doesn’t have any information on the chemical composition of gold and silver

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