Which gold investments performed best in 2022? And which are likely to be the most profitable in the year ahead? 

Let’s explore and find some answers to those questions. 

. . . But They Still Won’t Make You Any Money

We are going to start today’s post with a quiz. So get ready to test your knowledge about gold and gold scrap.

The value of a gold watch is determined by two factors . . .

1. The collectible value of the watch, which is determined by the prestige of the company that made it.

2. The metallic value of the watch’s case.

In today’s post, we’ll look at each of these factors.

With the holidays coming soon, are you hoping to receive a spanking-new digital camera as a gift? Or have you decided that the camera that is in your smartphone has gotten so powerful that you no longer need to own a digital camera?

In either case, the result is probably the same . . .

One of the Most Amazing Metal Detector Finds in History Reminds Us of the Value to be Found in Gold Wedding Rings

There are metal detector finds . . . and then there are metal detector FINDS that go down in history.

One of those extraordinary finds happened in 2019 when a man got a new metal detector and, on his second outing with it, found a gold wedding ring by a path. What makes this ring so extraordinary? According to a story reported in CNN:

Question: When is a precious metal not a precious metal?

Answer: When it’s titanium.

Why isn’t titanium a precious metal? After all, it has come very unusual properties . . .

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you already know that we believe that gold scrap is one of the smartest investments you can make, for this reason . . .

You can invest in gold scrap at advantageous prices (in other words, you can buy it for prices that are lower than the current trading price), then you can conveniently have us process it for you, then you will promptly get paid for your gold at current trading prices.

That explains why many smart investors are actively investing in gold scrap today – and making a lot of money doing it.

Churchyards and cemeteries are good places to find coins, jewelry, and other items that people have lost over the years. But do you have permission to search for them? be sure to ask before you take your metal detector out of its carrying case and start hunting in those locations.

Thanksgiving is a holiday when people suddenly rediscover a lot of half-forgotten items that are made of sterling silver. You could pull out those items, give them a quick look, and then stick them back in cupboards until next year, but you could also set them aside and recycle them. So keep your eyes open and be on the lookout for silver items that you can recycle. The more items you can set aside the more money you can net from recycling them to reclaim the silver they contain.

If you search for “class rings” on eBay, you are going to find a lot of them for sale. There are old high school rings and old college rings. And if you visit a junk shop, an antique store or even a pawnshop, chances are you will find class rings for sale in them too. Why? There are a lot of reasons. Sometimes when people need cash, an old school ring is the first thing they think of selling. And then there is the unfortunate fact that when people pass away, their heirs often end up with the deceased person’s valuables, which often include a class ring or two.

“Global Precious Metal Market to Grow at a CAGR of 8.1%, during Forecast Period,” a report that BlueWeave Consulting published on September 6, 2022, makes some very encouraging observations about the strength of the market for precious metals.

Here's what the report has to say about coming growth in the Compound Aggregate Growth Rate (CAGR) for precious metals:

What are the best places to look for precious metals you can recycle for the highest return?

In answer to that question, most precious metal investors think first of gold and gold-plated jewelry, of scrap from industries that use gold and platinum in the products they make, and of hard-to-collect aerospace scrap.

It’s easy to junk a car. You call a local company that runs ads that say, “We buy cars” and they come and tow your car away.

Yes, that’s easy. But if you dispose of your old car that way, chances are good you will be giving away gold, silver and other valuable materials that can be worth $100.00 or more. So . . . pull them out before you junk that car and talk to us about recycling them.

If you are cleaning out a house, don’t make the mistake of tossing items that contain gold, silver, or other valuable metals. Here’s a checklist of the places you should be sure to look.

While we were working online just the other day, an ad popped up urging us to buy a collectible U.S. coin from a company that was not affiliated with the U.S. Government. A few days later when we were watching TV, a similar ad appeared, also pitching collectible coins that were supposed to increase dramatically in value.

We are not accusing the companies that were behind those products of outright dishonesty. In our country, after all, any company is free to manufacture and sell any products it likes, provided the organization is not engaging in outright fraud. In the end, it is up to the buyer to beware and make an intelligent decision about whether to buy what is being offered.

Canada is the fifth largest producer of mined gold in the world, following behind China, Russia, Australia, and the United States. A trip to Canada to look for gold in streams could be a good idea or, at the very least, a profitable and fun adventure.

Here’s some information that will add to your adventure and possibly your profits too.

When you consider making any kind of investment, you need to balance several important considerations. You might not realize you are balancing these factors, but you are.

Potential ROI (Return on Investment) – If you invest in something that offers high potential ROI, there is a chance that you can double, triple the money you invested, or maybe do even better. If you are investing in something that promises a lower potential ROI, you are willing to accept a lower potential profit from the money you invested.

When you are making any investment – in gold, silver, platinum, or anything else – will you be able to sell it? And will you be able to sell it for the most money possible?

Your ability to sell an investment and to sell it for a good price are defined as liquidity.

Here are two stories that show that liquidity is a more critical consideration than you might realize.

Don’t Forget to Check Out Pawn Shops!

On this blog, we have often advised our readers to go hunting for jewelry and precious metal scrap at factories, in jewelry stores, and at estate sales. Today, we would like to discuss another source that might not be on your radar . . .

Here at Specialty Metals, we are big fans of precious metals. Why? Because we have had the privilege of helping customers realize remarkable profits by reclaiming gold, silver, and platinum from precious metal scrap of all kinds.

Yes, we are enthusiastic about investing in precious metals. But our enthusiasm stops short when we hear from clients who have gotten carried away and bought precious metal items and scrap that they shouldn’t have.

Here are some categories of precious metal items that are unwise investments because they promise very little, if any, return on the dollars invested.