Today that's true, but if we go back and look at the origins of gold in human society, the question is really, why did gold become so desirable vs. any other substance ancient humans observed.
1) The low chemical reactivity means it doesn't tarnish or break down. This is a BIG one for jewelry--a gold ring still looks bright and shiny 50 years later, unlike other metals, shells, bone, or pieces of wood, dyes, paint, etc.
2) It's continuously divisible into any amounts. You can easily chop a ring in half and sell half of it, if you only want to barter with a portion of your gold.
1) The low chemical reactivity means it doesn't tarnish or break down. This is a BIG one for jewelry--a gold ring still looks bright and shiny 50 years later, unlike other metals, shells, bone, or pieces of wood, dyes, paint, etc.
2) It's continuously divisible into any amounts. You can easily chop a ring in half and sell half of it, if you only want to barter with a portion of your gold.