Gold investing is a safe investment. Perhaps you have considered the gold market but aren’t sure where to begin. This article is going to give you some of the advice for investing in gold.

The cost of gold may give you the idea that gold-filled or gold-plated jewelry is better. You do get to buy gold jewelry if you find that the prices offered by jewelry stores are too expensive. You can buy gold jewelry more cheaply in pawn shops or on the Internet.

Before selling your gold, be sure to check the current price. It changes all the time. If you’re trying to get gold sold, know that various karat values are going to need to be weighed separately. Do not sell your designer jewelry for its weight in gold because you will lose money.

Understand that gold carries value with gold dealers. It could be a broken jewelry item, gold table ware, home decor items or anything that is in the house. It also doesn’t have to be all gold either. It just needs to be plated or a bit of it’s gold. You still stand to make a little of your initial outlay back.

If you’d like to sell scrap gold or jewels, do your homework first.

Be aware of the going rate of gold before you sell you gold items. That will help you determine whether or not a dealer is actually offering you a good price for your pieces. Many gold dealers will pay market value; however, some dealers try to get your gold cheap.

Most buyers will offer you just the melt value for gold jewelry.

Make sure you verify the spot price of gold the day you plan to buy it. Many websites contain this information daily.Never buy something listed at more than an 8 percent of the gold prices. Some dealers will try to charge more, but that’s overcharging, not ethical.

Scrap gold is an excellent investment if you are working with limited investment money. You can buy a little at a time, building up a stockpile. This will not break the bank. Be sure to stash your gold safely away until you decide to sell it.

Don’t discount the value of looking for gold items from thrift stores or antique shops. You can find bargains if you understand what to look for.You can reap the seller’s loss if you research a bit.

Look around before buying from a gold buyer. You might just be shocked at the spread of offer you will receive! Going with the very first buyer who comes along might prove a good idea.Take a little bit more time upfront so you’ve got the most cash possible in your gold investment.

When purchasing a piece of gold jewelry for someone else, be sure there is a return policy. It’s not uncommon for many pieces to not be the receiver’s taste or the wrong size. For this reason, it is important to purchase jewelry items that come with a money back guarantee.q

Many times the item will be stamped with a karat rating. Sometimes, however, there is no visual sign, so the people should have another way to figure these things out. Acid tests are simple ways to do this, so if a representative is using this, they’re probably new to the business.

Have all jewelry appraised before you sell them as scrap gold. This is true for unique pieces that have intricate workmanship and details. While you will probably pay to have an appraisal on your gold, you might end up with more later on. Appraisers also may know of an interested parties concerning your jewelry.

When it comes to selling gold, you must decide if you are going to sell it just for its melt value or as a jewelry piece. Private sellers and pawn shops tend to only pay for melt value. Don’t lose faith; there is always someone willing to buy the item as an entire piece.

One choice for selling gold is through the mail. A lot of people who sell gold prefer this because it’s not hard.

Get to know the dealer you’re going to buy gold from. If you find several complaints, then you need to choose another gold dealer.

If you decide to mail your gold to a buyer, find out how much mailing and insuring these items will cost you and how much you will have to pay to have the items mailed back to you in case you do not accept the buyer’s offer. They may not charge you to send it to them, but they could gouge you to send it back. Know what this cost is before you mail your items.

If you’ve come across a company over the Internet that buys old gold, check the prices several times prior to proceeding. Although mailing your gold is more convenient, consider your profit before you do anything.

If the value and beauty of gold are your reasons for investing in it, then look at pure gold jewelry. Jewelry can be an investment and a bold fashion statement too.

Don’t sell to entities that are not licensed by the state to buy gold. This does not prevent you from getting scammed, but a licensed buyer probably has a better reputation. There are various people and stores that can buy gold, so do not think that you must go with the first one you encounter.

If you have gems in your gold, you can get the gems back that are embedded in piece before selling. If they are very small, though, this might not work.

You should understand you will not get full melt value of your gold. Gold dealers are a business just like most other business. Expect to see offers that are 30 to 50 percent below the total value.

Don’t brag about your gold purchases, no matter how excited you are. You don’t know who is listening, and you don’t know who you can trust. Keep your investments safe and secured in a bank or home safe. This protects you as well as your gold.

Gold should not something that you trade for a short amount of time. You should instead think of it more along the lines of wealth insurance. If you want to attempt to time your investing, buy when prices have remained steady. Gold shortages are common when the economy.

Jewelry with higher karat rating is worth more. Make sure you go to sell.

Thrift shops, antique stores and estate sales can be fantastic sources for finding gold jewelry at a good price. You can find gold in unexpected places, but you have to know what to look for. Often people do not realize the value of old jewelry and simply donate it or put it in a garage sale. You can take advantage of this if you just know what to look for.

Remember your identification when you sell gold. Gold is the main target of thieves that wish to make good money. To catch them, laws mandate sellers must present ID. It is easier to find stolen gold to be found this way.

You could lose quite a lot of money if you just sell them for their melt value. This underscores the advantage of doing your homework about value before you sell.

Know what you are working with. Not everything that looks like gold is worth its weight in it. Quite often, other metals are mixed with gold to give some strength to the metal. This may lower the price. This is also true of items that are just plated. If you don’t know what kind of piece you have, take it in to be looked at before you try and sell it.

Anyone can benefit from investing in gold, not just experienced investors. Now that you have read this article you should have a good idea of how the market works. Keep these tips in mind as you go along.