Why are we blogging about Crivelli today? It is because of his extensive use of gold in his paintings – not gold-colored paint, but real gold. He used the precious metal in remarkable ways. He found a way to not only apply gold leaf to areas of his paintings, but to etch beautiful geometric patterns into those gold surfaces. The effect is pretty breathtaking.
Read MoreI recently took a close look at the inner workings of an old stereo console that dates from the mid-1950s. It’s one of those “hi-fis” that were so popular back then. It doesn’t work anymore and would probably cause a fire if we left it plugged in, but it starts conversations. If you look inside, you’ll see that it contains an amplifier, a radio receiver, two big speakers, and even a turntable, all packed into a heavy piece of cabinetry. There are vacuum tubes, lots of wires, an antenna, and miscellaneous other components. But is there any gold inside?
Read MoreGold bullion offers one of our favorite precious metal investments. If you read that last sentence, you’re probably thinking, “Hey, you’re a precious metal recycling company, aren’t you? So why are you writing about investing in bullion bars? You don’t have to test, refine and recycle them, right?” We have a simple answer. When we see a good investing opportunity, we want you to know about it. And then there’s the fact that we can help you select, buy, store and sell gold bullion bars. So we’re happy to share this advice with you.
Read MoreLast year a man made an interesting discovery when he was poking around in a defunct old jewelry factory. He pulled open a few drawers and found that they contained about two pounds of old gold-toned chains. His discovery was a real “mixed bag.” Some of the chains were wound up on cardboard spools so they could be cut to length for bracelets and necklaces. Other chains had already been cut to length and had clasps installed, which sometimes displayed karat markings. Those marks made it easier to understand which chains contained real, recyclable gold. But what about the spaghetti-like tangle of short end pieces of chain, scraps of chain with clasps attached and a mixed bag of other stuff that included unused clasps and other findings in little plastic bags? How was he supposed to figure out what all that stuff was worth?
Read MoreKowalski isn’t an anti-gold environmentalist who thinks that people shouldn’t buy and enjoy beautiful jewelry. He simply thinks that it is time to make sure that jewelry is made from metals that come from sources that do not cause excessive damage to the environment.
Read MoreHere at Gold Refiners.com, part of Specialty Metals Smelters and Refiners, we are 100% committed to doing business honestly and ethically. We very rarely get calls from people who want us to extract precious metals in ways that shortcut environmental laws, for example. But when we do, we turn that business away. Yet the fact remains that some lessons can be learned from crooks – the most successful of them are pretty smart, after all – about how to honestly get some more profit from gold.
Read MoreIf you do an online search for the term “gold on Mars,” you will find all kinds of videos and articles on the topic. Some of the information you’ll uncover is dry and scientific, but you’ll also find weird conspiracy theories that claim that NASA doesn’t want anybody to know that there are huge veins of Martian gold that are waiting to be claimed by world powers...
Read MoreThe short answer to that question is that gold is gold, no matter whether it comes from Australia, England, China, Canada, South Africa or anywhere else. But there is more to it than that, because not all gold investment items are made of pure 24k gold. That is especially true if you are investing in gold coins, not bullion bars, because many of them contain small amounts of other metals that have been added to make them more durable. That explains why some popular investment coins, like the American Eagle and the South African Krugerrand, are actually made of 22k gold – only .9167pure.
Read MoreJust spend a day binge-watching some of these classic movies about gold. Their characters are excited about gold – and shouldn’t you be too?
Read MoreThe title of today’s post reflects a question that we heard from a caller recently, who asked, “Is white gold worth more than other gold . . . it contains platinum, right, so it should be worth more per ounce than other gold.” The caller’s reasoning is sound, but unfortunately the answer to his question is a bit more complex than he might realize. Here are some facts that clear up the confusion.
Read MoreAlthough those kits are useful, they cannot take the place of the thorough testing and analysis that is offered by a qualified gold refinery like Specialty Metals Smelters and Refiners, the parent company of GoldRefiners.com. Acid-testing kits can only determine the gold content of small individual items like rings or earrings. They can’t determine the gold content in materials like these, which we regularly test for our customers
Read MoreIt’s no secret that rich and famous people like to own gold. Some of them buy it as an investment. Others wear it as jewelry or even makeup. Still others like to decorate their homes, cars and boats with the metal. How much gold do ultra-rich people own? And how much gold did famous people who are no longer living own? We did some research. Here’s a summary of what we learned.
Read MorePeople have been enthralled with gold since ancient times. If you love it too, why not spend part of your next vacation looking at it, learning about it – and maybe even finding some and bringing it home? There are many ways to make gold part of your vacation. Here is just a small sample of what you can do.
Read MoreKeep looking! Gold and other precious metals are still out there waiting to be discovered. If you doubt it, here are some stories that should make you think again...
Read MoreYou don’t have to invest a ton of money before you go out and look for gold. If you want to, you can actually start by using your hat to scoop up gravel and silt from the bottom of streams. If you do a little searching online, you will find that plenty of equipment is available for casual and serious hobbyists.
Read MoreHave you heard that a few men in Poland claim to have found a train that the Nazis hid in a tunnel at the end of World War II? That report makes us think about all the stories that have circulated over the years about gold hidden in boats, cars and airplanes that were formerly owned by drug dealers, smugglers and other bad people. So, what are the odds that you really can buy a car or boat at an auction and find gold in a hidden compartment?
Read MoreIt is also important to consider collectible value. Like rare coins, some rare and significant commemoratives can have value to collectors that makes them worth more than the melt value of the metals they contain. But be aware of this: Gold-toned commemoratives that are being sold currently by commercial mints are usually plated with extremely thin layers of gold – not enough to be worth recycling.
Read MoreThe best thing about looking for small pieces of gold is that if you start looking, you are really going to find them. (That cannot be said if you go out and buy a metal detector, for example, or if you put on scuba gear and start poking around on the ocean floor.) Here are some of the places where you are going to find small pieces of gold.
Read MoreThat’s exciting, but have you stopped to think that gold can be found underwater in other locations too – in places you don’t need a boat or scuba gear to explore? That’s what we’re going to write about today. Here are three wet places where you stand a good chance of finding gold.
Read MoreIf you’ve been watching gold prices over the last month, you’re aware that trading prices have fallen to historical lows. That leads to the obvious conclusion that this is a pretty bad time to sell gold. But here’s a contrarian investment idea to consider. If you have gold that you don’t want to sell now, why not give it to your children?
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