There is a long history of humans using gold and silver as demonstrations of wealth and glory. I would not go so far as to call it omnipresent in all cultures (since this is far from the case), but in most of the ancient civilizations that we know well and continue to admire, it played at least some sort of role.
Whether precious metals were used to create coins or other currency or jewelry worn, they had a definitive purpose. Even beyond that, think about how many wars have been fought over these metals. The amount of bloodshed is almost unthinkable, really, and all for a commodity.
Despite this somewhat turbulent past, they still tend to retain a high amount of value. This is for a variety of reasons, some of which I will be discussing today. For those of you out there who have been considering this sort of asset for your portfolio, this article should cover most of your bases, so keep reading!
What Makes a Metal “Precious,” anyway?
This is a question that I hear a lot, and I must admit, I wondered the same thing for a long time. It seems a bit odd to section off a specific group of ores and determine them more valuable than the other ones. However, it all circles back to the periodic table of elements and the properties of these specific ones.
For those curious, there are seven metals that fall into this category. Interestingly, though, we tend to only hear of four of them. This is because the three others fall into one “group.” Those are ruthenium, osmium, rhodium, and platinum, which are all denoted by the latter. This grouping makes it a bit easier to discuss them, considering there are very few distinguishing factors between them.
The other three are palladium (which is arguably a part of that platinum group, but still gets listed separately by most experts, as you can see here: https://sciencenotes.org/precious-metals-list-and-value/), gold, and silver. Most likely, you have heard of the latter two far more than the others. This is because of their general popularity in creating currency and jewelry.
Overall Rarity
Now, this point may not come as a surprise to you, but one of the qualifications for being “precious” is the rarity in terms of natural occurrence in the earth’s crust. While silver is not as rare as the others that I have listed, it has not lost its status. It is possible to lose it, though, considering that aluminum used to fall under this umbrella.
Obviously, it does not anymore. How did that happen, though? It comes down to the process in which we mine these metals as well, though, in all honesty, that is not something that I expected to factor into it until I began to do my own research. Did you know that aluminum used to be very difficult to extract? Well, it is not anymore, and so it eventually lost its status as being “precious” because it is no longer very rare.
How Valuable it is
Admittedly, this is also fairly obvious, but I do think it is good to touch upon anyway. In terms of market value, looking at Goldco reviews can offer some interesting perspectives from a fellow investor’s standpoint. To some extent, the value will depend on its overall rarity, so these two aspects play hand in hand.
However, the ways that humans can use them also make a significant difference. Platinum and palladium, for instance, have a lot of uses in industry. In particular, a lot of car manufacturers use them for exhaust pipes since they help to keep emissions less toxic. That, coupled with their rarity, makes them a valuable asset to invest in.
Gold and silver are more commonly still used in creating coins and jewelry, as I have mentioned. However, they are also utilized for a lot of electronics. The motherboards of most smartphones and laptops have silver or gold inside of them since they are both conductive elements. So, that certainly adds to the overall value.
Chemical Properties and Composition
This is the last factor I will discuss today in regard to what makes these elements “precious” versus the multitudinous other metals on the periodic table. It probably should not surprise you, if you caught the last part of what makes silver and gold special above. Much of it comes down to their chemical properties.
A lot of them are quite durable while still remaning malleable, which is not overly common in terms of naturally occuring elements. They are also quite conductive and their luster makes for beautiful items when fashioned out of them. If this seems foreign to you, though, do not worry. You can look at this post to understand a bit more of what I am referring to: https://www.instructables.com/Understanding-the-Periodic-Table-of-Elements/.
Why Invest, then?
Much of this is due to the points that I referenced above. They are rare, valuable, and have special properties. Throughout history, we have thus utilized them for many purposes. This has not stopped. Rather, our own levels of innovation have only grown in the meantime.
That is a part of why so many investors are turning their attention back to this classic type of commodity. Inflation levels are rising all across the globe, and a lot of paper currencies are simply losing value as a result of this. A counter to this is stocking up on an asset that is not impacted.
Gold is the traditional selection, but if you can go for platinum or palladium, those are not bad choices either. They do tend to be more expensive, so it will be up to you and your own personal preference there.
How to Get Started
I find that this is one of the most troublesome parts of the process. While there are many guides on the internet, not a lot of them are overly comprehensive. The first thing that you should probably do is decide who you want to purchase your bullion from.
How can we narrow it down, though? There are a ton of different brokers both in regular storefronts and online. While the former might seem more trustworthy, do not knock the latter until you start to explore the options further. One thing that could help is reading some reviews, as I mentioned above as well. I find that getting some testimonials from other investors like me can be helpful.
In addition to that, you can always talk to their sales representatives or customer service providers to discuss your options. They can help walk you through the overall process, especially if you are uncertain about what to select.
So, if you have felt lost or confused about this, it might be helpful to talk to them. I hope that this article has also offered you some worthwhile introspective on this. It can certainly be intimidating, that is for sure. However, when we are given the tools to inform ourselves, typically it goes a little smoother.
Just keep in mind that the value is dependent on those factors that I mentioned earlier, so watch out for that when you make your selection on what bullion you want.
