Digging for Gold: Seven Unexpected Places to Find This Popular Metal by Leigh MaherGold is everywhere in the jewelry world: watches, rings, necklace

Gold is everywhere in the jewelry world: watches, rings, necklaces, bracelets and pendants. You can't hop online or walk through a mall without seeing the sparking metal glittering all around you. As beautiful and popular as gold is in jewelry, it can also be found in unexpected and interesting places.

* Gold leaf, whether in fake or dust form, is found in various types of food, typically drinks and sweets as more of a decorative ingredient. Finding this hard to imagine? Think of the sparkling bottles of Goldschlager on a liquor store shelf. Those tiny flecks floating around are real pieces of gold, and yes, it is safe to ingest. There are some who believe that the flakes have a great health benefit and medicinal qualities, but there is no solid evidence to back up those claims.

* Gold is very prevalent in dentistry. Gold alloys are often used in restorative dentistry, in work like crowns and permanent bridges. Gold alloys ability to mold to surfaces helps facilitate a molar "mating" service with other surrounding teeth and has results that seem to be preferred to those in porcelain crowns. On a similar tack, gold is incredibly popular in making "grills," or the teeth coverings seen a lot in the hip hop culture. Many rappers have helped with the popularity of this sparkling trend, and one tooth covering can cost upward of $600.

* Gold is a high conductive metal when it comes to electronics. It has been used for electrical wiring in high energy applications. If you have ever had your stereo short out and need to get to the core of the wiring, you are looking at real gold underneath all of that plastic and tubing.

* Although this may be an obvious use of the metal, gold has been used in currency for hundreds of years. Pirates are famous for their love and plundering of the gold doubloon, although gold is not used in worldwide currency exchange anymore. Many historical gold currencies are very rare and reside in museums, and finding one at an antique shop or garage sale may be an incredibly lucky and profitable one, it may be worth thousands.

* Enjoy watching finely tuned athletes race one another around a track or ski down an icy slope? The medals that adorn their necks on the winners block are crafted from, you guessed it, gold. The same goes for the prestigious medals handed out to the brilliant Nobel peace Prize scholars. Because these medals are literally worth their weight in gold, they are a perfect way to honor these hard working individuals and their contribution to educating about their specific sports and helping unify the world through the camaraderie of competition.

* Gold can easily be made into thread and used in decorative embroidery. Many cultures use a lot of decorative gold threading, including the stunning and richly colored Indian saris. Gold thread is a subtle way to add an accent to an outfit you may be creating, and can bring out undertones in colors like orange and green. At under $5.00 a spool, using gold thread is an affordable way to make your clothing look more decadent.

* Similarly, if you are an ecologically savvy and "green" conscious person, consider moving into a "gold" apartment. Windows in some apartment buildings are coated with gold to help keep heat in during the winter and reflect sun in the summertime. With all of the world coming around to realize the importance of ecological and sustainable responsibility for the preservation of the planet, keeping an eye out for apartments like this when considering a move is a smart and intelligent choice.