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The Compass: The Golden Age Of Gold: Gold: Its role around the globe

Factual

Gold: Its role around the globe

30/06/2021 GMT

The Golden Age Of Gold

BBC World Service - The Compass, The Golden Age Of Gold, Gold: Its role around the globe

Gold and its impact around the world from Colombia to Ghana to the gold vaults of Dubai

Jewellery designer Rajvi Vora discovers more about the precious metal that has had such an impact on her life, and the world. Rajvi is learning about gold’s current role across the globe and hoping to understand the many faces of it. From where it starts life in the goldmines of Colombia - hidden in lush forests that serve their communities, to Ghana where illegal goldmines are killing crops and livelihoods. She also speaks to celebrity jewellers making extravagant creations for the rich and famous in LA, and dip down into Dubai’s gold vaults where gold is stashed away as a safe haven investment.

(Photo: 818 Vault, Dubai. Credit: Vikram Jethwani)

The Compass: The Golden Age Of Gold

We explore gold's past, present and future and humanity’s obsession with it.

Throughout time our definition of what is valuable and what is rare changes. Yet as economies boom and bust and fashions come and go, one thing seems to remain both financially valuable and personally precious - gold.

Across three episodes for The Compass, we will explore gold's past, present and future and humanity’s obsession with it -  from being worshipped in the ancient world, to changing immigration forever during the Gold Rush, and the part it plays in our jewellery, coinage, finance and medicine.

Presenting this programme is jewellery designer Rajvi Vora. As a third generation Kenyan of Indian origin, she understands the cultural importance of gold first hand, and takes us on a journey to discover more about this precious metal that continues to shape the world.

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