If you are investing in precious metals, chances are you know that gold is currently trading for $1778.30 on the London Fix. But did you also know that over the last five years, the trading price has increased $434.00? That’s an increase of about one-third. That means this is a good time to sell the gold that you are holding.

This past week, the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued a report entitled, “Climate change widespread, rapid and intensifying.”

If there are people who still believe that global warming is really not happening, we would urge them to spend a little time reading this report. It has a blunt message, which is that we need to act immediately and decisively if we wish to protect our planet, our future, and our children from further catastrophic effects of climate change.

Today, we would like to point out some steps that the smartest investors take to safeguard their investments – and to simply make more money.

Ready? Let’s get going.

Did you give your office or place a business a spring cleaning this year? If you didn’t, we would like to suggest that you give it a late-summer tidying up right now. You might discover some items that you can send to us for recycling. Depending on what you and your business do, you might be surprised to find some items like these that you can recycle for cash:

Here at Specialty Metals Smelters and Refiners, we are proud that we are helping to protect the environment with everything we do.

When we are processing precious metal scrap of any kind, we use the latest processes that virtually eliminate the release of noxious gases into the air. Although smelting and other reprocessing processes often involve high temperatures, we never release heated liquids or gases into the air or the water supply. We pride ourselves on having a very small carbon footprint. So when you send your gold, platinum or silver scrap to us for testing and processing, you can do so with a clean conscience.

If you’ve been letting your metal detector gather dust, now could be the time to take it out and hit outdoor areas in search of gold, silver and platinum.

Nearly every week, a new story reports on finds of precious metals that have been discovered using metals detectors that are probably no more advanced than the one you already own.

The most recent of these news stories reports something rather incredible. Earlier this year, amateur metal prospectors found more than 100 French silver coins underground in a field in Poland. And like all tantalizing discoveries of hidden treasure, this one is mysterious.

Platinum is a bright, shiny precious metal that has unique properties when it is used as a catalyst in a number of different applications.

When a variety of different gases are passed through platinum-containing powders and wafers, the platinum causes unique things to happen, as we’ll explore in a minute. And the good news for recyclers is that even after those platinum is no longer functioning efficiently, enough platinum is left behind to be worth recycling.

We hear the term “supply chain” often these days. Mostly, we hear it when we are unable to buy products we need because they are stuck somewhere on the supply chain, which can be defined this way . . .

We have been writing lately about cars that are powered not by gasoline or electricity, but by hydrogen fuel cells. They will soon allow you to fill your car with hydrogen that will be available at “gas stations” that offer hydrogen alongside gasoline.

If you follow gold trading prices, you know that gold prices have risen by more than 40% in the last few years. One reason experts cite is the current distrust between the U.S. and China. And chances are that distrust between our two nations will only rise as the U.S. builds scrutiny of why the Covid-19 virus might have arisen in Chinese laboratories.

If you try to buy used hydrogen fuel cells today, you are apt to be disappointed.

“If fuel cells are the hottest new technology on the landscape,” you start to ask, “why can’t I find any to buy . . . and why can’t I get my hands on all the platinum they are supposed to contain?”

Lots of people today are asking questions just like those. But the fact is that smart, forward-thinking precious metal investors are starting to realize that in the future, hydrogen fuel cells will become probably the hottest trend in precious metals.

Some people believe they need metal detectors to find precious metals. Other people use drones. And still others think they need precious metal testing kits.

Those people are right. But today, we would like to remind you of another very basic fact that can help you find more precious metals . . .

You probably think that you know everything there is to know about recycling valuable scrap and getting a nice big payout. You probably already know that . . .

• You can recycle gold scrap, silver scrap, platinum scrap and even platinum family metals and rhodium. Call Specialty Metals Smelters and Refiners at 800-426-2344 and we will tell you how.

• You can recycle used batteries that contain lithium, nickel, and cadmium.

• You can even reclaim rare earth metals from touch screens in tablets, laptops, and phones.

But There Is a New Recyclable in Town

With platinum trading at nearly $1,200, it stands to reason that you can make money by buying platinum items and platinum scrap and sending it to us to be recycled.

You can also profit handsomely by buying up and recycling platinum jewelry. But what kinds of platinum jewelry should you be on the lookout for, and how much platinum do they contain? Let’s explore further.

In answer to the question above, “do all thermocouples contain platinum?” we will offer you a quick response . . .

No, not all thermocouples contain platinum

But we would like to offer an additional comment . . .

We are optimistic that the prices of our preferred precious metals – silver, gold, platinum, palladium and even rhodium – are not only stable, but poised to rise in the months and years ahead.

We have a number of reasons for being optimistic. Some are political, some tied to factors like international trade. In no particular order, here are some of the reasons we feel upbeat that precious metals, and precious metal scrap, will remain a great investment in the future.

We hope you’re visiting our home page daily to check on current trading prices for your favorite precious metals. Hopefully, they are the precious metals you have invested in, and own.

But today, we would like to consider the relationship between weight and value. Because you see, certain metals are simply heavier than others. That’s another way of saying, for example, that if you have two identically sized cubes of, say, aluminum and platinum, the aluminum cube is going to weigh a lot less than the one that is made of platinum. To look at it from a different perspective, let’s say you want to make two cubes – again of aluminum and platinum – and you want them both to weigh one ounce. If you do that, the aluminum cube is going to be about four times the size of the one that is made of platinum.

The question that we chose to be the title of today’s post – “What Is the Best Part of the Country for Gold Investors to Live?” – probably seems a little puzzling to you. After all, if you invest in gold scrap (or silver scrap or platinum scrap for that matter), what difference does it make where you live? You can call our precious metal recycling advisors from wherever you live, send us your scrap. And of course, we will send your payment wherever you live.

We have written many posts in the past about how to sell your gold scrap, silver scrap and platinum scrap for the highest prices.

Today, we would like to explore a related question . . .

The coming year could be your opportunity to make money – perhaps a lot of money – by investing in precious metals.

There are many reasons why opportunity in precious metals could be knocking in your door right about now. One reason is that the economy is recovering quickly as the Covid-19 pandemic fades away. Another reason is that as a number of companies have closed, there are ample opportunities to buy up quantities of precious metals at low prices. The manufacturing supplies those companies had in stock, as well as the computers and other equipment they owned, can be bought for advantageous prices.