<P> Wedding rings have been made of gold . It is long lasting and unaffected by the passage of time and may aid in the ring symbolism of eternal vows before God and the perfection the marriage signifies . In Orthodox Christian wedding ceremonies, the wedded couple is adorned with a golden crown (though some opt for wreaths, instead) during the ceremony, an amalgamation of symbolic rites . </P> <P> The World Gold Council states that as of the end of 2014, "there were 183,600 tonnes of stocks in existence above ground". This can be represented by a cube with an edge length of about 21 meters . At $1,075 per troy ounce, 183,600 metric tonnes of gold would have a value of $6.3 trillion . </P> <P> As of 2014, the world's largest gold producer by far was China with 450 tonnes and it was expected to reach 490 in 2015 . The second - largest producer, Australia, mined 274 tonnes in the same year, followed by Russia with 247 tonnes . </P> <P> Since the 1880s, South Africa has been the source for a large proportion of the world's gold supply, with about 50% of the presently accounted for gold having come from South Africa . Production in 1970 accounted for 79% of the world supply, producing about 1,480 tonnes . In 2007 China (with 276 tonnes) overtook South Africa as the world's largest gold producer, the first time since 1905 that South Africa has not been the largest . </P>

Where does most of the worlds gold come from