Throughout history, gold has been revered and used for expensive jewellery and ornamentation. But in the future, it will be prized for its practical uses rather than for its aesthetic appeal. It wasn't until early in the last century that gold's electrical conductivity properties were discovered. Solid state electronic devices use very low voltages and currents, which are easily interrupted by corrosion at the contact points. Gold is such an efficient conductor that it can carry these tiny currents and remain free of corrosion, making the devices highly reliable. A small amount of gold is used in almost every modern electronic device, and it is predicted that within ten years, more gold will be used in the production of electronics than in jewellery.