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Gold prices have been on a tear in recent months, with the precious metal reaching new all-time highs amid economic and geopolitical uncertainty. The price of gold has surged by over 10% this year, with investors piling into safe-haven assets as global risks continue to mount. In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at the factors driving the rally in gold prices and what it could mean for investors

Economic Factors and Geopolitical Risk Fuel Gold Rally

The federal reserve has increased interest rates to the highest levels in many years during 2023. The recent increase in gold price is related to geopolitical un-certainty created due to the Israeli Middle East War, anticipation that the Federal Reserve Bank has reached the top of the current rate hiking cycle and a recent selloff in value of the USD relative to a basket of G7 currencies.

In addition, the US government has been adding $1trillion to the deficit every 100 days. This is the fastest rate of expansion of United States government debt levels ever. The government is spending ~$870billion per year in interest payments to sustain these enormous debt levels.  Inflationary forces are still driving prices higher for businesses and citizens.  All these factors are helping gold prices rise.

Gold’s unique feature as a store of value and protection against USD currency debasement is beginning to shine.

Expectations of the first interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve Bank have been pushed out to the middle 2024. Recent inflation measures have remained somewhat elevated and not falling as quickly as they expected.

Within the investment community expectations of the first interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve Bank have been moved up to earlier in the year to March 2024 from June 2024 with 80% probability by various investment bank research departments.  This is due to recent inflation measures seen to be improving further confirm the interest rate hikes have been effective in cooling inflation.

How Can I Take Advantage of Record Gold Prices?

The post Gold Prices Reach New Heights appeared first on Manhattan Gold & Silver.

Muruntau Mine

Location: Qizilqum Desert, Uzbekistan

Estimated Annual Production: 2 million ounces

The Muruntau gold mine is currently the largest open-pit gold mine in the world, measuring a whopping 3.5 by 2.5km on the surface and extending as far as 600m deep.

Not only is the mine itself the largest, but it is also believed to sit on top of the world’s most vast gold deposit. Scientists believe this location has so much gold due to a “perfect storm” of geological events that occurred over millions of years. These events included fluctuations in fault lines, the rise of mountains, and even the demise of an ocean that once existed in what’s now the Qizilqum desert. The mine is currently estimated to yield roughly 2 million of ounces of gold per year.

Carlin Trend

Location: Nevada, United States

Estimated Annual Production: 1.6 million ounces

The Carlin Trend isn’t just one gold mine, but rather a string of both open-pit and underground mines that extend along a stretch of Nevada’s landscape roughly 60km long and 8km wide. Gold was first discovered here in the 1870s, but in very small quantities. During the 1960s, the Newmont Mining Corporation discovered a large deposit and significant exploratory and extraction endeavors have since been put in place. At present, the Carlin Trend is the United States’ most lucrative gold mining location with more than 80% of the country’s gold coming from this special stretch of land.

Olimpiada Mine

Location: Severo-Yeniseysky, Russia

Estimated Annual Production: 1.2 million ounces

The Olimpiada Mine located within Russia’s Severo-Yeniseysky district is currently the third-largest gold mine in the world based on production volume. It’s owned and operated by Polyus, Russia’s largest gold producer. The company employs conventional shovel-and-truck open-pit methods to harvest the ore, and then uses proprietary bio-oxidation technology to treat the ore on-site. At present, the location is estimated to contain over 21 million ounces of gold.

Pueblo Viejo

Location: Sánchez Ramírez Province, Dominican Republic

Estimated Annual Production: 903 thousand ounces

This open-pit gold mine in north-central Dominican Republic is the largest gold mine in Latin America. There are two main sources of gold found within oxide deposits on the site, called Monte Negro and Moore, in addition to several smaller deposits. The mine, which is operated as a joint venture between Barrick Gold and Newmont Goldcorp, is currently going through an expansion initiative. It’s believed to sit on top of at least 6.55 million ounces of gold reserves and is expected to produce through 2040.

Grasberg Mine

Location: Papua, Indonesia

Estimated Annual Production: 848 thousand ounces

The Grasberg mine is an interesting operation considering that it not only sits on one of the largest gold reserves in the world, but also one of the largest copper reserves. It’s located in a remote and mountainous area of Central Papua in Indonesia. The discovery of deposits here was somewhat accidental, first observed in 1936 when Dutch geologist Jean Jacques Dozy witnessed a unique rock formation while attempting to scale Puncak Jaya mountain. Given the site’s remote location, significant foreign investment was needed to begin any sort of formal mining operation, and it took decades for the world to act on the site’s potential. Initial mining operations finally began in 1963, with open-pit efforts beginning in 1990. Today, Grasberg now consists of one large open-pit mine and 4 underground mines. It’s estimated that the gold reserves beneath the site are worth around $40 billion.

The post 5 Largest Gold Mines in the World appeared first on Manhattan Gold & Silver.

The study was conducted by physicist Dr. Benjamin Watts and his team at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland.

What is Zwischgold?

Zwischgold is a blend of both silver and gold, formed into a foil that was commonly used as a coating, or gilding material for medieval objects and paintings. It’s not uncommon to find Zwischgold adorning artifacts from the medieval period. The surface layer of gold used on top of the silver base is ultra-thin – more than 2,300 times thinner than a human hair – meaning it would have been cheaper to use than pure gold.

Artisans from this period would have had to be master craftsmen, and more technologically advanced than we previously had thought.

“It is incredible how someone with only hand tools was able to craft such nanoscale material,” says Watts. “Although Zwischgold was frequently used in the Middle Ages, very little was known about this material up to now.”

A Unique Study

This new study has its origins in finding ways to preserve Zwischgold-gilded objects, given how easily the material corrodes after prolonged exposure to oxygen. Researchers used samples from a 15^th-century altar that was likely constructed around 1420, which had been used within a mountain chapel in the Swiss Alps for centuries. The altar features the Virgin Mary, holding baby Jesus in her arms. Samples, supplied by the Basel Historical Museum, were taken from Mary’s robe.

The team then leveraged a new 3D diffractive imaging technique called ptychographic X-ray computed tomography (PXCT). The scan helped to further reveal the chemical composition of Zwischgold without compromising its structure in the process.

The imaging allowed the research team to observe the degree of adhesion, the thickness of both the gold and silver layers, and how evenly distributed the thin gold layer was applied to its silver base.

“Many people had assumed that technology in the Middle Ages was not particularly advanced,” notes Qing Wu, a member of Watts’ team and lead author of the research paper. “On the contrary: this was not the Dark Ages, but a period when metallurgy and gilding techniques were incredibly well developed.”

While no documentation has yet been discovered as to how Zwischgold was produced and applied to objects, these new 3D scans give scientists and art historians insight into how it was likely done.

Silver and gold were hammered into foils separately and meticulously, with the gold foil being hammered to a much thinner degree. Once the two metals were hammered out, they would have been combined and worked on in tandem.

“This required special beating tools and pouches with various inserts made of different materials into which the foils were inserted. This was a fairly complicated procedure that required highly skilled specialists,” says Wu.

The results of the PXCT scans will be used to further future studies, and to help conservators understand, preserve, and restore these uniquely gilded objects.

The post Researchers Make New Discoveries About Zwischgold appeared first on Manhattan Gold & Silver.

During animal studies over a 150-day trial, the team discovered that radiation therapy – commonly used for the treatment of brain tumors and other forms of cancer – can be made more effective when used in conjunction with gold nanoparticles.

The new study was led by Raymond Reilly, who is a professor in the Leslie Dan Faculty and one of just a handful of scientists around the world that specialize in radiopharmaceuticals. While gold nanoparticles have been studied for cancer treatment in the past, the University of Toronto researchers have been hard at work to uncover new methods to combat a rare form of cancer that originates in the brain, called glioblastoma multiforme (or GBM).

Until recently, utilizing gold to aid in cancer treatment has been more of an abstract concept. The project was conceptualized by Noor Al-saden, who is one of 10 trainees that are a part of the University of Toronto’s PRiME Fellowship Awards program. The program was started in 2019, and encourages out-of-the-box thinking by bringing scientists and other innovators from a variety of disciplines together to advance the discovery of life saving drugs and treatment techniques. Al-saden’s exciting preliminary findings ultimately yielded a $200,000 seed grant from the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada to further the research under Reilly.

Using Gold to Harness Radiation

The grant appears to have paid off. The scientists found that by injecting radioisotopes directly into animal brain tumors along with gold nanoparticles, they were able to hold the radiation in place within the tumor, improving its effectiveness, reducing toxicity, and preventing its spread to nearby healthy tissue.

“Because it deposits the radiation in such a confined area, it’s very effective at treating the tumor. All the radiation gets deposited right into the tumor, and it treats the tumor,” says Reilly.

Reilly also notes that most modern radiation therapy techniques for brain tumors are deployed externally, which doesn’t offer a very targeted approach, causing a lot of collateral damage to healthy cells.

Putting It All Together

This sort of precision treatment was the result of a true multi-disciplinary approach and collaboration between scientists. Polymer Chemist Mitch Winnick, also a professor at the University of Toronto, attached the radioisotope Luteium-177 to the gold nanoparticles by using a special polymer with a range of metal-binding sites.

The effectiveness of the treatment was measured by Constantine Georgiou, a graduate student within U of T’s pharmaceutical studies department. Georgiou used a combination of single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging to track exactly where the gold nanoparticles were located in the brain, and MRI and bioluminescence imaging to monitor brain tumors over time.

“Without the gold nanoparticle, the radiation leaves the brain tumor, making it non-effective,” says Georgiou.

The results of this initial study are quite promising. Reilly and Georgiou’s team will continue to advance the research, along with pioneering the field of radiation nanomedicine and immunotherapy. Future studies will include attaching additional radioisotopes to gold nanoparticles to see if even more effective methods exist to eradicate cancer cells with this precision technique.

The post New Research Shows Gold as Effective for Cancer Treatment appeared first on Manhattan Gold & Silver.

During the California Gold Rush, pyrite also surfaced, deceiving fortune-seekers into thinking they found the real deal. Hence, pyrite earned its nickname, “fool’s gold,” as it didn’t actually contain any real gold… or so we thought.

After examining a new pyrite specimen, a team of researchers from Australia and China discovered that pyrite actually can contain gold, but only in extremely small amounts. So small, in fact, that the gold bits aren’t even visible to the naked eye. They can only be seen by leveraging an atom probe.

In the past, gold has been found in pyrite only as nanoparticles or pyrite-gold alloy. This new discovery reveals that gold can be hosted in nanoscale crystal defects. As a result, the gold inclusion in pyrite earned a nickname of its very own — “invisible gold.”

The pyrite sample was collected from Jiangnan, China. The Jiangnan orogen (the belt of the earth’s crust) was formed when Yangtze and Cathaysia tectonic plates collided. Deep underground, geologic processes took place that caused the pyrite to develop defects that altered its crystalline exterior. Gold became trapped inside the small dislocations.

Previously, it was thought that pieces of gold in pyrite crystals occurred separately and then attached together. This pyrite sample revealed that the two minerals might actually be able to crystalize at the same time.

Different methods may be explored to separate the gold particles from the pyrite, which are more energy efficient than traditional methods of gold extraction, according to Denis Fougerouse, geologist and lead author of the research article published in Geology.

In the meantime, fool’s gold has fooled us once again.

The post ‘Fool’s Gold’ Might be Worth Slightly More Than We Thought appeared first on Manhattan Gold & Silver.

To determine the exact precious metal content, the gold dental crown would need to be assayed.

This test should be performed by a reputable precious metal refinery (check its Google Business Profile for reviews, as well as Better Business Bureau before you go).

After the exact amount of precious metal content is known, the value is calculated based on the spot price of gold or the other precious metals it may contain.

Precious metal prices are fixed daily by the London Bullion Market Association and the London Platinum and Palladium Market.

When Does a Dental Crown Typically Get Replaced

The best time to sell a gold dental crown is, of course, when it needs to be replaced, based on dentist recommendations.

Generally speaking, dental crowns may last five to 15 years, according to the Cleveland Clinic. However, it depends on the amount of wear and tear.

Some behaviors can shorten the life of a dental crown, including:

• Teeth grinding
• Ice chewing
• Nail biting
• Using your teeth as a tool for opening things

Dental patients may ask to keep their gold dental crown after extraction. Others may not. Individuals or dental offices may choose to bring their extracted gold dental crown into a precious metal refinery to determine its value.

What Is a Gold Dental Crown’s Value?

When teeth get damaged, dentists sometimes recommend a dental crown. It goes onto your tooth like a cap. They’re often used to strengthen a weakened tooth, fix a cracked tooth, or to cover up a root canal, dental implant or discoloration.

Dental crowns can be made of many different materials, including metal (gold, palladium, nickel and chromium), porcelain-fused-to-metal, all-resin, all-ceramic or all-porcelain, and pressed ceramic. Out of all of the compositions, metal dental crowns tend to have the greatest longevity, due to their strength and durability. They can withstand all of the biting and chewing we do to break down food on a daily basis for years.

However, due to their metallic color, they’re not always ideal for visual appearance. For that reason, gold dental crowns are often reserved for out-of-sight molars.

In addition to their durability, gold dental crowns also have another advantage. After extraction, they may still be worth something.

How much exactly?

That depends on the material.

What is a Gold Crown Made From?

Dental crowns often contain some amount of precious metal. Based on the name alone, you may think that gold crowns are made of, well, gold. In actuality, they can be made up of a combination of metals, such as copper mixed with nickel or chromium.

The gold dental crown’s value depends on which precious metal it contains — and how much of it.

As a rough gauge, gold crowns may be worth anywhere from $0 to $100, but it can vary widely depending on the content.

 Other Dental Scrap That May Be Valuable

Gold dental crowns aren’t the only dental scrap that could lead to a payout.

Precious metal refineries, such as Manhattan Gold & Silver, often also purchase the following nonhazardous recyclable waste from dental offices:

• Bridges
• Bridgework
• Casting well material
• Clasps
• Clippings
• Dental crowns
• Dental grindings
• Inlays
• Partials
• Porcelain fused metal

Whatever alloys you use in your dental practice, Manhattan Gold & Silver can quickly assess your dental scrap and provide a no-obligation estimate.

If you opt to move forward, the money earned can be invested right back into your practice.

Who knew selling dental scrap could be such a crowning achievement?

The post How Much Are Dental Crowns Worth? appeared first on Manhattan Gold & Silver.

The Jewelled Koi of 2022 is the fifth addition to the highly collectible bullion coins in the Perth Mint Masterpieces series. It follows the 2018 Jewelled Phoenix, 2019 Jewelled Dragon, 2020 Jewelled Tiger, and 2021 Jewelled Horse.

Originally priced at $262,800 AUD, the Jewelled Koi was released as a limited run of eight coins in March of 2022. It quickly sold out, making it even more rare and desirable to collectors.

2022 Jewelled Koi Coin Specifications

On the reverse side, this proof-quality Perth Mint bullion coin displays two 3D golden fish, the Chinese character for “koi,” and an inscription in English reading “The Jewelled Koi.”

The obverse of the coin features an effigy of Her Majesty Elizabeth II, the weight and fineness, the monetary denomination, and the year 2022.

• Only 8 coins minted worldwide
• Face value of $2,500 (AUD)
• Measures 61 mm (2.4 inches) across
• Contains 10 oz of 99.99% pure gold bullion
• Includes 78 Argyle pink diamonds
• Includes 80 white diamonds
• Includes 4 golden diamonds
• Total diamond weight of 2.52 carats
• Displayed in a luxury cabinet-style case

A Unique Gold Coin Collection Addition

According to the Perth Mint, the koi is widely regarded as good luck for wealth, marriage, and fertility. Koi have been carefully bred for many years to produce “living jewel” fish stock.

The restricted production of the Jewelled Koi coin is significant to those interested in Chinese culture, as eight is viewed as the luckiest number by many in that country.

Collectors should also note that this coin is pavé-set with pink diamonds from the now-depleted Argyle mine in Western Australia’s Kimberley region.

Each coin is housed in a luxury double-door cabinet case, festooned with diamonds and 18k gold accents, truly making the Jewelled Koi a coin enthusiast’s delight.

The post The Jewelled Koi: Pure Gold Coin Makes a Splash appeared first on Manhattan Gold & Silver.

The idea came from British engineer Godfrey Hounsfield, who initially wondered if hidden areas of Egyptian pyramids could be discovered by capturing cosmic rays that pass through empty spaces. The concept is similar to the notion of peeking into a box without actually opening it.

Over time, the idea evolved and Hounsfield ultimately invented a way to see inside a skull to take an image of the brain.

Now, half a century later, CT scans still allow us to capture images of things that would otherwise not be visible from the surface. However, there is one small deficit. Finer details of organisms aren’t always easy to see on CT scans. This makes it difficult for scientists to represent them in a CT analysis.

That all changed recently when scientists coated samples with a thin layer of gold. This process allowed them to digitally capture fine structures like bristles or scales on the body of an organism. As a result, low-contrast structures can be visualized through CT scans.

Using gold for greater visualization isn’t a new process in and of itself. In fact, gold is already used in the process of scanning electron microscopy, which allows researchers to obtain high-resolution images of biological and non-biological specimen.

The traditional process of sample preparation for scanning electron microscopy was coupled with the modern X-ray-based CT scan to make this new application possible.

When the untreated samples were compared with the gold-coated samples, the difference was apparent. The gold made finer details visible that otherwise wouldn’t have been. Additionally, internal anatomical details could still be rebuilt without issue.

The scientists also wanted to show that this approach wasn’t just limited to certain organisms. To prove this, they replicated the process with insects, bird feathers, plants, and spider silk.

This advancement may be utilized in biological science applications, including taxonomy and educational museum projects, reported the EurekAlert!, published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. It may also be used for material science or quality control at manufacturing companies.

The post Gold Improves CT Scan Visualization for Finer Details appeared first on Manhattan Gold & Silver.

Read on to learn about some of the benefits of investing in precious metals.

1. Low Barrier to Entry

Unlike many investment vehicles that require multiple steps, brokerage accounts, or a lot of red tape, investing in precious metals has a relatively low barrier to entry. The easiest way to invest in these metals is to simply purchase the physical assets in the form of coins, bars (bullion) or even jewelry.

While it’s possible to invest in them through ETFs, mutual funds, stock options or by purchasing shares of precious metals mining companies, the quickest and easiest investment option is the old-fashioned way, in physical form. It’s as simple as purchasing from a dealer, individual or online seller.

2. Tangible

In addition to being easy to purchase, what’s better than being able to hold your investment physically in your hands? Unlike stocks and other investments that you’ll never see beyond the computer screen, precious metals are tangible assets that carry real weight. You can hold them in your hand, store them close by, take them with you wherever you go, pass them down to your children and sell them whenever you want. Furthermore, they’re indestructible and won’t be damaged by fire, water or the passing of time.

Owning physical precious metals means their all yours to do with as you please.

3. Diverse

Investing in precious metals is also a great way to diversify your investment portfolio. Holding different types of assets reduces your risk and the potential impact of negative changes to a single type of holding.

Gold in particular, is a non-correlated asset, which means its value isn’t tied directly to changes in the market. For example, equity markets are easily impacted by the state of the economy and current events; and when interest rates increase, bond prices usually decline. Gold, however, tends to hold its value and be less volatile during market turmoil.

4. Safe Haven

This stability during challenging economic times has earned gold it’s designation as a safe-haven investment. It typically retains and even increases in value during times of economic volatility. A diverse portfolio that includes a safe-haven asset like gold is less exposed during long-term market downtowns, making them a great option for investors.

Unlike other investments, precious metals are unaffected by governmental issues and hold their value on a global scale.

5. Highly Liquid

When it comes time to sell, precious metals are yet again a great asset to invest in because they are highly liquid. They can quickly and easily be exchanged for cash, usually without losing substantial value. And because they are a scarce resource with limited supply, there’s always demand for precious metals. This makes them easy to sell when the time comes.

6. Timeless

While there will always be new and more innovative investment assets to come to the market, precious metals will likely always be valuable thanks to their scarcity, widespread use within various industries and their beneficial investment properties.

The post Benefits of Investing in Precious Metals appeared first on Manhattan Gold & Silver.

According to research published earlier this year in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, black holes might have other really cool powers besides bending time and space. They also apparently have optimal energy conditions for creating heavy elements.

The gold could form in what’s known as “accretion disks.” These are basically bands of matter that rapidly revolve around black holes before being sucked in. When astronomers in Germany and Japan ran computer simulations of black holes with large accretion disks, they found that gold and other heavy elements were frequently synthesized.

Until now, scientists have only known the creation of elements like gold and silver to occur in space (theoretically or observed) when stars explode and during other similarly extreme astrophysical events. And even that’s a pretty new confirmed concept; it was only in 2017 when scientists first identified the creation of gold in space, finding it in the remnants after two neutron stars collided.

Scientists are concluding that there’s probably a significant amount of gold in space, and that it may be formed in cosmic ways we haven’t even imagined yet.

Have Gold Here on Earth?

While the prospect of gold in space is exciting, it’s of little practical value right now. But if you have gold scrap or gold items in your possession here on Earth, it has considerable value you can cash in on right away. We offer quick assaying and immediate payments based on the current London market price fixing for precious metals. Learn more about selling us your lot and turn your gold into cash today.

The post Astronomers Find New Source of Gold in Space appeared first on Manhattan Gold & Silver.