(Less favored guests used gold knives and forks.) The United States, to show off its industrial prowess, even capped the Washington monument with a six-pound pyramid of aluminum in 1884.' Once innovators figured out how to extract it on an industrial scale, the market came crashing down.
The French government once displayed Fort Knox-like aluminum bars next to the crown jewels, and the minor emperor Napoleon III reserved a prized set of aluminum cutlery for special guests at banquets. In fact, aluminum became more precious than gold and silver in the 19th century, because it was harder to obtain. Join hosts Guy Raz and Mindy Thomas on a journey away from your screens, inside your brain, out into space, and deep into the coolest new stories in science. We've talked about WoW's gathering professions, but now that you know gathering, it's time to talk about what to do with the materials you've gathered: craft.
When it was finally learned how the metal could be extracted, as Slate explains, 'people adored Element 13's color and luster, which reminded them of the sparkle of gold and silver-a brand-new precious metal. Now that we use it to wrap our food, it might seem hard to believe that in the 19 th century, this element was hugely valuable. Aluminum Was Once More Valuable Than Gold Shutterstock
