Selling gold

Selling gold can be a fun and lucrative endeavor, especially if you're selling your gold at a profit. One of the most important things you can do when selling your gold is to deal with a legitimate appraiser. Other considerations include whether you're selling gold jewelry or gold bullion. Here are some tips to help you receive the maximum payout for your gold.

One of the first things you should do is look at the current spot price of gold. The spot price is equivalent to what a buyer is willing to pay on a unit of gold on the open market. When dealing with certain gold dealers or buyers, you may be able to sell your gold at a small mark-up above the spot price. The next thing to do that's of equal importance is find a reputable appraiser or dealer. Look for dealers who clearly state their policies, terms and conditions. Make sure that the appraiser or dealer is licensed by your state licensing board. Having a license is a good indicator that you're dealing with a legitimate buyer of gold. Avoid selling your gold to cold callers and other solicitors who may have questionable credentials.

Shop around to find the best deal possible. Ask the various dealers what they pay per gram, and per ounce, for gold. Have reasonable expectations for how much you can get for your gold. In some instances, you may not receive what the spot price indicates the gold you're selling is worth. There are no regulations in terms of what pricing can and can't be offered. It basically becomes a matter of what the dealer is willing to pay, and how much money you're willing to accept, to effect a sale.

Selling gold jewelry can be a little more complicated than selling gold bullion. Typically, you can get more money for 24 carat gold jewelry. As carats decrease, so does the amount of money you can expect to receive when you sell your gold jewelry. Most jewelry found in the marketplace contains other metals other than gold. And you won't get more money for your gold jewelry simply because diamonds or other precious stones are a part of the ensemble. If you're selling gold that's antique, or has gems embedded in it, you're probably better off selling it to a dealer or appraiser who handles jewelry items. If you're selling gold bullion, such as gold rounds, sell to a dealer whose interest is strictly in the weight of the gold. You'll maximize your profits by doing so. If you're selling gold bullion coins, such as gold American eagles, or gold Canadian maple leafs, you may maximize your profit by selling your coins to coin collectors, as opposed to a gold dealer, who won't pay collector value for your coins. When you're selling your gold bullion or jewelry, be sure to bring proper identification with you. This is a precaution dealers and appraisers use to help prevent purchasing stolen gold.

Price of gold

No one is completely sure where gold comes from. The relative average abundance in our Solar System appears higher than can be made in the early universe, in stars, and even in typical supernova explosions. Some astronomers now suggest that neutron-rich heavy elements such as gold might be most easily made in rare neutron-rich explosions such as the collision of neutron stars. Since neutron star collisions are also suggested as the origin of short duration gamma-ray bursts, if you own some gold it is possible that you have a souvenir from one of the most powerful explosions in the universe.
Gold is widespread in low concentrations in all igneous rocks and has been discovered on every continent on earth Estimates for Its abundance in the Earth's crust vary between .001 to 0.004 parts per million. In seawater there are about 0.00001 ppm. The average human body (70 kg) contains 0.2 mg of gold with the bone containing .016 ppm and the liver .0004 ppm.
It is 75th in order of abundance of the elements in the crust of the Earth.It occurs mostly in the native state, remaining chemically uncombined except with tellurium, selenium, and possibly bismuth. The element's only naturally occurring isotope is gold-197. Two types of deposits containing significant amounts of gold are known: hydrothermal veins, where it is associated with quartz and pyrite (fool's gold); and placer deposits, both consolidated and unconsolidated, that are derived from the weathering of gold-bearing rocks.
The origin of enriched veins is not fully known, but it is believed that the gold was carried up from great depths with other minerals, at least in partial solid solution, and later precipitated. The gold in rocks usually occurs as invisible disseminated grains, more rarely as flakes large enough to be seen, and even more rarely as masses or veinlets. Crystals about 2.5 cm (1 inch) or more across have been found in California. Masses, some on the order of 90 kg (200 pounds), have been reported from Australia.
Gold occurs mostly in the native state, remaining chemically uncombined except with tellurium, selenium, and possibly bismuth. Gold is almost always associated with varying amounts of silver; the naturally occurring gold-silver alloy is called electrum. Gold often occurs in association with copper and lead deposits, and, though the quantity present is often extremely small, it is readily recovered as a by-product in the refining of those base metals. Large masses of gold-bearing rock rich enough to be called ores are unusual. Gold also occurs in seawater to the extent of 5 to 250 parts by weight to 100 million parts of water. Although the quantity of gold present in seawater is more than 9 billion metric tons, the cost of recovering the gold would be far greater than the value of the gold that could thus be recovered.

Gold is found in nature in quartz veins and secondary alluvial deposits as a free metal or in a combined state. It is widely distributed although it is rare, being 75th in order of abundance of the elements in the crust of the Earth. It is almost always associated with varying amounts of silver; the naturally occurring gold-silver alloy is called electrum. Gold occurs, in chemical combination with tellurium, in the minerals calaverite and sylvanite along with silver, and in the mineral nagyagite along with lead, antimony, and sulfur. It occurs with mercury as gold amalgam. It is generally present to a small extent in iron pyrites; galena, the lead sulfide ore that usually contains silver, sometimes also contains appreciable amounts of gold. Gold also occurs in seawater to the extent of 5 to 250 parts by weight to 100 million parts of water. Although the quantity of gold present in seawater is more than 9 billion metric tons, the cost of recovering the gold would be far greater than the value of the gold that could thus be recovered.
 The wear resistance is related to its surface hardness and age as well as to the actual metal. The annealed hardness of 9 & 18 kt golds are similar. 18, 14, 9 kt golds are considerably harder than 22 or 24 kt golds. Annealing softens them, and working (bending, twisting) tends to work harden metals (this explains why forged steel is much stronger than cast steel for the same alloy content).

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