White gold

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White gold is a synonym for ( white ) fabrics, which are called " gold " (in the sense of something valuable) because of their preciousness . Accordingly, there is also black gold .

meaning

In the old world culture, as in many other cultures , gold was / is considered something valuable and even divine. Over time, gold became synonymous with valuable items.

Rocks, elements and other inorganic substances

  • Salt : As a vital mineral and food required worldwide, it is still a sought-after commodity today. Places where rock salt was mined or mineral salt boiled have been known for wealth since prehistoric times. One of the oldest centers in Europe is the Early Iron Age Hallstatt culture , which can be found throughout CentralEuropestarting from the Salzkammergut. It was already considereda gift from the gods by the Greeks and Romansin ancient times . The Romans paid their soldiers and officials in addition to money with salt, terms such as salary for salary (English salary ) are derived from this. The statement that rock salt crystals were still weighed against gold in the Middle Ages or modern times is incorrect; for example, an average carpenter from London could afford several kilograms a day in 1438. In spite of this, salt remained widely monopolized by the state ( salt monopoly )as an important source of income until the 20th century, and was most recentlypolitically importantduring the independence of India during the salt march by Gandhi.
  • Silver : In the early days, silver was thought to be the white variety of gold. This was because one z. B. in ancient Egypt could not separatethe electrum . Electrum consists of around 60% gold and 40% silver. Therefore silver was weighed against gold there. Other peoples, such as B. the Babylonians , could separate the electrum. Today silver is usually no longer referred to as “white gold” - there is also the term white gold for some gold alloys, including silver.
  • Marble used to be considered precious and valuable, like gold. It was also used earlier for art ( Michelangelo ), as well as for expensive prestige and temple buildings (e.g. Athens Acropolis ). Even today, marble from Carrara in particular isprecious.
  • Porcelain : This stable, pure white ceramic was developed in China at the latest at the turn of the century ( Han period ), and in the early modern era, along with silk and tea, became the most important and most expensive commodity in Europe. It was only through a chance rediscovery by Johann Friedrich Böttger that China's world monopoly was broken around 1700. Also because Böttger hadoriginally promisedthe Saxon-Polish King August the Strong the production of gold, but despite his failure secured him a rich source of income - through the kaolin deposits around Meissen as a raw material - it is known as "white" gold.
  • Chalk is even compared to precious stones. For example, ithas been minedon Rügen for almost 200 years, and the island has high income from its sale.
  • Borax : In the 19th century , borax wascalled white gold because of its appearance. It became important for the enamel and soldering and welding technology of industrialization. This ledto an economic upturn,particularly in the US deposit areas, the maindepositsare in South America.

Organic matter and plants

  • Ivory : Even earlier, in ancient times , ivory was considered a valuable material. Even later, thrones of kings and jewelrywere made from ivory. It was considered particularly suitable for depictions of Mary . Today ivory is still a precious and expensive material.
  • Paper : Paper used to be rare and expensive, and that's how the fabric got its nickname. Since paper is produced in bulk today, paper is no longer called white gold .
  • Angora : Angora wool is one of the finest types of wool, just as gold is the most precious metal.
  • Cotton : Cotton wascalled white gold in Babylonia . Today the fabric is called more because of the profit the producers make.
  • Sugar used to be a valuable luxury item only for rich and noble people. It was also called sweet salt . The designation "white gold" for the sweetener appeared particularly frequently in the 16th century when it became a valuable mass product with the sugar cane trade from America.
  • Asparagus has been grown and eaten since the 16th century. It was still the vegetables of the nobles . For this reason, asparagus is still referred to today as the “most precious” or “king of vegetables”, but also as white gold . The great amount of work involved in getting a plant to gelatinize was the main reason for the high price of asparagus. By using machines, the price is significantly lower today.
  • Rubber : A whitish tree sap, animportant resourcefor the production of rubber ( Charles Goodyear , 1839) of high industrialization, first with the rubber boom in South America, then also in Southeast Asia (smuggled to Ceylon in 1876).
  • Cocaine : Called white gold in South American countries. The farmers are poor and canearn many times more fromgrowing coca what they would get from producing food.
  • Methane hydrate is methane stored in ice, which occurs in large quantities in the deep sea. Methane can presumably be obtained from it primarily as fuel. It is considered a resource of hope in the energy market and is therefore called “black gold” in analogy to petroleum.

Artistic reflection

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Salt, the white gold? Website of the Museum of the National Bank of Belgium (nbbmuseum.be).
  2. ^ Spices and Their Costs in Medieval Europe. Retrieved March 28, 2018 .
  3. ^ Marble - Italy's "white gold" from Carrara . Neue Zürcher Zeitung , June 17, 2003.
  4. ↑ The white gold of Saxony . Spiegel Online , April 7, 2003.
  5. ↑ Stefan Trinks, White Gold on Dark Velvet , Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung of April 11, 2019.
  6. ^ Meyers Konversations-Lexikon 1897, Vol. 17, p. 1091
  7. ↑ Brockhaus Encyclopedia 1994, Vol. 24, p. 602