Gold

How to Test for Fake Gold and Silver

Published

10 years ago

September 9, 2014

Jeff Desjardins

How to Test for Fake Gold or Silver

Many precious metals investors like the idea of physical bullion because, unlike paper money, it is difficult to counterfeit. That said, when there is a will, there is a way. In recent years, there have been extremely concerning cases of gold counterfeit, and investors that are not fully prepared can get duped.

That’s why we worked with our friends at Silver.com to put together this handy infographic list of ways to test for fake gold or silver.

Some pointers that we think are particularly important:

Always buy from a reputable merchant. If you buy directly from something like Craigslist or Ebay, there are no guarantees that your product is authentic.
Mints are starting to fight back as well – some newer products have additional security features to prevent counterfeiting.
Know and understand how the different tests for fake bullion work, and use them to verify that your gold or silver is real.

Here’s also a video version:

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Gold

Gold vs. S&P 500: Which Has Grown More Over Five Years?

The price of gold has set record highs in 2024, but how has this precious metal performed relative to the S&P 500?

Published

4 weeks ago

April 16, 2024

Marcus Lu

Gold vs. S&P 500: Which Has Grown More Over Five Years?

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on Apple or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Gold is considered a unique asset due to its enduring value, historical significance, and application in various technologies like computers, spacecraft, and communications equipment.

Commonly regarded as a “safe haven asset”, gold is something investors typically buy to protect themselves during periods of global uncertainty and economic decline.

It is for this reason that gold has performed rather strongly in recent years, and especially in 2024. Persistent inflation combined with multiple wars has driven up demand for gold, helping it set a new all-time high of over $2,400 per ounce.

To put this into perspective, we visualized the performance of gold alongside the S&P 500. See the table below for performance figures as of April 12, 2024.

Asset/Index	1 Yr (%)	5 Yr (%)
🏆 Gold	+16.35	+81.65
💼 S&P 500	+25.21	+76.22

Over the five-year period, gold has climbed an impressive 81.65%, outpacing even the S&P 500.

Get Your Gold at Costco

Perhaps a sign of how high the demand for gold is becoming, wholesale giant Costco is reportedly selling up to $200 million worth of gold bars every month in the United States. The year prior, sales only amounted to $100 million per quarter.

Consumers aren’t the only ones buying gold, either. Central banks around the world have been accumulating gold in very large quantities, likely as a hedge against inflation.

According to the World Gold Council, these institutions bought 1,136 metric tons in 2022, marking the highest level since 1950. Figures for 2023 came in at 1,037 metric tons.