All these words and images apply to gold, which, in its most natural form, is a valuable metal -- valuable, that is, to the eye of the beholder. As with anything, gold is measured by the worth to its owner -- and this is one commodity that has never suffered from lack of value -- material or personal.

It's one of the highest standards by which to live, history tells us: Man was always seeking gold, whether by chasing down a "lost treasure" or digging and pan- ning for it, as in California's famous "Gold Rush."

It's classy, there's no doubt: It's in the titles and lyrics of timeless songs; the name of a proud landmark, The Golden Gate Bridge; America's Gold Coast; the "gol- den oldie," otherwise known as the songs we adults grew up with and are now referred to as "oldies"; The Golden Age, which applies to any period of time in which people enjoyed great happiness and prosperity; and, of course, The Golden Rule, taught to us all with great seriousness as youngsters.

And from the sublime to the ridiculous, let's don't forget "The Golden Arches" of McDonalds, the gold dig- ger, whom most of us have come across at least once in our lives; and the goldbrick, known both as a piece of brick that is either thought to be gold or is passed off as such, or the goof-off: The worker who regularly shirks his responsibilities.

But those are the exceptions, not the rule: This world is and has always been fascinated by gold, something truly valued as the finest of its kind, or more years than we can truly count.

Gold is in the dramatic, opulent castles of Europe, the majestic domes built in the Far East to symbolize glory to nation; in the steepled and imposing churches built throughout the centuries; in the magnificent, im- posing building known as the Vatican; and in one of the most-visited places on earth, simply because of its absolute grandeur, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, along the Euphrates River in Egypt.

In smaller, simpler ways, yet revered with equal grace, it is also present on the ring fingers of married or engaged couples, to symbolize love;

And, of course, we all know about the lucrative world of gold mining -- but some may not realize that this malleable metal, also a mineral, has been mined for literally thousands of years.

Today's gold mining industry continually strives to operate in an environmentally responsible manner -- protecting wildlife, reclaiming mined land, and using the newest forms of technology for safer environmental operations.

And so it goes; this timeless appreciation, protection, and continued search for one of the finest examples of elegance we know, will remain an endless process -- at least one thing we know will never disappear with the ravages of time.