Top five facts about gold

Gold is one of the most sought after metals in the world and it's hard to walk down a high street in the UK without passing a jewellery shop.

But how much do you really know about the stuff? Take a look at these top five facts about gold and learn a little more!

5. All that glitters is not gold
Despite jewellery shops seeming sometimes overstocked with gold, it remains an incredibly rare substance. One popular statistic says mankind pours more steel in an hour than it has produced gold since the beginning of recorded history. The BBC claims that all the above ground gold in the world would easily fit in Centre Court at Wimbledon.

4. Astronauts and airplane pilots need gold
Although around three-quarters of the world's annual gold supply is reportedly used for jewellery, it does have other uses too. Gold is actually an effective material for blocking sunlight and gold is important in the aviation industry as thin layers are sometime incorporated into airplane windscreens. Even further afield, astronaut's visors often include a thin film of gold as an anti-glare safety measure

3. The oceans are overflowing with gold
The earth still has plenty of gold to give ,but the majority of it is currently inaccessible. Most estimates claim that between 20 and 30 million tonnes of gold is trapped in the sea - but we shouldn't all be headed for the beach just yet. Ocean based gold is very diluted, so every litre of ocean water contains, on average, a 13 billionth of a gram.

2. India loves gold
For centuries now, India has boasted a thriving market for gold, and there's an estimated 300,000 jewellers trading in the country. Some of the highest projections claim that the 11% of the world's total gold supply is actually worn as jewellery by Indian women - this equates to over 18,00 tonnes of the material.

1. Gold came from a galaxy far, far away
Money doesn't grow on trees, so why should gold grow on earth? Scientists believe that almost every ounce of gold on earth has come from meteorites that rained down for 200 million years after the world was formed. As a result the precious metal can be found on every continent

Bonus fact: Olympic gold medals are over 92% silver!