Have you invested in gold previously? Gold is a great financial tool that you can use to help you grow your investment portfolio and financial future. However, you need to know how to go about doing this. Keep reading so that you can learn all about how gold can help your portfolio.
Know the meaning of different karat weights when buying or selling gold. Twenty four karat gold is worth more than fourteen, which is worth more than ten. If you understand the differences, you can make sure that you buy or sell for a fair price based on the true value of the piece.
Take precautions if you mail your items. There are a lot of mail-in services these days, and while they can be convenient, you need to protect yourself. Send the pieces through insured mail, take photographs and know the company’s policies in case they lose your gold pieces and you want a settlement.
Never feel too rushed when dealing with gold. These are highly involved purchases and sales. There’s lots of money on the table, so it’s important to be confident about your choices. If that means taking a few extra days to look into other options or to wait out a price fluctuation, then so be it.
Only jewelry that is at least 10 karats can be sold to gold dealers. The more karats your piece is, the higher amount it will command on the market. Therefore, a necklace that is 14 karats should get you a better price than something that is only 10 karats. Prior to taking in your jewelry, look at each piece to determine how many karats it is. This may help you decide whether you want to sell it or not.
If you have a particularly nice piece of jewelry, you may be able to get more money for it as is rather than selling it to someone to melt down. This is particularly true if the item was made by a popular designer. Investigate your options before you just go forward with a sale.
Be wary when buying gold from online precious metal dealers. There is a lot of fake gold for sale on the internet, so it pays be cautious when buying investment precious metals online. Many fake gold bullion bars are almost indistinguishable from real gold bullion bars, as many fake gold bars are coated with real gold despite the fact that their insides are fake.
All investments come with a certain amount of risk, and gold is no different. To help limit your risk when selling gold, ask for referrals from friends or family members who have sold gold in the past. They may be able to steer you toward a reputable gold buyer.
If you are interested in reaping the benefits of selling gold but do not have any gold to sell yourself, consider organizing a gold party. This is a party where you invite your friends and family to sell their gold pieces. You invite an appraiser to make the purchases, and you receive proceeds from the profits earned.
If you’re selling gold jewelry, make sure you know about karats. Pure gold is very soft, so it’s mixed with other metals for color and durability. The FTC or Federal Trade Commission requires that all sold U.S. gold jewelry must describe the alloy’s karat fineness. A single karat equals 1/24 of pure gold via weight. For instance, 14 karats jewelry is 14 parts gold and 10 parts different metals. Jewelry can’t be sold as “gold jewelry” if it’s less than 10 karats.
Go into selling your gold with a realistic attitude. Some people think a few pieces are going to net them thousands of dollars, but realistically there are many factors in play. The items may not be pure gold, or they could even be plated. Consider an appraisal to understand what you really have.
When you are strapped for cash, sell your gold. Anything containing gold can be sold. This includes bracelets, necklaces and other jewelry. Gold plated china, gold plated cups and even dental gold can be sold for extra cash. Additionally, broken jewelry, gold coins and gold bullions can also be sold to a gold dealer.
To get the best deal and to protect yourself, always research the buyer of your gold. This is crucial when you use mail-away services for out-of-state buyers. Only do business with gold buying establishments listed within the index of the BBB. That way you get to see if there are pending or past issues or complaints filed against them.
After having read this article, you are now ready to move forward with gold investing. However, you must realize that you do not stop here. You must keep learning as the market continues changing. You have the information necessary not to feel intimidated, so just get out there and make it happen.