How much gold is there left in the world to find?

Experts have estimated that we have less than 55,000 tons of gold left to discover. Even so, we cannot be sure how much of this amount is extractable. We know that the earth’s crust is gold in a proportion of about four parts per billion.

Is the world running out of gold?

Based on known reserves, estimates suggest that gold mining could reach the point of being economically unsustainable by 2050, though new vein discoveries will likely push that date back somewhat. Fortunately, gold hasn’t run out yet and is widely considered a wise investment option for any investor.

Where is the most gold found on Earth?

Currently, the world’s largest source of gold is located in the Witwatersrand basin. This area in South Africa has provided a large amount of the world’s gold.

Can gold go extinct?

One factor gold has on its side though is that, unlike other non-renewable resources like oil, it can be recycled. So we will never run out of gold, even when we can no longer mine it. Efforts to recycle gold extracted from electronic waste are already well under way.

What created gold?

Scientists believe all the gold on Earth formed in supernovae and neutron star collisions that occurred before the solar system formed. In these events, gold formed during the r-process. Gold sank to the Earth’s core during the planet’s formation. It’s only accessible today because of asteroid bombardment.

What is the biggest gold nugget ever found?

New
Holtermann ‘Nugget’: 10,229oz. While the Welcome Stranger is the largest gold nugget ever discovered, the single biggest gold specimen ever found is the Holtermann. Dug up in October 1872 by German miner Bernhardt Holtermann at Hill End in New South Wales, it was crushed, and the gold extracted.

How much is the largest gold nugget worth?

Claimed by German-born miner Bernhardt Holtermann at Hill End in New South Wales in late 1872, the gold-embedded-in-quartz behemoth weighed in at a gargantuan 10,229 ounces, or 290 kilograms. Valued at £12,000 pounds (or around $1.7 million today) upon its discovery, the “nugget” was crushed, with its gold extracted.