Gold guides

How the gold spot price is formed in London, New York and Shanghai, why it differs from the price in a shop, and how bid, ask and premiums work.

What karats mean, how to read hallmarks like 750 or 916, which karat is best for jewelry or investment, and how karat changes price.

How much a troy ounce, tola, tael, baht, chi, mithqal or pennyweight weighs in grams, where each unit is used, and how to convert gold prices between them.

How zakat on gold and silver works: the 85 g and 595 g nisab, the 2.5% rate, the lunar year, how to value jewelry by karat, and where the schools of thought differ.

Plain-English definitions of the words used in the gold market — from alloy, assay and bid to spot price, tola, troy ounce, vermeil and zakat.

What white, yellow and rose gold are made of, whether one is worth more, durability, allergies, rhodium plating and resale value — explained simply.

How much real gold is in plated, gold-filled, vermeil and solid gold jewelry, how to recognise each by its stamp, how long they last and what they are worth when you sell.

A safe, simple method to clean gold rings, chains and earrings at home, what never to use, special care for white gold, plated pieces and gemstones, and how to store gold so it stays bright.

What a troy ounce is, why gold is priced in it, how it differs from a regular ounce, exact conversions to grams, pennyweights and grains, and what one troy ounce of gold is worth today.

Interest rates, the US dollar, central-bank buying, inflation, geopolitics, ETF flows, jewelry demand and supply — how each one moves the gold price, and why your local price can differ.

What the gold-silver ratio measures, its historical range from about 15 to above 120, why it moves, and how some investors use it to switch between metals.

Published gold price forecasts from Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, UBS, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America and RBC, the bull and bear cases, and how to use forecasts without being misled.

Gold and silver compared side by side: price swings, demand, storage, premiums and taxes, the gold/silver ratio today, and how to decide which metal — or what mix — suits you.

Weigh it, read the hallmark, remove the stones and multiply by today’s price: how to work out the gold value of a ring or chain, and why a shop’s price is higher.

Bars, coins, jewelry, ETFs and mining shares compared: costs, premiums, storage, taxes and how to choose a trustworthy dealer when you buy gold for the first time.

Live gold value of the most popular bullion coins — Gold Eagle, Buffalo, Maple Leaf, Krugerrand, Philharmonic, Britannia, Sovereign, Centenario and Libertad — plus premiums and how to buy or sell them.

What every common gold bar size is worth at today’s spot price, typical premiums from 1 gram to 1 kilo, minted vs cast bars, trusted refiners and how to store and sell bars.

How a gold IRA works in plain English: which coins and bars the IRS allows, why you cannot keep the metal at home, the 2026 contribution limits, typical fees, rollovers, scams to avoid and cheaper alternatives.

Know your melt value, sort by karat, compare at least three quotes per gram and avoid common tricks. Where to sell gold jewelry, coins and scrap — and what each type of buyer pays.

Hallmarks, magnet, ceramic streak, density, acid, electronic and XRF tests explained: what each can and cannot detect, and how to check gold coins and bars.

The live value of 14K gold per gram, pennyweight, ounce and tola, what typical 14K chains, rings and earrings are worth, and how much a buyer will really pay.