Wayne Parham Messages: 18797 Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)
Most people I know are aware of the benefits of gold-plated connectors because of its resistance to oxidation. In computers, gold-plated connectors have been around for several decades for this very reason. And like you said, the benefit is in the electro-mechanical properties, not the intrinsic value that a jeweler would appraise.