Nobody likes a recession. But the fact remains that if another recession starts soon, precious metals are a good place to have your assets invested.  

During the last big historical recession of 2007-2009, the trading price of gold rose about 24%. In the same period, the Dow fell by about 35%. And something similar, though not as extreme, happened in preceding recessions. In the less-severe recession of 2001, gold prices rose more than 4%, while the Dow fell about 15%.

Have you heard about the new alloy of platinum and gold that is said to be the most indestructible metal ever made . . . one that is as hard as diamonds and virtually abrasion-proof? We have heard about it too. It sounds like a hoax. After all, gold is a very soft metal. Platinum can easily be scratched, as owners of platinum engagement rings have discovered. So how can it be that combining these two not-so-durable metals could result in a super-metal that is virtually indestructible?

Another school year is about to begin. And because we are thinking about education, we would like to ask this question . . .

What is the best way to educate young people about investing in precious metals?

What is the most powerful tool for finding gold, platinum, silver and other precious metals?

When you think about that question, chances are you think about using a metal detector. And yes, a metal detector can be a great device to use when you are looking for precious metals in outdoor areas like the beach or open fields. There are other good tools too, like camera-equipped drones.

If you work in an industry that uses industrial catalysts, you probably know what they are and what precious metals yours contain.

What you might not know, however, is that the catalysts that have lived out their life in your factory could still contain significant amounts of precious metals like gold, silver and even platinum that are well worth recycling. If you are not sure how much precious metal could be reclaimed by having them recycled by a precious metals refinery like Specialty Metals Smelters and Refiners, we urge you to call our consultants today at 800-426-2344. We are here to offer advice and testing on your used catalysts. In just a few minutes on the phone with us, you could discover that you are sitting on precious metals that could be worth a lot of money.

Today is an especially good time to make money by refining older pieces of jewelry that were crafted in white gold.

Why? Here’s a bit of history that could come in handy if you are interested in making money by reclaiming and recycling gold scrap . . .

What is the difference between an item that is gold filled and one that is gold plated?

That question confuses many people. But after you read today’s post, you will know the difference and be a smarter gold investor. Please read on.

In the days following World War II, army surplus yards opened in many parts of the country, selling all kinds of items that had been manufactured for the U.S. war effort. All sorts of items showed up – hats, coats, uniforms, tarpaulins, tents, and even some decommissioned “souvenir” hand grenades. There were even opportunities to buy electronic devices like field radios that contained small amounts of gold.

There are many reasons to avoid buying stolen items of jewelry. One practical reason is that if you do buy items that were stolen, they could be confiscated by law enforcement agencies. Another, more important reason is that even if you buy “hot” items without knowing they were stolen, you are supporting a number of criminal gangs that engaged in violent crimes. Even if you buy those items from pawn shops or legitimate jewelers and have no idea that you are trading in stolen goods, you are contributing to a form of crime that is big and getting bigger.

Is nostalgia standing between you and a lot of money?

We apologize if that question is rude, or of we are being impolite by asking it. But the fact is that many people are losing money (or delaying getting it) by remaining stuck in the past.

If you went to see your physician a few years ago and you were having chest pains, chances are that your doctor sent you to get an x-ray (a technology that relied heavily on silver), an electrocardiogram (which used printed circuit boards that contained gold and silver), and a round of blood tests (which didn’t have much to do with precious metals of any kind).

Crooks aren’t nice people, they hurt people, and we don’t like to write about them. But the fact remains that if we look at crime trends around the country, they can teach us some lessons about the value of precious metals. Also, because crooks make money by selling what they have stolen, their crimes tell us there is a market for the metals they are selling.

The answer may surprise you

Today, everybody you see seems to be staring at a mobile phone. About 15 years ago, every adult you saw was poking away at a Blackberry and every kid you saw was listening to music on an iPad or other portable music player.

What You Need to Know about Modern Smelting and What We Do

As we wrote on this blog back on February 24, 2014, “Smelting has now evolved into a modern, sophisticated process that uses very advanced equipment to separate precious metals from a wide variety of compounds and chemicals, not only from rocks.”

We were in an electronics store recently, where we saw a small electronic device lying next to a cash register. We asked a salesman, “What is that thing that looks like a tiny cellphone?”

We have written before on this blog about good places to hunt for undiscovered precious metals – places like old jewelry factories, wells, drain pipes, and even graveyards.

Today, we would like to add one more place to look for old gold, silver, and platinum items that you can recycle profitably . . .

Although cadmium is not a precious metal, there is money to be made recycling cadmium silver contacts.  (See “Recycling Silver Cadmium Contacts Can Give You a Big Payday,” a post we published on this blog in 2016.) 

Do you invest in precious metals? Are you concerned about harming the environment?

If you answered yes to those questions, let’s start today’s post with a general observation . . .

We have all been there when recently engaged young women show off their new “rocks” to friends or work colleagues. “How big is the diamond?” has been the most important question that people want to know (or are too respectful to ask) at those times. Yet a recent article in MarketWatch.com, “J-Lo’s engagement ring is reportedly worth $1 million — is it time to ditch the diamond?” implies that young people today are losing interest in how big a diamond is in an engagement ring, or what it is worth.

“My grandfather was a master jeweler and jewelry repairman,” a caller told us recently. “Unfortunately, he recently passed away, and now we have the job of emptying his workshop. Can you give me some advice on what we should be looking for?”