As we have noted before on this blog, gold has unique properties like malleability. But here’s a surprising one. Even though gold is extremely resistant to tarnish and oxidation, it can still be combined with other chemicals to form compounds. Some, but not all, of those compounds are used in testing procedures and industrial processes. Today’s post will give you a list of what those compounds are.
Read MoreSome pretty amazing materials have been invented over the last 100 years, including Nylon, Teflon, long-chain polymers and advanced industrial ceramics. They are all remarkable, but they aren’t as amazing as gold. For many reasons, gold still reigns as the perhaps the astonishing material found on earth. Those are the same reasons that explain why gold will forever fascinate people and never decline in value - temporary price fluctuations aside, of course!
Read MoreFor centuries, people have been finding small amounts of gold – earrings hiding in dresser drawers, old coins, floor sweepings from old factory floors. Thanks to the high price that every ounce of gold commands, those discoveries are worthwhile. But then there are the discoveries of immense quantities of the precious metal that have been made over the centuries. Let’s learn some lessons from them that you can use as you hunt for precious, recyclable gold.
Read MoreIvanka Trump, the glamourous daughter of our new President-elect, is wealthy enough to wear just about anything she would like. And what does she wear? Gold jewelry, of course, and items of clothing that look like gold. The question is, will she wear it so often, and so visibly, that she will trigger a new demand for the precious metal and cause gold trading prices to rise?
Read MoreOver the years, the White House has been home to two famous pianos decorated richly with gold. Way back in 1903, the Steinway & Sons piano company donated a grand piano that was completely covered in gold leaf, and it was spectacular. Today, you can see that instrument on display...
Read MoreIt can be very hard to find gold that is buried underground, even if it is found in something as big as a locomotive. Here are some of the reasons why:
Read MoreWhen you have gold to sell, you need to be talking to a company like Specialty Metals Smelters and Refiners. And we’re not making you an empty, hard sales pitch when we say that. There are some very solid reasons why we should be the company you choose to handle all your recycling and refining needs...
Read MoreDid you know that people are selling gold scrap on eBay? We were surprised when we found out that you can. Just enter the term “gold scrap” in the eBay search window. A lot of items will come up that you can either bid on or buy on the spot. The items that are for sale tend to be…
Read MoreWell, all those items lose luster when placed alongside the new 18k gold toilet that was installed earlier this month in a regular old unisex public bathroom at in New York’s Guggenheim Museum.
Read MoreLots of electronic devices are going out of style or being replaced by newer, more advanced models. Just a few weeks ago, the last VCR that will ever be made was boxed up and shipped out. Twenty years ago, hundreds of thousands of VCRs were being made, and now they have gone away. Each of them contained small amounts of gold in their printed circuit boards that a qualified precious metals refiner can extract profitably.
Read MoreDid you ever have a best friend you relied on through thick and thin? We’ve all had friends like that. And as recent news stories have documented over just the last few weeks, gold serves as that kind of steady friend for investors. Just look at a few recent headlines…
Read MoreDirty gold is bad enough in and of itself, because of all the harm that it does. But the story of gold gets even worse than that, because of another factor…The horrible abuse and working conditions that gold miners suffer in many parts of the world.
Read MorePeople around the world aren’t waiting breathlessly to make financial decisions until after our election. They’re already buying and selling gold, buying and holding gold, and applying all kinds of strategies to profit from the metal. Just recently, for example, China acquired an estimated 11 tons of gold and salted it away, which helped drive up prices. Russia is buying up reserves of gold too. So chances are pretty good that those activities will continue, so the trading price of gold isn’t about to fall anytime soon – not even after our November election.
Read MoreHave you been watching the Olympics? Are you filled with excitement whenever your favorite athletes climb to the top spot on the prizewinners’ stand to receive their gold medals? It’s a true crowning achievement in the lives of those elite competitors. How many people, after all, earn the most important awards in their professions? How many people work that hard for years and then see their labor repaid in such a visible way?
Read MoreEverybody loves owning the latest new electronic devices and gizmos. What could be cooler than cruising through the neighborhood on a new hoverboard or in your self-driving car? But how much gold do today’s hottest new products contain, and how and when can you recycle it?
Read MoreYou just bought an old religious medal with a stamping on the back that indicates that is made of 18 karat gold. Now you’re sitting there looking at your treasure and wondering what it is worth. How can you make a quick down-and-dirty calculation? Don’t worry, we’re going to tell you in today’s post.
Read MoreWe’re written about yellow gold, white pink gold and even blue gold before on our blog. They’re the beautiful varieties of karat golds that result when copper, silver and other metals are added to gold to create tinted alloys. But we’ve just learned a few new things about rose-colored gold...
Read MoreBokassa’s throne might have contained more gold than any other piece of furniture ever made. Although chances are pretty slim that you will walk into an antiques auction and find it sitting there awaiting your bid, there really is a chance that you might come across an old piece of furniture that contains gold. Where? Let’s find out.
Read MoreYou find an old watch, flip it over, read the stampings on the case or back cover, and think, “The case is 14K gold.” Then you make a snap judgment about how much the gold in the case is worth and either buy it or not, depending on the asking price. If that’s the way you consider watches, you could be making a mistake, because it’s a mistake to assume that cases are the only parts of watches that can contain gold.
Read MoreThose two exotic stories remind us that over the years, people have taken pains to disguise gold items from thieves, invading armies, greedy relatives and other hostile forces. At other times, gold has become hidden from sight by fires, drifting sand and other natural forces. What should you be on the lookout for? Here’s a quick list…
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