From the greed of King Midas to the treasure of the Incas, gold is undoubtedly the most precious metal known throughout history. Almost every culture or group has attributed great intrinsic value to it and includes it in their tradition. Even the name of the gold was kindly thought of and applied. It comes from the word “geolo,” the Old English word for “yellow.” The periodic symbol for gold, Au, comes from the Latin word aurum, "bright dawn." Its uses are immeasurable and prehistoric. However, its use in the electroplating process, the main focus of this article, only dates back to around 1850. Unlike gold, potassium was only recognized as an element in the early 1800s. Potassium cyanide has a sad history of murder and suicide. Most research on the compound is devoted to the effects it has on humans. Potassium cyanide, in the industrial sense, is used as a reducing agent, in chemical analysis, in metallurgy and in the gold extraction process. The uses of potassium cyanide also extend to pharmacy and photography. In the early 1800s, Italian chemist Luigi Brugnatelli invented the electroplating process. He used an invention called the Voltaic Pile (originally discovered by Alessandro Volta). The voltaic pile is a machine that provides a constant flow of electrical energy, the first device of its kind. Brugnatelli described what he did as taking an object and applying electricity to it while it took on the visual characteristics of a specific metal. Potassium cyanide was included in this process only four decades later. John Wright is credited with that processional addition. His process was the first to include an electric current passed through a tank of water. The official patent for electroplating...... in the center of paper...... gold." Modern Electroplating, fifth edition, 2010. Web. November 14, 2013. Schlesinger, Mordechay. "Electrochemical Encyclopedia." Electroplating. Department of Physics, University of Windsor, September 2002. Web. 17 November 2013. "12 Extraordinary Gold-Plated Things - Oddee.com (Gold Objects)." Rajangopalan. "Electrochemical Preparation of Potassium Gold Cyanide." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, June 18, 2013. Web. November 17, 2013. "POTASSIUM CYANIDE." ChemicalBook---Chemistry Search Engine "Data Sheet on Material Safety Gold Potassium Cyanide MSDS." ScienceLab.com, nd Web. 2013.