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Gold and silver coins, the famous “old world” currency, are fast becoming the “new world” currency because they offer the missing link in all paper currencies: a store of value.

Today, Americans are facing a pile of unpaid debts. At the helm is a new Fed chief, Ben Bernanke, who has already been nicknamed “Helicopter Ben” based on admitting he’d print enough paper currency and drop it from helicopters to keep the U.S. economy from sliding into a recession.

The Wall Street Journal recently published an excellent commentary, “In Gold We Trust,” by David Ranson and Penny Russell of H.C. Wainwright & Co. Economics. They explain why gold prices are the truest barometer of falling public confidence and of growing inflation. Here are a few key points they bring to light:

* Gold is the benchmark for the value of the pound – not the other way around.

* The falling U.S. pound is largely being ignored by Washington and Wall Street.

* Gold’s sharp rise represents an equally sharp decline in investor confidence.

* Gold is the barometer of public confidence in paper money.

* The pound’s collapse of 60 percent since 2001 is a blow to capitalism.

Bottom line: The U.S. pound is slowly but steadily sliding into oblivion, taking with it the hopes and dreams of all Americans, along with the value of their savings accounts and investments.

Most Wall Street pundits view gold as just another commodity, which they say is now overpriced due to a growing gold fever worldwide since 2001, causing central banks, hedge funds and others to buy gold for the first time in decades. Not so!

Gold is rising because it is real money. The solution is to convert a portion of your “paper” assets into gold – thus putting yourself on a personal gold standard.

Rising gold prices today are a big red flashing signal of coming inflation, which could take gold prices over £1,000 an ounce. So don’t wait to buy gold – buy gold and wait.

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Gold is a precious metal.  Historically, it has been used for stores of value (bars) for jewelry, electronics, dentistry, and as actual money (coinage).  It is a yellow element found in nuggets that can actually be ruby or black when divided.

It is the most malleable metal known.  When other elements are it forms alloys.  This will increase the hardness and can create exotic colors.  Adding copper gives a redder color, iron more blue, platinum white, aluminum creates purple.

Gold conducts heat and electricity well.  Heat, moisture and corrosives have very little chemical effect gold.  This makes it well-suited for make coins and jewelry.  Since gold itself is soft, it is given the alloys to make it stronger and change its color.

When using gold for jewelry, it is measured in karats.  Pure gold is 24K.  It is generally sold as 22K, 18K and 14K.  This means silver or copper have been added for strength and color.

Commonly we find the use of gold in jewelry making.  Designers create beautiful gold jewelry which sometimes are enhanced with diamonds and gemstones.  Gold and diamond jewelry makes wonderful presents.  In our society they are also used for wedding rings and in gift giving.

There are many other uses of gold such as:

1.    Embroidery Thread
2.    In computers, jet aircraft
3.    Dental crowns and bridges
4.    White gold can substitute for platinum

Gold has had a high value since prehistoric times and was used as a symbol of value, purity and royalty.  The price of gold has rise over the years indicating how it is valued in society.

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Diamonds are extremely expensive stones used as jewelry by royalties and rich people.  Diamonds are judged based on 4 Cs – Color, Carat, Clarity and Cut.

Natural colored diamonds, especially the clear and near colorless ones, are very expensive.  To make the beauty of diamonds reach a wider market, jewelers are marketing colored diamonds which are still visually appealing but a lot cheaper in price.

Gemologists have found a way to manipulate diamonds of less quality to alter their colors to create fancy diamonds for sale.  This color manipulation process can be achieved by a process called irradiation – a treatment with very high heat to alter colors. Many natural diamonds that are of inferior quality due to blemished color are turned into fancy colored diamonds of vivid yellows, blues, purples, greens, reds and other colors.

When the color of the treated diamonds becomes more intense than the Z grading of diamond, they become categorized into fancy colored diamonds.  Some colored diamonds’ prices can even surpass that of natural near colorless diamonds especially if the color intensity is very and the color output is rare.

In nature, there are several naturally formed colored diamonds.  Most of these are very rare while some are one of a kind.

Fancy Yellow Diamonds get their color from nitrogen impurities.  One of the largest fancy yellow diamonds is the Tiffany Diamond which was founding in South Africa.  The Tiffany Diamond weighed 287.42 carats when it was found in 1878.

Pink Diamonds are rare and they owe their color to the irregular patterns which cause very tiny imperfections within the structure.  There is only one source of rare pink diamonds which is the Argyle Mine in Australia.

Chameleon Diamonds are also very rare.  They can change hue from grayish blue or olive green to yellowish green depending on the lighting conditions.  When exposed to heat up to 250º C), the color can change to yellowish green or when exposed to direct sunlight, olive green.  These changes are temporary.

Green diamonds are mostly found in South Central Africa.  These diamonds have been exposed to gamma and neutron radiation for millions of years to get their hue.  The Ocean Green Diamond and the Dresden Green Diamond have pure and intense hues.

The Red Diamond is the rarest kind among the colored diamonds. The first discovered Red Diamond is the 1 carat Halpen Red found in the 18th century.  Around the world today, there are only fewer than 20 known natural red diamond specimens. The most famous Red Diamond is the Hancock Red Diamond found in Brazil which weighed only 0.95 carats.  It was old for £926,000 at an auction.  Other famous Red Diamonds are Moussaieff Diamond which weighed 13.90 carats and De Young which weighed 5.03 carats.  Red Diamonds in the market today may reach up to £1 million per carat.

Brown diamonds are the cheapest among the colored diamonds.  They are very popular nowadays because more people are buying them due to their affordability.

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A little bit of history
Although body piercing jewelry was not popular until about 20 years ago, it actually has a very long history.  In ancient Egypt, only the royal family had the right to have body piercing.  In fact, only the Pharaoh at that time had belly button piercing, any other people with a belly button ring would have been executed.  For Egyptians, body jewelry was a way of embellishing the beauty of human bodies.  On the other hand, around 2000 years ago, as mentioned in Bible, body piercing jewelry was very popular among nomadic tribes as a sign of wealth.  Also, the roman warriors used to get nipple piercing as a sign of strength and virility.  However, in the last 400-500 years, body jewelry has been restricted to mainly ear piercing until the last two decades.

Choices of metal
There are many choices for the metal used to make body jewelry.  Since piercing could be in sensitive and delicate area of the body such as lip and tongue, the material has to be biological inert to prevent corrosion and infection.  Common metals for making body jewelry are surgical steel, titanium, niobium, platinum and 14kt and 18kt gold.  The primary reason for the above metals to be popular with body jewelry is that they are hypoallergenic and are absolutely safe to wear.  Sterling silver body jewelry is not recommended because would tarnish and some of them contain nickel, which some people are allergic to.  It is recommended to use surgical steel right after the piercing during the healing period to allow a faster healing process and minimize the chance of infection.

Types of body jewelry
Since the resurgence of body jewelry, many types of body jewelry became available in the market.  The common body jewelry categories are navel rings, lip and tongue labrets, nostril rings, eyebrows barbells, ear plugs and nipple rings.  In fact, the piercing technique employed by most of the body jewelry store is so mature and safe that you can put body jewelry wherever you want!

Fashion vs. Fine Jewelry
A decade ago, body jewelry was a symbol for rebellious and hip youth.  Nowadays, however, it is a common trend just like earrings.  This is shown by the fact that many celebrities are wearing them and the number of body jewelry piercing stores in the shopping mall is constantly increasing.  This is a major fashion trend which we are now at the beginning of.  As body jewelry becomes mainstream accessories, the style and quality are expected to improve tremendously.  Body jewelry with natural semi-precious stones such as topaz and peridot are currently available in the market, soon body jewelry with gold and genuine diamonds will be as popular as diamond stud earrings.  In fact, 14k and 18k gold body jewelry are good choices for gift to someone who are already part of this fashion jewelry trend resolution since they are truly precious and fashionable at the same time.

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Do not forget the ring a saying famously drummed into the best man before the wedding, well that goes for the future brideGroom as well. With all wedding preparations it is quite easy to slip your mind to buy the most important item that makes the  wedding ceremony a memorable one. The wedding ring is so important because it bonds two people together and it is the exchange of wedding rings that finalize the vow (I do).

Do a check list of all your wedding plans and be sure that choosing a perfect wedding ring is one of your top priorities besides turning up on the day?

Choosing a wedding ring is not as simple as you think, much thought is needed behind your chosen design. What you have to remember the wedding band binds the happy couple together forever. This ornate piece of Jewelry with so much meaning will be worn every day so we need to choose something pretty special.

Back to your budget which will play an important role when making your choice, because of the penny shortage does not mean that you can not have that piece of warm gold or cool silver, if precious stones were to be embedded or mounted in your actual design then dont expect to many diamonds with just a fist full of pounds.

Jewelry materials like what is used in wedding rings have evolved over the years.
Popular is the 14K18 yellow gold which you will find more of a favourable option worldwide. Close on its heels is the white gold gaining more popularity by the day.

Why not consider platinum, known to be one of the hardest metals and once again a fine choice in a wedding ring.  Platinum is a durable material and therefore able to hold up to any wear and tear. Platinum wedding rings look very similar to rings made of white gold which many can be excused for the mix up but at the end of the day both look stylish and elegant.  However, platinum wedding rings are more expensive.

For the man it has to be Titanium which is becoming a favourite among the male species. It is light and long lasting and far less expensive as platinum.  Once again Titanium wedding rings can be mistaken for the white gold in appearance.

Styles and what to choose is where you come in, only you know what you are looking for therefore it is wise to shop around before making the final decision, you would never forgive yourself if you see a cheaper ring around the corner and more beautiful. There are so many designs and styles to choose from. You have traditional plain bands to more up market  exquisite ones.

Modern society designs are worth checking out. Why not opt for a two-tone wedding band.  Celtic wedding rings are famous these days with couples where they bond their marriage with highly carved and engraved work of a craftsman.

In some cases the bride matches her wedding ring with the design of her engagement ring.  This also has to be taken into consideration when mixing and matching especially when both rings are worn on the same finger.
It is best to know the ring size if shopping out of a catalogue or online.

By going into a jewellers for the wedding bands will cause you less stress where if the rings are ordered they may not be the right size or wrong design when delivered therefore all the heartache of having to send them back. Now we dont want more heartache than necessary as you have that to come with married life (Only joking)

Online shopping is an easy option just be sure to have the right measurements etc and all should be hunky dory just like the hunk you are about to marry.

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Once you reach your late forties and early fifties, you are bound to think of retirement. You want retire at an age when you are not too old to enjoy your golden years.

This is the point in life when you look back at your achievements. If you feel satisfied with what you have accomplished so far, you will get to focus more on what it is that you exactly want to do with the rest of your life – which you did not have time for when you were young and busy raising kids and money.

You are probably thinking of taking up a forgotten hobby, or go traveling in a motor home, or get a tan at a lovely beach where the sun shines year-round.

Studies show that more and more retirees are thinking about going abroad. They may have an old vacation spot in mind where they are considering settling in once they retire.

However, there are still some who choose to stay in the country and spend their retirement with their families in the States.

Whether you choose to stay in the country or out of it, here are a couple of tips on how you can enjoy retirement and your leisure years with your family:

>> Settle your finances first.

This is the biggest concern that retirees have. It is unfortunate that not everyone thinks about this aspect of “growing up” while they are young and healthy.

Thus, when nearing retirement, they tend to be a bit apprehensive about finances because they did not have ample time to prepare.

It is better if you start planning for retirement thoroughly, and do it the earliest time possible. The more preparations you have, the more likely you will get to enjoy yourself when retirement comes.

Take the following scenario as an example: If you save £100 per month, in 5 years, you will earn approximately £6,800. In 20 years, this could increase to about £41,000.

There are some other factors and rate of return percentages to consider, but this is basically how it goes.

The above example just shows that if you prepare early, the more you will earn by investing in a sound retirement plan.

>> Prepare early.

Do not let the anxiety of retiring sneak up on you by preparing early. Once you have gotten your financial worries out of the way, you can proceed to the next step – which is enjoying your retirement years with your family.

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Coin collecting is something that dates back to the when coins were first issued for trade. It was only in the Middle Ages that people turned this into a hobby because of the art work and the historical value.

Coin collecting today is still a hobby that many people enjoy. One of the most precious and most expensive collections that anyone can ever have are those of gold coins. The most expensive gold coin ever bought was worth around eight million dollars. This was the American 1933 Gold Eagle. This is why the collecting of gold coins deserves to be called the hobby of kings.

Gold coins were one of the oldest forms of money. This was later followed by silver coins. Gold coins were in circulation in the United States from 1838 to 1933. The design was the Liberty Head bust but this was only made until 1907. The design was then changed to the Indian Head and Saint Gaudens motifs and was used until 1933 when the Great Depression began. This prompted the recall of gold coins which makes them very difficult to find today.

Since these are no longer in circulation, the price for one of this rare commodity is quite high. Gold is now used for other things such as jewelry or bars that people retain as an investment.

South Africa minted its first gold coin called the Krugerrand in 1967. This coin has no face value but merely stands as a symbol. It is made of 1 ounce of gold and can be purchased for investment purposes.

Since then other countries also minted bullion coins. Canada made the Gold Maple Leaf in 1979 and Australia made the Nugget in 1981. These two are much more popular than the South African coin because of its 24 carat purity.

A lot of people retain gold today as an investment because they speculate that the demand will cause its market value to increase. Others hold it as a form of insurance should the financial situation become worse. There was a point in time when the more paper money that was made, the higher the price of gold which maintained gold and cash as equal value. After this standard ended in 1971, this enabled government to produce more paper currency without increasing the price of gold.

Since gold coins can longer be used to purchase merchandise most coin collectors just keep them to remember that people once used them.

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Humans have been fascinated by gold for thousands of years, by the way it never tarnishes and by its unique color.

Sadly, gold is useless in engineering terms, except for plating electrical contacts, to ensure they never tarnish and lose their conductivity. The metal is too soft, with too low a tensile strength to be used for much besides necklaces and rings.

As an investment though, gold is a different story altogether. Why do people buy gold? It has zero intrinsic value.

Gold prices fall and rise, according largely to the degree of fear that people have about the future. When war is imminent gold prices soar.

When economic conditions are good, inflation low and employment rate high, gold prices fall. Under these conditions there are investments that are probably going to produce a better return than holding gold bars.

People buy gold because they fear the inflation and catastrophic share price collapse that normally accompanies war and political uncertainty. They buy gold because they think gold will hold its value.

Historically gold holds some value, whereas shares can lose all of their value overnight. However, anyone who buys gold at the high price associated with war will almost certainly lose money, when they sell at a lower price.

Conclusion – buy gold when everyone is saying to invest in the stock market. Sell gold when things are looking grim and there are lots of buyers out there.

If you do buy gold you need to appreciate that this investment has risk. The price of gold may fall. It may be years before you can sell your gold at a profit.

Until recently many countries made it illegal for individuals to hold gold bars or bullion. Individuals could buy gold coins and other items however. The South African Krugerrand was minted to exploit this opportunity and to earn much needed foreign exchange for that country during the years of economic sanctions.

Nowadays you can buy gold, silver and platinum coins in many denominations, including Canadian and US pounds, sterling crowns and sovereigns.

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What is marginal economy?

Think it this way, which do you need more, gold or water?

Of course you need water more.

Which one will you pay more money for? One kilogram of gold or one kilogram of water? Of course, gold.

Why?

That’s because in economy, only the marginal matters. What does that mean?

Water is precious.

However, the value of water is the value of that least useful water that you still use anyway.

You use water to drink, you use water to take a shower, you use water to water your plants, then you use water to wash your car.

Obviously, the water that you drink is much more useful than the water that you use to wash your car. However, the value of water is the value of that least useful water.

Why is it so?

That’s because you’re trying to maximize your profit. Of course, you use your water for what’s the most useful first.

Yes, but why is the value of water so low?

Say the value of water is higher than that. Say it is £5 per gallon. The satisfaction you’ll get from washing your car is £1 per gallon. Then you simply don’t wash your car.

Say the value is lower than that. The satisfaction of washing your car is £1 per gallon. However, water is so abundant that its cost is only £0.50. Then you’ll use water for stuffs that give even less satisfaction, such as washing your house.

In fact, water can be so abundant that the price is negative. A negative price means that you’re willing to spend money to get rid that water. Such is the case during a flood.

In which case, you’ll actually spend money to get rid of water, such as buying water pumps. That’s what happened to one of my grandmas because her house is often flooded.

What’s the moral of the story? Be rare. When you’re rare, you’re valuable. When you’re not rare, you’re worthless.

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For those of you who are thinking about selling gold jewelry, it is crucial that you understand fully how to determine the price for gold jewelry.  Not only this can help you to tell a good deal from a bad one, it also helps to analyze your competitors and understand the market better before you make any investment.

Gold price
The most important part of wholesale gold jewelry trading is to understand the breakdown of the cost of a piece of gold jewelry.  Let‘s say the current good price is £500 per ounce. To calculate the cost of gold for a piece of 14 karat gold jewelry that weighs 3 gram without any stones, we first divide the price per ounce by 31.5, to get the price per gram, which is £15.87.  This is the price of pure gold.  To convert this to 14K gold, knowing that there are 24 karats in pure gold, we divide £15.87 by 24 and multiply the result by 14.  The price per gram for 14k gold is roughly £9.26.  Therefore, the total cost of the gold for a 3 gram ring would be £27.78.

Labor Cost
Another major part of the cost for a piece of gold jewelry is the cost for labor, especially for pieces set with precious stones.  Gold jewelry generally requires some filing and polishing after it is cast out of the mold.  The labor cost can sometime be as high as £2 per gram, depending on the origin of the jewelry and the style.  In addition, the cost of setting any stones on a gold jewelry can be over one pound per stone.  Certain advanced setting such as channel set and invisible set cost even more because of the high level of craftsmanship required.

Markup of Competitors
A good way to analyze if a certain style of gold jewelry is profitable and beneficial for a business is to understand your competitors’ prices.  Since you already know how to calculate roughly the cost of a piece of jewelry, and therefore the price that you can get it, buy looking at the markups of your competitors, you may get an idea of how severe the competition is.  For instance, if the competitors are marking up the jewelry three times of the cost, the competitiveness of that style is not really that high.  On the other, if everyone has the same pricing and the markup is 50% above the cost, the style might have already saturated the market.

Volume trading
Another angle of looking at the pricing issue is that when the competitors are marking up at a low margin, the item is probably accepted by a lot of consumers.  The justification behind it is that when the profit per piece is low, and people are trading them actively, there probably is a high demand for it.  On short, the higher the profit margin, the low the volume of sales and the low the profit margin, the higher could be the volume of sales.  Another point that is worth noting is that the volume theory also applies to jewelry vendors.  If you buy in large quantity, pricing should go down automatically.  Therefore, running a successfully business involves getting the balance between all the factors within the resources and infrastructure you have such as employees and capital.

Closeout Jewelry
Since jewelry business is highly time-sensitive, styles that were once popular several months ago may not sell at all couple months later.  Therefore, when buying gold jewelry wholesale, you should estimate the monthly sales and stock according to the sale volume.  For example, you may want to stock a certain style for two months worth of stock and restock it when it runs out in order to minimize the closeout items in the inventory, which is sometimes referred to as inventory shrinkage.

By understanding the market and your competitors before buy wholesale gold jewelry, you can reduce the mistakes during your entrepreneurial endeavor, thus increase the chance of succeeding tremendously.

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