I'm talking about diamonds, gold, silver, and various metals and gems. Why exactly do they have the value that they do?
Shiny doesn't seem like a very good reason for it to be valuable and neither does rarity. As for gold, it's simply a metal that should be used for advanced electronics instead of money.
Diamonds are artificially valuable because De Beers was able to successfully fix prices, control supply and limit competition while simultaneously convincing the American public that diamonds make really good engagement rings. That's only been tradition for about a century now, and you can thank De Beers for that.
Most other gems aren't actually very valuable.
Metal is valuable because it has so many practical uses and it's not very easy to refine. Some metals are actually cheaper to find above ground in junkyards and old electronics than below it. A lot of the reason gold is so valuable is because of speculation. There are a lot of people who want to buy it because they figure that if the dollar collapses, then gold will become the de facto currency and they'll make out like kings.
Low demand and large supply: Cheap
High demand ans low supply: Expensive
Pretty much this.
In truth, the most valuable resource on Earth is water. We'll start seeing that when we start running out of it.
Most things of value today are artificially valuable. As mentioned above, diamonds are much more common than is commonly assumed. They have mostly an artificial value. Gold and silver are somewhat similar. They used to be more useful in society than they are now, even if their monetary value is astronomically higher than it's ever been. Their value has gone up only as a reponse to a loss of faith in fiat currencies.
Think about it. Diamonds are not too common, and they come in small quantities, and they take many many years to be naturally produced, and they are also in high demand.
I'm talking about diamonds, gold, silver, and various metals and gems. Why exactly do they have the value that they do?
Shiny doesn't seem like a very good reason for it to be valuable and neither does rarity. As for gold, it's simply a metal that should be used for advanced electronics instead of money.
Why do you think they are valuable?
Everything is worth what its purchaser will pay for it.
~Publilius Syrus
Translation - It's valuable because people deem it to be.
Gold and silver have been universally prized for their luster. People then, and still do like to adorn themselves with pretty metals, which raises demand on them. And when we have a situation like we have with gold, where's it's not the most common metal in the world we get a high value for it. The value of it is also effected by just how useful it is.
Gold is highly prized in electronics and space-machinery. It's highly conductive and can be used as shielding in space-craft to guard against I think either radiation or the Earth's natural magnetic shielding that would other-wise fry the inner-workings. A computer, or any piece of electronics is more effective to run than if you used copper.
There's also the fact that gold is a reliable investment resource. It's been used as a monetary unit for so long it's sort of built not only a reputation but an image as being the de facto money backer. As said earlier: speculation plays a big role.
Diamonds are kept expensive because DeBeers has something of a monopoly on the diamond industry. They control the flow of diamonds in order to keep the price high. Their use though goes beyond simply being pretty. I think it's something like 90% of diamonds mined are useful more in industrial application that in looking good. So decorative diamonds are going to be more valuable than the types we'd throw on a drill press or coat a saw blade in.
Not to mention diamonds are the best thing ever to smuggle. Can't track them, have no scent, and hold no magnetic field. So for criminal organizations or for governments looking to fund otherwise illegitimate programs you might as well use diamonds.
Gold has always been valuable due to the fact that when made into jewellery it doesn't tarnish easily, and is also very easy to mould into intricate shapes. The rarity only increases the value, and once something is perceived as a sign of wealth people will hoard it and thus the price will stay high. Pretty much the same with silver.
Jewels are pretty, and not much more. Diamonds as said above were successfully hoarded and a series of successful marketing campaigns has made them very valuable. They do have practical applications now though, being the hardest substance on earth, but yeah.
It is primarily the fact that humans are attracted to shiny things. If you think about it, humans and crows are very similar in that way.
I wonder when the price of gold and diamonds will plummet and water prices will increase exponentially.
Welcome to China.
It's all because of the appearance of the item, and religion, which is based on it. Many ancient religions took/take the appearance of gold and silver to be the sun/moon personified, and it's valuable because they want to have part of the sun/moon in their possession. Also because of its rarity. Iron can be found everywhere, so it's not that valuable, but look at coal. Its prices are rising and more people need it because of its increasing rarity.
There's never enough gold in the world. That's why its price is on the up, always on the up.
Fun fact: despite all the "great electrical conductor" stuff, gold is a worse conductor than the much more common copper. Gold is still the third best conducting metal though. The best conducting metal is silver.
I'm glad at least one other person knew this. In order of conductivity: silver, copper, gold. The only reasons gold is used in electronics is because it doesn't tarnish or corrode and can be applied microscopically thinly. Unless you live in a really humid area or are using really, really, really high end audio/video equipment (like $100,000 setup) there is no real reason to buy gold plated connectors. Waste of money, and a marketing ploy.
Rarity and usage of the valuable item is a BIG factor. Natural emerald is valuable because it is rare. Metals are valuable because you can make really useful things with them all. Very very simple.
Shiny doesn't seem like a very good reason for it to be valuable and neither does rarity. As for gold, it's simply a metal that should be used for advanced electronics instead of money.
Why do you think they are valuable?
I'm finally back. See profile for details.
Low demand and large supply: Cheap
High demand ans low supply: Expensive
Rairity along with how hard it is to find and extract are big factors.
Most other gems aren't actually very valuable.
Metal is valuable because it has so many practical uses and it's not very easy to refine. Some metals are actually cheaper to find above ground in junkyards and old electronics than below it. A lot of the reason gold is so valuable is because of speculation. There are a lot of people who want to buy it because they figure that if the dollar collapses, then gold will become the de facto currency and they'll make out like kings.
Pretty much this.
In truth, the most valuable resource on Earth is water. We'll start seeing that when we start running out of it.
Most things of value today are artificially valuable. As mentioned above, diamonds are much more common than is commonly assumed. They have mostly an artificial value. Gold and silver are somewhat similar. They used to be more useful in society than they are now, even if their monetary value is astronomically higher than it's ever been. Their value has gone up only as a reponse to a loss of faith in fiat currencies.
Everything is worth what its purchaser will pay for it.
~Publilius Syrus
Translation - It's valuable because people deem it to be.
Gold is highly prized in electronics and space-machinery. It's highly conductive and can be used as shielding in space-craft to guard against I think either radiation or the Earth's natural magnetic shielding that would other-wise fry the inner-workings. A computer, or any piece of electronics is more effective to run than if you used copper.
There's also the fact that gold is a reliable investment resource. It's been used as a monetary unit for so long it's sort of built not only a reputation but an image as being the de facto money backer. As said earlier: speculation plays a big role.
Diamonds are kept expensive because DeBeers has something of a monopoly on the diamond industry. They control the flow of diamonds in order to keep the price high. Their use though goes beyond simply being pretty. I think it's something like 90% of diamonds mined are useful more in industrial application that in looking good. So decorative diamonds are going to be more valuable than the types we'd throw on a drill press or coat a saw blade in.
Not to mention diamonds are the best thing ever to smuggle. Can't track them, have no scent, and hold no magnetic field. So for criminal organizations or for governments looking to fund otherwise illegitimate programs you might as well use diamonds.
My DeviantArt, so sexy
Jewels are pretty, and not much more. Diamonds as said above were successfully hoarded and a series of successful marketing campaigns has made them very valuable. They do have practical applications now though, being the hardest substance on earth, but yeah.
1. Shiny!
2. It's rare!
3. So beautiful!
Give him a rose!
I wonder when the price of gold and diamonds will plummet and water prices will increase exponentially.
It's all because of the appearance of the item, and religion, which is based on it. Many ancient religions took/take the appearance of gold and silver to be the sun/moon personified, and it's valuable because they want to have part of the sun/moon in their possession. Also because of its rarity. Iron can be found everywhere, so it's not that valuable, but look at coal. Its prices are rising and more people need it because of its increasing rarity.
谷歌翻译您没有使用,您很好。
I'm glad at least one other person knew this. In order of conductivity: silver, copper, gold. The only reasons gold is used in electronics is because it doesn't tarnish or corrode and can be applied microscopically thinly. Unless you live in a really humid area or are using really, really, really high end audio/video equipment (like $100,000 setup) there is no real reason to buy gold plated connectors. Waste of money, and a marketing ploy.