“How Much Gold Is in My Body” and Answers to 6 Other Wild and Crazy Questions about Gold

“How Much Gold Is in My Body” and Answers to 6 Other Wild and Crazy Questions about Gold

Because we are one of the leading gold refineries in the world, we hear an awful lot of questions about that precious metal. Most of the questions we hear are very smart, but we have also heard some very strange ones. In today’s post, we are going to answer some of the oddest...

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How Much Gold Does the Catholic Church Own?

How Much Gold Does the Catholic Church Own?

The gold – often found in ceremonial items, church furnishings and artworks – is something that was amassed through the efforts of religious individuals and clergy who built cathedrals and churches, furnished them, and dedicated it all to the glorification of God.

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How to Find Lost Gold Jewelry

How to Find Lost Gold Jewelry

If you have ever misplaced a gold ring, earring, or another piece of favorite gold jewelry, you know how frustrating the search can be. So today, we’d like to suggest some strategies that can help you find your lost treasures. As you will notice, many of the strategies we suggest for finding your lost jewelry are also good for finding jewelry that is hiding in old homes, furniture, clothing, and other places. Let’s take a closer look.

 

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How to Make Money Buying Precious Metals on eBay

How to Make Money Buying Precious Metals on eBay

Once a day, I get emails that display all the newly listed items on eBay that contain those words. It saves me the trouble of going to eBay daily to hunt for them. On a typical day, I get more than 100 listings that I can quickly review...

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Will the Apple Watch Cause Gold Prices to Soar?

Will the Apple Watch Cause Gold Prices to Soar?

There’s a rumor flying around that the new watches will contain so much gold that Apple stores are upping their security to protect them. This story is apparently true, but the new safes are being installed to protect high-end Apple watches that have 18K gold cases, not lower-end models that have only a few bucks worth of gold in their circuit boards.

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Why Gold Still Makes News Every Day

Why Gold Still Makes News Every Day

You’d think that gold wouldn’t be interesting anymore. People have been finding it and mining it for thousands of years. They’ve been using it to make jewelry, dental fillings and appliances, electronic devices, cosmetics and even medicines. Gold is old news, right? Not really. The fact is that gold, the precious metal that has been used by humans for longer than just about any other, continues to make the news most every day. Here are some news stories from just the last few weeks...

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Make Money by Recycling Gold Buttons, Buckles and Cufflinks

Make Money by Recycling Gold Buttons, Buckles and Cufflinks

How much are those small pieces worth? In most cases, they don’t contain enough gold to bring you much of a return if you send them to our gold refinery. But some old buttons, buckles, studs and cufflinks do contain gold that could be worth more than what you pay for them. If you send them to us for refining, you could be rewarded with a payment for much more than you paid for the items you found.

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Three Reasons Why the Gold You Have Has Mystical and Magical Properties

Three Reasons Why the Gold You Have Has Mystical and Magical Properties

Gold is beautiful. It conducts electricity. It can be shaped easily. It is bright and shiny, even when found in riverbeds and mines. People are always finding new ways to use it in electrical, aerospace and even medical applications. That’s all true. But there is something else about gold – something that is a bit harder to explain: Gold is mysterious and magical...

 

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Karat Gold: A Quick Review to Start the New Year Profitably

Karat Gold: A Quick Review to Start the New Year Profitably

Will you liquidate some of your gold holdings in the coming year? If you do, today’s post will help you understand how much money you can receive for them. Karat ratings are a bit confusing, because they are based on the number 24, not the base number 100 that we use when working with dollars and percentages. Let’s make things simpler by offering these conversions from karat ratings into percentages...

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Should You Believe Conspiracy Theories about Gold?

Should You Believe Conspiracy Theories about Gold?

That could explain why over the years, precious metals have been the subject of a lot of conspiracy theories like this one: "Someone out there (a bank, a foreign government, a cartel) is hoarding a huge amount of gold in order to create demand and drive up prices. When the price rises, that evil “someone” will sell off vast reserves of the precious metal and make astronomically high profits." It sounds kind of plausible, right? And its narrative is valid on some level.

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Finding Gold and Silver in Ceremonial Religious Items and Artifacts

Finding Gold and Silver in Ceremonial Religious Items and Artifacts

The recent holiday services and celebrations remind us that precious gold and silver can be found in many ceremonial items that are used for religious purposes. Here are a few reasons why this could be a good time to reclaim the precious metals that religious items contain...

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Why Your Recyclable Gold Will Always Be in Demand

Why Your Recyclable Gold Will Always Be in Demand

All of us who work with precious metals are acutely aware that gold is trading at pretty low prices these days. But does that mean that demand for gold is about to go away? Or does it mean that you should forget about recycling gold today if you need cash? Not at all. You see, the demand for gold is at an all time high today, for some very compelling reasons...

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Can Gold Be Recycled from Gilt Glass?

Can Gold Be Recycled from Gilt Glass?

Why are we exploring this topic today? Simply because you are likely to come across objects made from gilt glass in more places than you expect. Whether you are searching flea markets and antique sales or liquidating the contents of a home, an office building, an antique store, you will probably find gilt glass in…

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Where to Find Hidden Gold and Other Valuables in and Around Old Houses

Where to Find Hidden Gold and Other Valuables in and Around Old Houses

If you own an older house, chances are pretty good that a previous owner hid valuables in it. If they did, they intended to retrieve those items one day. However, circumstances often prevent people from doing so – they die, become ill, or grow infirm and cannot remember where they hid items. So if you own an older home, where should you check for hidden items? Here are some places to look.

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Selling Your Gold: What’s the Difference Between an Appraiser and an Assayer?

When you’re selling gold items, it’s important to understand the difference between appraisers and assayers.

What Do Appraisers Do?

Appraisers are professionals that you hire to research the history of the items that you own. They are concerned with provenance, meaning that your gold items have an interesting or significant history. If your gold brooch once belonged to Queen Victoria or Marilyn Monroe, for example, it has collectible value that probably exceeds the value of the gold that it contains. If that small gold bee that you inherited turns out to have been made by Inca craftsmen 500 years ago, the same holds true. Or if the gold watch that you want to sell was once part of a museum collection, that can add to its value too.

So if you have older items that have interesting or important histories, or which you suspect might have, it is wise to find a professional appraiser who is qualified and certified to assess their value. The American Society of Appraisers (APA) is a good place to find one.

Things have changed since the 16th Century - Assaying your gold with state of the art processes and equipment will not harm any samples you send us for testing at www.Goldrefiners.com.

Things have changed since the 16th Century - Assaying your gold with state of the art processes and equipment will not harm any samples you send us for testing at www.Goldrefiners.com.

What Do Assayers Do?

Assayers are interested in value of a different kind. They are concerned with the metals that are contained in your gold and other items. For example, we are assayers here at GoldRefiners.com, part of Specialty Metals Smelters & Refiners, Inc. When you send us an item for testing and evaluation, we apply the latest testing technology to determine its metallic content.

After testing your items, we can answer lots of different questions for you. What is the Karat rating of a gold item, for example? What other metals does it contain, and how do those metals affect the value? If you decide to have us reclaim the gold and other metals that we discover in your items, exactly how much money will you receive for it, and how quickly? We can answer those questions, and more.

No Gold Items Will Be Harmed in the Process of Testing...

It is not uncommon for customers to ask whether we will damage gold items that they send in for testing. (“Will you have to melt down this old gold bracelet before you can tell me what it is worth?”) The answer is, we will not harm any items that you send to us for testing – a simple, non-damaging metallic test is all that is needed. (In some cases, we may need to rub your item on a stone or special cloth to obtain a tiny sample of metal to test, but that sample is so small that it cannot be effectively measured; it will not diminish the value of any item that you submit to us for testing.)

So, What Is the Difference between an Appraiser and an Assayer?

We hope that today’s post has cleared up that question for you. If you have more questions, we are here to help. Do not hesitate to call us at 800-426-2344.

Related Posts:

Is this a Good Time to Sell My Gold?
Why It Will Always Pay to Recycle Gold
Some Fascinating – and Potentially Profitable – Facts You Never Knew about Refining Gold
What Do Smelters Do?

Now’s the Time to Help Older Relatives Raise Money before the Holidays

If you have older relatives who are feeling blue because it will be so expensive to buy holiday presents this season, here is a suggestion.

Why not encourage them to recycle any precious metal items that they have on hand now? They could get a check from us just in time to take the sting out of holiday shopping.

As this photo shows, now is the time to talk to goldrefiners about turning the gold items lying around your house into money to pay for holiday shopping.

Here’s a quick checklist that you can share with your mom, dad, aunt or uncle to help them identify unwanted items that can be recycled with the services of a qualified precious metals recycler like us.

  • Silver and silver-plated tableware – There can be a lot of value hidden in mixed lots of old knives, forks and spoons that haven’t been used for years.
  • Metal picture frames – Some of them are actually made of pure silver. Others are made of base metals plated with silver and in come cases, gold. They are well worth examining closely.
  • Old trophies, medals, religious items and awards - In earlier decades, it was not uncommon for many of them to be made from silver, gold-plated silver, or other precious metals – even platinum. They are often small, but their dollar value might not be.
  • Unwanted piece of jewelry – Rings, pins, bracelets, watches, chains, and other items can be worth a great deal of money.
  • Old bridges, caps and unused dental appliances – It might surprise you to learn that your relative has kept such items, but sometimes people do. They intend to recycle them someday. Maybe that “someday” should be today.
  • Deskware, including paperweights, pen and pencil holders, and letter openers – Such items, often engraved, were once given often as incentives and awards. They could be hiding in plain sight on your relative’s desk, mantle, or bookshelves.
  • Lighters, cigarette and cigar cases, and other smoker’s paraphernalia – Several decades ago when many people smoked, these items were produced in great quantities and often given as gifts. It is extremely unlikely that they are being used today, so now is the time to send them to a qualified precious metals refinery for recycling.

It’s Easier than Ever Before to Find Out How Much Items Are Worth

If you have located any of the above items, you can sit down with your relative and give us a call at 800-426-2344. It will be a fun call, and potentially a profitable one too. One of our expert consultants will be happy to speak with you confidentially and give you an estimate of what your precious metals could be worth.

Related Posts:

Raising Funds for Holiday Shopping: Why Not Get Family, Friends and Neighbors Looking for Precious Metals to Recycle?
Is this a Good Time to Sell My Gold?
Open Things Up, Find Precious Metals, Make Money
Need Extra Cash for the Holidays? Why Not Recycle Your Precious Metals Now?

Is this a Good Time to Sell My Gold?

If you have been paying attention to dropping gold prices, you probably believe that this would be a very bad time to sell your gold. It seems like a far better time to buy gold now and hold it until prices bounce back.

Image of "Cash for Gold" signholders for Specialty Metals blog post, Scams to Avoid when Selling Precious Metals, courtesy of Comedy Central and South Park.

But the fact remains that there is no one answer to the question, “Is this the time to sell?” Even when prices are low, your circumstances could dictate that selling now might be a very good idea.

Those circumstances could be . . .

  • You acquired gold at a lower price than its current trading level, so selling now would represent a net gain for you. If you make a sizeable profit from selling your gold for more than you paid for it, the current trading price might not be a relevant concern.
  • You could use the money that is tied up in your gold holdings to make opportune investments in real estate, fine art, or other assets that will appreciate in value. And remember, you could receive a usable sum of money by recycling only a part of your gold holdings. (Nobody can require you to sell all the gold you own right now, correct?)
  • You can use the cash you realize as a tax-deductible charitable contribution to a college, a hospital or another institution that you support. Depending on your tax bracket and other considerations, it could be a strategy that will minimize your taxes, offset the current low price of gold, and help you support a favorite institution too.
  • You own gold-bearing items that need to be recycled, not bouillon, and you don’t know just how much money you stand to gain by recycling them now. They could be gold dental scrap, gold-plated decorative items, a large quantity of printed circuit boards or other electronic devices that need to be tested by a qualified gold refinery like us. You could get a much bigger payment for those items than you expect.
  • You are making a new estate plan. Instead of holding on to valuable precious metals and having your heirs pay inheritance tax on them should you die, perhaps you should liquidate them and put the money you get into a trust or other vehicle that will serve to minimize inheritance taxes. The attorney or other expert who is helping you plan your estate can offer you the advice you need.

How Much Are Your Gold-Bearing Items Worth?

If you are not sure call us at 800-426-2344 to find out.