Gold has been valued by people since the beginning of time. It has been used as money, given as gifts and turned into jewelry to show affection. Gold is a good investment because it is universally treasured. If you are looking to invest in some gold, here are some tips to help you invest wisely.
When you go to sell your gold, make sure your expectations are not too high and bring your government-issued identification. On average, gold dealers pay between 70 and 80 percent of the actual value. The law requires that dealers ask sellers for identification when buying gold to aid police in their investigations about stolen property.
When searching for jewelry, you will probably want to know how many karats a particular piece has. The hallmark on a piece of jewelry will provide you with this information. For instance, say you purchase a ring that is 14 karat gold, the hallmark will say “14k”. The hallmark can be found on the inside of each piece.
If you are going to a store to sell your gold, make sure you research the shop on the Better Business Bureau’s website. You will be able to see what type of experience other consumers had, and you can determine whether or not the company was responsive to customer complaints.
If you are headed to a gold party, keep your expectations low. While you may walk out with a few hundred dollars, you are not going to get rich. You also won’t get the full value of your jewelry. Go and have fun, but do not sell anything you don’t want to sell.
Never sell your gold to someone who does not have the appropriate state licensure. Licensed buyers are much more reputable, and then you can stop worrying. There are a lot of stores and individuals that will buy gold, so don’t feel like you have to sell to the first person you come across.
When selling your gold, realize that jewelers use a different scale system than others. For example, one ounce of gold will weigh 31.1 grams. Some businesses weigh by the pennyweight, which is 1.555 grams. Then, they purchase by the gram instead of the pennyweight, which can result in them underpaying you.
If you are purchasing gold jewelry and have allergies to nickel or other metals, only purchase 18 or 22 karat gold. Almost all gold jewelry has some other metals in it because pure gold is very soft and not easy to wear on a day to day basis. By buying 18 or 22 karat, you are ensuring you’re getting the most gold, meaning less change for an allergic reaction.
Hopefully these tips have given you a better idea of how to go about buying gold. Whether you are looking to invest in it to make money or just to collect beautiful pieces of jewelry, gold has lasting value. It usually goes up in value. Keep these tips in mind and start your own collection of gold today.