You’ve probably seen them before in jewelry stores worldwide, but have you ever wondered just how gold bars are made? If so, then these images show how workers melt down scrap jewelry and turn them into gleaming gold bars of all sizes. For those who don’t already know, “cast bars are made by pouring molten gold into an ingot mold to shape the gold product.” Continue reading for a video, more pictures, and additional information.
The world’s largest gold bar stands at 250 kg (551 lb), measuring 45.5 cm x 22.5 cm x 17 cm. It was manufactured by the Mitsubishi Materials Corporation, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi. It went on display at the Toi gold mine on July 11, 2005. It was valued in 2005 at 400 million yen, though at current 2011 gold prices it is worth approximately US$15.3 million (value calculated is for gold weight alone @ $1,900/troy ounce, not accounting for the premium associated with being the world’s largest gold bar).
