the gold ever mined still exists

[keannu]

I'm sorry this might need background knowledge of economics, which I lack.
1. What does "the gold ever mined still exists" mean? Does it mean every type of gold mined even from 1960s to 1990s still exists, which make them still valuable?
2. This needs some economic theory. I guess money value in real estate and cash can drop down due to inflation or something. So if you had $400,000 of a house, can it be depreciated to $300,000, causing owners seek more gold? Do you know the process of depreciation?

gu72)Everyone knows that gold is valuable, but few people understand how its price is set. For investors, however, it is essential to understand what can influence rising gold prices. As with most investments, the price of gold depends of supply and demand. But the gold market is unique - nearly all of the gold ever mined still exists. Therefore, during times of depression, gold prices rise as people lose faith in money and view gold as an asset that can always be used to purchase necessities. Another common factor influencing gold prices both inside and outside of the country is the real estate market. When real estate values drop, the demand for gold is generally expected to increase.

[5jj]

But the gold market is unique - nearly all of the gold that has ever been mined still exists.

The words in red can be omitted, as they were in the original sentence.

[keannu]

Thanks, but I was more interested in what the gold ever mined means and how it affects your decision to buy it in times of depression.

[5jj]

Thanks, but I was more interested in what the gold ever mined means and how it affects your decision to buy it in times of depression.

"Gold ever mined" is meaningless. It is part of the construction that I gave you in my last post.

Some things of value can decrease in value - animals die, food is consumed, machinery stops working, iron rusts, many things are damaged, lost or destroyed. etc. Unlike all these things, all the gold that has ever been mined/panned for/extracted is still in existence, still in its undamaged, undestroyed form. The writer is suggesting that in times of depression, when other things can lose their value, gold never loses its value, and so people move out of the more ephemeral things into gold.