Gold is among the most admired and popular minerals in the world. It is famous for its high value and extraordinary properties. Majority of ancient gold specimen underwent smelting for production. Fine gold specimen has a higher market value than ordinary gold specimen. Gold has stains of silver in its natural state after mining. It may a few times contain traces of iron and copper. A nugget is typically 71 to 90 percent of gold. The remaining percentage is always silver. South Africa was the largest producer of all the gold in the world from 1880 to 2007. In 2007, china emerged as the largest gold producer in the world (Corral & Earle, 2009).
Origin of gold
In 1837, a number of squatters searched for a place with adequate water in the northern part of Geelong. Two of the squatters, Anderson and Yuille, settled at the shores of Lake Wendouree. The thirteen years that followed saw an increase in popularity of that area as shepherds used it for grazing their livestock. Peace and calmness of the area was ruined in 1851, soon after the discovery of gold. The first gold rush occurred in this region when miners from all nations came to look for the yellow stone (Corral & Earle, 2009).
Gold is formed from magma, which is molten rock. This happens when molten rock is forced into a hard solid rock. After magma cools into the solid rock, water and other matter is removed from it at high pressure. Steam force pressure creates fissures in the solid rock that it uses to force its way out. The steam cools to form quartz. Because of its low melting temperature, gold is carried along in this hydrothermal solution and become solid in the veins of quartz (Grant, 2008). That is where gold is usually found.
Reasons for popularity of gold
Gold is malleable. This means that it can easily be converted into any shape. This is due to its relatively low temperature. Jewelers find it easy to shape hence use it to make ornaments with high artistic value. This makes these jewels very expensive. The yellow color of gold is also very appealing to the eye. It is beautiful to look at. Gold is valuable and rare at the same time. This has contributed tremendously to its popularity. Unlike other minerals, gold is a resistant mineral. It does not change color, crush, tarnish or get affected by most chemicals.
Problems encountered in production of gold
In all the major gold rush occurrences, gold has been attributed to devastation and sometimes death of the locals at the delight of fortune seekers. The Native Americans of California were invaded by diseases brought by miners.
Rivers become polluted in gold mining areas and spread of diseases such as malaria dominates. Plant and fish life is threatened in all rivers associated with gold mining. Mining companies are also careless with the chemicals that they use in production of gold. Cyanide is one such chemical that is used in that process.
Organization that addresses the problem for gold
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an agency of the US government endowed with the responsibility of protecting the environment and human health. EPA achieves this primary objective by writing and enforcing laws in regard to such activities.
The United States department of labor created Mine Safety and Health Administration arm (MSHA). MSHA investigates accidents at mining sites and complaints regarding hazardous working conditions (Corral & Earle, 2009). They develop and improve standards for health that are mandatory and strict.
Analysis of a gold advertisement
Description of print advertisement
As far as gold is concerned, people are more interested with the finished product rather than the raw stone. Jewel producing firms thus advertise finished products of gold such as necklaces, earrings and bracelets. The advertisement above is by Mustafa gold mart. Mustafa gold mart is a company that makes ornaments out of gold. The first thing that one notices in this print ad is the New Year wish. At the top left corner, it says, “Wishing you a prosperous 2011”. There is an Asian lady, notably from India, in the picture. On the right of the picture is the logo and name of the advertising company, Mustafa gold mart. Below that, almost at the middle of the page are the words, “Come, and begin this New Year on a golden note”. Below that is an eye-catching statement, “Free Gold Coin”. This is followed by small writing, with a golden color. There is a golden bar at the bottom of the picture with many small writing.
Design, language and purpose analysis
This advertisement has a combination of golden and black colors. Golden colors are used with an objective of engaging the mind of the viewer to gold. There are writings, graphical patches and pictures of coins, all in this color. Black color is used to form a background for the golden touch. Actually, this emphasizes on the rich golden color. The use of these two distinctive colors draw attention to the creativity employed in ensuring that gold is engraved in the mind of the observer.
The picture in the advertisement draws attention to the target audience of the advertisement. It is of an Indian lady wearing ornaments made of gold. Her beauty is exceptional. She has posed in a way that not only signifies Indian culture but also strategically display all the ornaments she is wearing.
The golden ornaments in her forehead, neck, wrists, ears and waist are sparkling. Her kind of dressing says a lot about her class. She is of the wealthy class. This instantly puts the thought that the advertisement is for the wealthy, although the glamour attracts the eyes of both extremes.
Words are used with wisdom in this advertisement. The New Year wish gives a setting for the advertisement. It simply was printed at the beginning of 2011. It gives the impression of a New Year wish with a golden touch. After seeing that, one would definitely be curious as to who is responsible for the wish, and the reasons behind it.
After that revelation, they are attracted to the words, “Free gold coin”. This makes the choice of words more appealing because it is human nature to be drawn to free stuff. After further reading, the observer will realize that the free coin has a condition attached to it. By the time this is noticed, the advertisement has already served its purpose.
The superiority of the advertisement is excellent. The photo is just appropriate. Its general appearance is remarkable. It is an advertisement that cannot be ignored. It simply asks for the observer’s interest and forces his attention. The colors used, the photo of the lady and the choice of words all combine to secure the attention it is meant to generate.
For effective marketing of a product, it is crucial that an individual understands its background and all the necessary information about that product (Plessis, 2005). In analyzing the print ad above, the origin and characteristics of gold had to be understood first. As a matter of fact, it is almost impossible to clearly market a product that one knows little about.
Advertising agencies do thorough research on the products that they market. This is a very significant issue in marketing. The design and purpose of print adverts relate directly to the characteristic and nature of the products that they shed light upon.
Corral, M. D., & Earle, J. L. (2009). Gold Mining: Formation and Resource Estimation, Economics and Environmental Impact. New York: Nova Science Publishers.
Grant, N. (2008). Origin of gold. Ask a scientist. Retrieved from http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov /askasci/gen99/gen99242.htm
Plessis, E. (2005). Advertised Mind: Ground-Breaking Insights Into How Our Brains Respond To Advertising. New York: Kogan Page Ltd.