Start the process by getting an estimate for your payout.

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.

All investors should understand how the value of their holdings is determined. Most marketplace trading depends upon what’s known as the spot price, especially when it comes to liquid assets like precious metals.

The spot price is the present marketplace trade value of an asset, such as a commodity or security. Even though spot prices are defined by time and place, when it comes to exchange rates, they are typically uniform around the globe.

Bullion traders should read on to learn more about precious metal spot prices and ensure they get the best return on investments.

Key Precious Metal Markets

There are two key markets that help to determine the spot prices of precious metals. Let’s go over these markets and how they impact a “fair” price when it comes to a return on gold and silver.

The Over-the-Counter (OTC) Market

The OTC market is made up of a network of independent traders working privately in pairs 24 hours a day. Each deal is made over the phone or via a dealer’s proprietary trading software.

While typically used for professional trading companies making large deals, OTC trading is also done on a much smaller scale, such as when you buy a bullion coin or bar from a dealer.

This can make pinning down the OTC spot price difficult, which means many precious metal dealers use Bloomberg, Reuters, or the London Fixing to indicate current pricing trends.

In comparison, the spot price of gold, silver, and other precious metals tends to be much easier to pinpoint on a public exchange like the futures markets.

The Futures Exchanges

Futures markets are regulated public exchanges where the price of precious metals is traded at various future dates. The biggest and most prominent is the Commodity Exchange (COMEX).

Much of the time, future prices of precious metals are quoted as the spot price of physical gold. However, this technique isn’t the most accurate gauge of gold or silver prices, as it’s simply where assets could settle in the future.

Although technically inaccurate, many countries base their price of the prompt delivery of precious metals on local futures markets. This means that for retail consumers, the futures price of gold or silver effectively is the spot price.

Precious Metal Spot Price Factors

It’s essential to note that there’s a link between futures prices and spot prices. Due to that association, arbitrage traders work to keep both price types in alignment by watching over a variety of precious metal spot price factors.

• OTC and futures markets are wholesale, which means unlike retail customers, they trade in large quantities. This can impact spot prices during smaller private deals.
• When the precious metals market is moving quickly, dealers might not be able to take the Bloomberg or Reuters price into account, due to bullion banks being unable to update their prices fast enough.
• Both futures and OTC trading comes with general costs, such as dealer salaries and trade settling. Futures trading also incurs dealer brokerage fees.

How individual dealers manage these factors is by adding a margin to the futures or spot prices as they’re quoted. The size of that buffer will vary based on the volatility of the wholesale price and how buying or selling is being done by their clients.

How to Determine “Fair” Spot Prices

The result of the above precious metal spot price factors is an ever-changing price quote from dealers. So, how can you determine a fair price?

Your best bet is to follow the same practice the professionals use themselves, and shop around to see who’s offering the top price when you’re looking to liquidate.

If you plan to find the greatest return on your precious metal investments yourself, you should make sure to keep an eye on Bloomberg, Reuters, and COMEX for spot price updates.

You might also consider getting a hand from a family-owned company that’s been around for almost 40 years. At Manhattan Gold & Silver, we’re happy to show you how to sell your gold and get the biggest return on your investment.

The post What Affects the Spot Prices of Precious Metals? 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.

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.

In this infographic, we’ll help you to understand whether gold or diamonds are more valuable not only in terms of how much they cost but also in terms of their rarity.

The post Which Is More Valuable: Gold or Diamond? appeared first on Manhattan Gold & Silver.

If you’re thinking of investing in or selling rhodium, here is an analysis of rhodium and its role in the world economy to help you understand the factors driving up its value as well as some predictions for the future.

Factor #1: Chinese Auto Demand

As the world’s largest market, Chinese economic growth continues to gather strength in 2020. Their auto demand coupled with tightening emissions standards is driving the need for rhodium, which is a key element in the production of catalytic converters that reduce pollutants and toxic gases in exhaust gas.

Factor #2: Rhodium Supply Stoppages

Chinese growth is driving a commodity boom for rhodium. Stoppages at Anglo American Platinum (amplats) have slashed the supply of rhodium by 16% in 2020, according to Reuters. The COVID-19 pandemic will only continue to tighten the market as outbreaks trigger lockdowns in South Africa, the top producer of rhodium. Additional issues such as a lack of reliable energy-generating infrastructure and months-long strikes in South Africa also seriously affect production, so it is important to keep an eye on production there. While rhodium’s price could continue to rise in the near future, its significant premium to palladium and platinum could eventually impact prices and demand.

Rhodium Predictions

Although rhodium is currently experiencing growth, it is important to remember that its prices are historically volatile. As such, miners will still be hesitant to ramp up production for rhodium when its value suddenly changes. Without new production, the supply shortage for rhodium is likely to continue for at least 3 to 4 more years.

It is also predicted the value of rhodium will eventually decline as combustion engines are replaced by batteries to power vehicles, but it is expected for this happen many years into the future.

In Summary

Rhodium is currently experiencing tremendous growth, but it is important to be well-informed about the factors driving its value before deciding to invest in or sell rhodium. Historically, rhodium has been a volatile precious metal to invest in, so do your research on sectors driving its value to see where it might be headed in the future.

The post Why The Price Of Rhodium Is Rocketing To Record Highs In 2021 appeared first on Manhattan Gold & Silver.

This final part of our guide focuses on 4 precious metal investment mistakes you should try to avoid.

Mistake #1: Unrealistic Expectations

A big mistake you can make as a precious metal investor is being impatient and chasing prices in hopes of hitting the big time. Many investors who behave like this invest in precious metals as a “get rich quick” scheme, when it is actually a long-term proposition. They also usually believe that metal prices can only increase in value and that investing success is a given.

You should take the time to consider your investment goals and how you might achieve them over the course of years, not a matter of weeks or even months. If you expect immediate results, you might become like some investors who jump from investment to investment. This often results in them selling off their metals to invest in the “next big thing,” have it fail, and then end up buying precious metals back at significantly higher prices. By setting the right expectations and having a long-term plan, you can avoid this mistake from the moment you invest.

Mistake #2: Assuming ETFs and Physical Metals Are the Same

An error you could potentially make is assuming that investing in ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) and physical metals are the same. If you think that owning an ETF share is the same as owning physical metals, you’ll be very disappointed should there come the time you want to withdraw your shares in the form of physical precious metals.

For example, as the owner of a gold ETF, you essentially only own a piece of paper (a promissory note) showing how many shares of the fund you own. However, you don’t actually own physical gold. The ETF you’ve invested in owns the gold, and you own a promise from the fund managers to pay back the values of the shares you purchased.

Major restrictions exist if you wish to redeem your shares for a physical precious metals like gold or silver. First, you must get special permission from the trustee of your ETF. Usually, only brokers and major institutional players receive this permission. Second, you can only redeem shares in batches of 100,000, which is roughly equal to $13 million today. Third, the ETF has the right to settle requests for metals in cash rather than the physical metal. This means even if you owned 100,000 shares and got the permission to redeem them, the ETF still might not give you physical bullion.

Mistake #3: Falling for Confiscation Scare Tactics

This is a mistake that could lead to you buying precious metals at a higher price for no reason. Many investors fall prey to scheming firms that bait them into buying antique coins for fear their gold or silver will be confiscated. Telemarketers often tell investors that old U.S. gold coins are not subject to confiscation, implying that modern gold bullion coins are. The truth is that no Treasury department regulation or federal law supports these claims. If you fall for this ruse, you could end up buying antique coins at marked up prices when you could have bought newer coins for the same price while still avoiding confiscation.

Note that this scheme is only one of the many that exist for precious metal investments. Regardless of how you decide to invest your money, research your field well to avoid falling for scams.

Mistake #4: Going All In

As an inexperienced investor, you could decide to invest all or a significant portion of your savings into precious metal investments. Big mistake! You should never invest all or a significant amount of your assets into any single investment. Instead, you should find out how much you can afford to invest and what your financial goals are. Before investing, you should follow the following steps:

1. If you have significant debt, you should first work to pay it off and secure three to six months of living expenses in savings.

2. Allocate a portion of your income to your portfolio regularly. This method of investment is called “dollar cost-averaging” and it works whether you are buying stocks, mutual funds, bonds, precious metals or any other investment. It’s recommended you speak with a qualified financial advisor to set up a budget and determine how much of your future income you should invest.

Planning Your Investment

Investing should always be a calculated process. If you do your research and create a realistic plan and budget, you can avoid many of the mistakes listed above. Failure to research and plan can lead to impulsive, misinformed investments and leave you vulnerable to scams from those looking to prey on investors.

If you’re interested in starting a physical precious metals investment, consider buying gold bars from a refinery like Manhattan Gold & Silver. Always make sure to take into account your financial goals and budget before making any investment. Make certain you are buying precious metals at a reasonable price and purchase secure storage for them.

The post A Guide to Precious Metal Investment: Part 3 – 4 Mistakes to Avoid appeared first on Manhattan Gold & Silver.

Investors are generally split on whether or not to invest their funds into precious metals. Some investors do not trust the global economic system and their portfolio is almost entirely made up of precious metals. Others believe that no portfolio should have gold or silver allocated.

To help you decide, we created a guide with advice on ways to invest in precious metals, including some of the pros and cons. This guide focuses on physical precious metal investment, although we will cover other types, of investment, such as exchange traded funds (ETFs), later on in our series.

Pros:

Overall, metals such as gold or silver hold wealth effectively in the long-term, although they can get very volatile. Some additional benefits are:

• No credit risk.
• They maintain their global purchasing power over a long period of time through currency devaluation or inflation.
• Precious metals do not correlate tightly to bonds, stocks or real estate.

Cons:

• Commodities like precious metals produce no cash flow and their value can change unpredictably.
• Transaction costs are associated with precious metal investment:

1. If you buy physical gold, the company in the middle makes a profit. They buy it at wholesale price, convert it into investment-grade gold, and sell it at retail price.
2. Shipping, security and storage costs exist along with the risk of theft or loss.

Making the Choice to Invest

It’s easy to make the case for or against investing in precious metals. However, case studies do exist proving investing in a precious metal could help you through a financial crisis. For example, during Greece’s economic crisis, bank withdrawals were limited to 60 euros a day. Greeks would have to wait long lines to withdraw petty amounts of cash. In cases like this, having some gold stowed away can be incredibly helpful.

One notable advocate of gold investment is Kevin O’ Leary, a successful Canadian businessman best known for his appearances on Shark Tank. O’ Leary invests 5 percent of his portfolio in gold bullion and ETFs. When gold increases in price significantly, he sells some. When gold diminishes in value, he buys some more.

If you do wish to invest, you can buy physical gold bars from a refinery like Manhattan Gold & Silver. Regardless of the provider you choose, make certain you are buying your precious metals at a reasonable price and purchase secure storage for it.

In Part 2 of this series, we will look at holding methods for precious metals.

The post A Guide to Precious Metal Investment: Part 1 – Pros & Cons of Investing appeared first on Manhattan Gold & Silver.

Refining Materials Containing Precious Metals

There are various materials from industrial processes that can be refined for precious metals. These items include:

• Platinum Wire
• Industrial X-Ray Film
• Platinum Sputter Targets
• Mining Concentrates & Ores (Please Note: MGS does not accept any amounts of Ore)
• Thermocouple Wire
• Catalytic Converters
• Precious Metal Bearing Filters
• Antimicrobial Dressings
• Silver Oxide Batteries
• Alloy Wire
• Solar Panels
• Platinum Group Metal

Platinum is one of the most popular in industrial applications because of its hardness, electrical conductivity and high resistance to chemical corrosion and heat.

Refining Precious Metal from Unused Soldering Supplies

Soldering supplies may be a source of recyclable precious metal. In some cases, however, solder is made from lead rather than precious metals. If your soldering supplies do not contain gold or silver, you won’t be able to profitably recycle them.

Precious metals, for example, can be found in unused soldering wire from the manufacturing of gold or silver jewelry. The amount of silver or gold contained in the wire varies, however, so it needs to be tested.

Another example is unused silver sheet from companies that manufacture jewelry, plates and tableware. The silver sheet contains valuable silver.

Refining Mixed Scrap from Machine Shops

Some machine shops discard precious metals without even knowing it. Scattered metal materials from welding may contain silver or platinum scrap, depending on the metals being bonded. The bits of molten metal that drop to the floor and cool as powder can be collected with a magnetic sweeper. Always verify if your scrap contains precious metals before discarding it.

If your scrap does have precious metals, you can send it to a precious metal refinery, like Manhattan Gold & Silver. Be sure to use a facility that can handle the high melt point of platinum. At more than 3214.9 degrees Fahrenheit, it has the highest melting point of all the precious metals.

The post Getting the Most Value from Your Industrial Precious Metal Scrap appeared first on Manhattan Gold & Silver.

Jewelry experts think of palladium as an alternative to gold or platinum. Its uses, however, are far more diverse. The most common industrial use for palladium is in catalytic converters for cars. Catalytic converters contain catalysts that convert toxic substances in engine exhaust into inert or less toxic substances. This, in turn, produces a cleaner exhaust that conforms to EPA standards.

You can see why palladium’s catalytic properties make it so invaluable to the automotive industry. According to a report from the New York Times, more than 80 percent of palladium is used for catalytic converters.

But that’s not the only thing that makes this metal so valuable.

What Is Palladium?

Palladium is a silvery-white metal that is mined in parts of Russia, South Africa, Canada and the United States. Its extraction is actually an offshoot of the production of other metals, like platinum or nickel.

Palladium is one of six elements in the platinum group metals (PGMs), along with platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, osmium and iridium. These PGMs are valued for their catalytic properties, or being able to speed up chemical reactions.

According to U.S. Geological Survey, most PMGs are found in ore deposits formed by the cooling of magma. All six PMGs combined make up only 0.0005 parts per million of Earth’s crust.

Palladium’s Characteristics

We already know about palladium’s excellent catalytic properties. But what are some of the transitional metal’s other characteristics?

It’s bendy. Like gold, palladium is malleable and ductile and can be beaten into a thin leaf.

It’s high-temperature-resistant. Palladium has the lowest melting point of all the PMGs. It melts at 2,831 degrees Fahrenheit. The melting point of gold, by comparison, is 1,948 degrees Fahrenheit.

It’s super absorbent. Palladium can absorb up to 900 times its own volume of hydrogen. Because of this ability, palladium is used to store and filter hydrogen.

Palladium’s Other Applications

While the majority of palladium ends up in cars’ exhaust systems, it is also used in jewelry, electronics and dentistry.

Because of its naturally white color, palladium is often used as an alternative to platinum for making white gold jewelry. It’s also much lighter than platinum, and more malleable, like gold, and won’t cause allergic reactions.

Another application for palladium is in electronics in the production of ceramic capacitors found in laptops and smartphones. Ceramic capacitors consist of layers of palladium inserted between layers of ceramic.

Palladium has been used in the dental industry since the late 1970s. Palladium is tarnish and corrosion resistant, which makes it suitable for dental crown and bridge alloys. Palladium is even used in certain kinds of dental amalgams to increase durability and improve the luster of the restoration work.

The increasing demand for palladium has made it one of the most valuable of the four major precious metals: gold, silver and platinum. That’s because the amount of palladium produced is expected to fall short of demand in 2019–for an eighth year in a row.

Create Your Own Palladium Chart

Our monthly palladium price chart is updated twice daily with prices based on market fixings published by the London Platinum and Palladium Market (LPPM). Use our palladium chart to see current and historical palladium prices or to create your own chart.

The post What Makes Palladium So Valuable? appeared first on Manhattan Gold & Silver.