Did You Know? — Gold Fingerprinting. No 001

source

Did you know gold has fingerprints?
Yes, just as humans have fingerprints gold does! Well not literal fingers but gold has a quality about it that makes its identification easy. This quality is the gold's fingerprint. Like human fingerprints, gold fingerprints are unique for each source of gold or mine.

Acquiring the Prints
During the formation of gold from microscopic gold particles, elements such as lead, zinc, tellurium and cadmium are incorporated into the gold nuggets. The type and amount of trace elements or impurity in gold vary according to the mining location. This disparity in trace elements makes it possible to identify gold with a particular mine or source.
Scientists detect these trace elements by mass spectrometry. In this process, samples of gold are analyzed and elements and their amounts identified. The resulting information known as mass spectrum is unique to the gold, and therefore becomes the gold's fingerprint. This fingerprint is then added to the database of gold fingerprints.

source

Importance of gold fingerprinting
It is estimated that millions of dollars worth of gold is stolen every year. In most cases, the gold is melted down, reshaped and sold illegally. By melting, the gold retains its value while losing all means of identification.
However, gold fingerprinting provides a sure way by which thieves could be apprehended. Whether melted or reshaped, source of the gold can be identified. Comparing the mass spectrum of stolen gold with an array of mass spectra of gold, will identify the source of the gold.

Thanks for taking a part of your time to read. I hope you learnt something new.

# DidYouKnow? series