Things To Know When Looking For Gold Nuggets For Sale

By George Powell


It is no secret that gold is one of the most valuable commodities that one may use to solidify his asset base. For ages, central banks have used it to maintain economic balance in countries and investors have used it as a form of security against the uncertainty of liquid assets. Bullions are by far the most preferred form by high ranking investors. However, you can always enjoy a piece of the pie by opting for gold nuggets for sale.

There are numerous factors that a buyer should bear in mind before buying. Firstly, it is important to establish the purpose of buying, being as one could be doing so to simply add to his collectibles or to widen his investment portfolio. Establishing this aspect is a good way to know what to go for.

The bullion is the best option for would be investors. It is always refined and has the highest purity of the metal. Bullions come in different sizes, with the most popular being 1 troy ounce bars. Nuggets, on the other hand, are yet to undergo significant purification. They are considered the natural alternative and can also be good for small time investment.

Size is a crucial factor to bear in mind during the buying process. It goes hand in hand with pricing. Gold dust is the cheapest form of the mineral. Large pieces fetch more in the market but often take time to sell. Small sized pieces are highly favored by buyers who simply desire assets to use in bartering.

Valuation is also based on beauty. Every ore that gets churned out of a mine is different from the other. Differences can be easily spotted in color and shape. The more colorful and distinctly shaped an ore is, the more expensive it becomes.

Dealers usually enhance appeal through purification. There is no raw form of this metal that is 100% pure. In essence, purity levels vary from piece to piece. The purer your metal is, the more appealing it looks and the higher its value. Copper and silver are the two primary metals that make raw gold impure.

The karat is the standard of measurement for impurities in an ore. Lower karats mean more impurities while higher karats mean fewer impurities. In many shops, the impurity range falls in the region of 18 to 22 karats. Pieces regarded as extremely pure are those that go beyond 23 karats.

Pricing is also largely determined by the shape that a nugget takes. Collectors tend to avoid smooth ores. Most of them prefer buying pieces that take unique shapes and can look outstanding when displayed together with other minerals. As smooth nuggets are readily available in the market, they are significantly cheaper than crystalline shaped variants. It is important to note that uniquely shaped ones have higher premiums nonetheless.

When buying, it is fairly easy to fall prey to cons selling fake metals. It would therefore be prudent to conduct some research on how the metal looks and feels. There are test kits that you can also buy to use in detecting authenticity. Buying from a reputable dealer will also reduce your chances of purchasing something that is fake.




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