Ever since mankind, gold has been considered a main attribute of wealth. A
symbol of status, abundance, power, eternity and achievements. And if anyone tries to convince you that in our modern times, things are not the same - remind them that to this day, in all competitions, the most valuable prize is the
gold medal - a symbol of achievement. Just like the marriage certificate is accompanied by an exchange of wedding rings made of precious metal, mostly gold. And, of course, these aspects, this symbolic power, also influences the price of gold itself.
The twentieth century shows us that even in more recent times it is possible to build a special relationship with some inanimate objects. The price of diamonds, as well as that of precious metals or oil, fluctuates depending on the state of the economy, the possibilities of buyers etc. But since the 1940s, after the
famous campaigns of the giant De Beers, the diamond has been transformed from superior quality material, into an idea, a concept, a sign of boundless love. An object without any utility or major importance for the ordinary citizen has become a necessary attribute for expressing one's purest feelings towards another.
The modern man lives in far more superior security conditions than his ancestors of 100 years ago. Not to mention the
political power that any citizen can have in most countries now, in the age of the Internet. So, gradually, as a civilization, we stopped needing material objects to symbolize the abundance of power. Instead, we started to put more value on everything that shows that we are modern, we are keeping up with the world - a way of saying "I'm a
civilized man, I can adapt quickly, so I'll survive". Drawing a parallel with the animal world - we changed the massive and
colourful plumage to elaborate dances and melodic voices. We replaced the symbolic power of physical attributes - gold or diamonds - with new, often abstract ones.
These signs of the "civilized man", however, are not limited to the devices you have or the technologies one uses for communication or work. There are also much more subtle and less obvious clues, e.g. what water do you drink.