From a theoretical point of view, gold mined in all the time on earth is still in stock. But can it really spoil or destroy it in any way? How can you discount gold?

Gold is an investment asset that allows you to save capital from depreciation. But gold is not only an investment metal. It also has unique chemical and physical properties. This precious metal can be easily melted an unlimited number of times, while it will not be less, it can take any form.

Moreover, gold can be easily extracted from electronic parts. Processing of old electronic equipment is now quite profitable due to the high cost of gold in the world market. The situation with silver is different: this precious metal is actively used in industry, it becomes less, and the environmental change can have a negative impact on it, which is not the case with gold.

Is gold really impossible to spoil and devalue? Using a mixture of concentrated acids, gold can be completely dissolved. This compound is called "aqua regia" - a mixture of hydrochloric and nitric acids (Latin: aqua regis or aqua regina). Similarly, you can completely destroy the platinum. As a result of a chemical reaction, a new substance called hexachloroplatinic acid appears. However, by electrolysis, pure gold and dissolved platinum can be returned to its original state.

According to experts, all gold ever mined by mankind is theoretically still available. According to the World Gold Council, the total volume of gold on the planet is estimated at 190,000 tons.

However, there is one dangerous method of how to completely depreciate gold. It is associated with radioactive contamination of the yellow precious metal. This method was shown in a James Bond feature film in a series called "Goldfinger". The main antagonist of the film decided to irradiate the US gold reserves with radiation so that its own reserves of gold would rise sharply in price. The problem is that radioactive gold must be disposed of for a long time. Rumor has it that during the disarmament program at the end of the 1980s, the USSR radioactive gold was recycled. But these rumors have not yet been confirmed.