Chemical properties of gold

It is extraordinarily ductile (degree of extension which takes place before failure of a material in tension). It is called a noble metal because it resists reacting with stuff. But it can be "convinced" to react, and it forms numerous compounds. Speaking of the halogens, the Group 17 elements, will react with gold and auric fluoride and auric chloride would be examples. it will form compounds in its +1 oxidation state with other ions, and it will also similarily form a number of compounds in the +3 oxidation state. It's oxidation states range from -1 to +5, with +1 and +3, Au(I) and Au(III), far and away the most commoni it  will dissolve in mercury, but creates an amalgam rather than react with it to create a compound. Aurum (gold) resists most acids, though aqua regia will attack gold, as will cyanide. In the unusual -1 state, gold will form compounds like CsAu.It will hook up with the most reactive of the Group 1 and Group 2 elements, the Alkali and Alkaline Earth elements. That's just the opposite of the Group 17 elements, the halogens (fluorine, chlorine, etcOne ounce can be drawn into 80 km (50 miles) of thin gold wire to make electrical contacts. There are also compounds (cluster compounds) where gold will form a compound that includes both the +1 and +3 oxidation states of the metal.
Chemical symbol for gold = Au
Atomic number = 79 (79 protons and electrons; 118 neutrons)
Number of naturally occurring isotopes = 1 (stable) (70 total possible)
Atomic radius = 0.1442 nm
Atomic mass = 196.96657 amu
Density = 19.3 g/cubic cm 
Specific gravity = 19.32 (Gold is one of the densest of all the chemical elements, compare to 7.87 for steel, 14.0 for mercury and 11.4 for lead.)
Melting point = 1064.43 ºC degrees
Boiling point (liquid to gaseous state) = 2807 °C
Crystal structure: FCC (cubic)
Thermal conductivity = 310 W m-1 K-1
Electrical resistivity = 0.022 micro-ohm m at 20°C
Youngs modulus = 79 GPa
Hardness = 2.5 (Mohs), 25 Hv (Vickers)
Tensile stress = 124 MPa

physical character of silver

Silver is one of the strongest oxidants, making it an essential catalyst for the chemical process industry.The photography industry is the biggest user of silver compounds. Silver forms the most light-sensitive salts, or halides, which are essential to developing high-quality photography. Silver has the highest electrical conductivity per unit volume of any metal, including copper, so it is used extensively in electronics. Specialized uses include switch and relay contacts for automobile controls and accessories, automotive window heating, and in electrodes for electrocardiograms.  With the highest level of thermal conductivity among metals and resistance to combustion and sparks, silver is a valuable material for a range of other industrial processes. The most common consumer application of silver is its use in jewelry. Pure silver, which would be too soft to be durable, is mixed with 5-20% copper in an alloy known as sterling silver.

The Manufacturing Process of silver

Silver was first obtained in sixteenth-century It involved mixing silver ore, salt, copper sulphide, and water. The resultant silver chloride was then picked up by adding mercury. In this process, ore was heated with rock salt, producing silver chloride, which was leached out with sodium hyposulfite. Today, there are several processes used to extract silver from ores. A method called the cyanide, or heap leach, process has gained acceptance within the mining industry because it is a low-cost way of processing lower-grade silver ores. However, the ores used in this method must have certain characteristics: the silver particles must be small; the silver must react with cyanide solutions; the silver ores must be relatively free of other mineral contaminants and/or foreign substances that might interfere with the cyanidation process; and the silver must be free from sulfide minerals.  The process developed into its present form during the late nineteenth century.

Gold prospecting

 A lot of people are into gold prospecting these days and they are not just your average gold digger too. Families and friends are making it a point to spend their vacation by hopping into  traveling to areas where gold presence is confirmed. Along with the benefits of getting a good workout as well as a fun family bonding time, gold prospecting can be rather lucrative especially when you do it in a small to medium scale with your dearest friends and family.
 This can be done by interviewing gold prospectors that you know of, or read up on useful articles online. If the Internet is a wee bit overwhelming on the information side, you can also visit your library for handy gold hunting books. Next, you will want to hunt for suitable gold prospecting tools.It is obvious to think that all gold pans are made of metal, but it is not always so.
. Besides the gold pan, you will also need a small shovel to scoop up sand and sediment, as well as a reliable snuffer bottle that will be used to extract the gold flakes or nuggets from the bottom of your gold pan. Once you have all these tools in place, you can then start your gold hunting adventure.

What are the real reasons behind the rise in gold prices?

Day by day gold prices is making a new record in the process of rising gold may reach to the borders of  1500 and $ 2000 so in the future. The real reasons behind this unprecedented rise in the price of gold n they are :-
1 – increasing deficit in balance of trade:
The increasing deficit in balance of trade to the United States and one of the reasons for the high price of gold, and this deficit is caused by increasing the proportion of imports to private consumption, including the volume of exports. When the ratio of the rise in imports by 1.4% and the percentage rise in exports, 0.4% becomes a deficit in the trade balance and thus increase the price of gold.
2 – low output:
The gold is very rare n the output of gold is low this way the  decline in production of some gold-producing countries to be another reason added to the reasons for the high prices of gold, the most important gold-producing countries are: South Africa and the United States, Canada, Australia, China and the Philippines. Thus causes a rise in gold prices.
3 – political and economic factors:
Political and economic factors play an important role in the rise in gold prices in global markets, as happened in the Asian markets.when gold prices rose by more than 25% compared to last year. Due to political reason country will not able to produce gold because every sector is depend on the political of the country .

4 – increase in demand:
the  reasons for the rise in gold prices to increase the size of global demand and shortages in supply of it, pushing gold prices to rise by much more than 50% of the previous price, and perhaps shows the correlation between high prices of crude oil and rise in gold prices during the last period, and can say that the increase in revenues oil countries heading towards the gold market, which led to higher gold prices. Gold is rare n the demand is high simply it cause the gold price high

Can gold and silver go down

Gold and silver refers to the money, Because of the monetary aspect gold and silver has so much value to go down. It’s like a industrial material
.. Because they are in growing demand as monetary stores of value as a direct result in the appropriately crumbling confidence in the U.S. dollar, pound  whose continued existence depends more on their ability to generate profit in some risk. Gold and silver investor are increasing day by day because of the profit from gold and silver.
Since the only component of the human condition that outdoes the drive to compete fiercely for the ability to survive is the ability to co-operate fiercely with the same outcome in mind, it is my hopeful deduction that war will be seconded to this cooperative unified global cooperation economy approach.
Its very difficult to go down the price of gold and silver because day by day the price of gold is rising and the investor too are increasing to have a profit from it. But its not that it will never fall down, it will fall down but when it will fall down its difficult to point out.

uses of gold in medicine

Gold  has been used in medicine since the ancient times. It  has been in use for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis for quite some time. It has been very effective in reducing stiffness as well as the pain.The use of gold for beauty treatments today is no longer a novel idea.Modern medical research has revealed that gold helps to stimulate re-growth of skin cells and fight the degradation of collagen.Gold is also found to have high resistance against bacteria, which makes it very effective in fighting common infections. It has also been helpful in the treatments of cancer.Other applications of gold in medicine include treatment for the following health conditions: rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease, and HIV. Many diseases such as smallpox, measles and skin ulcers were treated and it is also used  in an eye surgery procedure to correct a condition, known as Lagophthalmos, where eyelids cannot be fully closed.Thus, it has a great importance in todays world and is very helful in every sector.

Uses of gold in Monetary exchange

Gold has been widely used throughout the world as a vehicle for monetary exchange, either by issuance and recognition of gold coins or other bare metal quantities, or through gold-convertible paper instruments by establishing gold standards in which the total value of issued money is represented in a store of gold reserves.

However, production has not grown in relation to the world's economies. Today, gold mining output is declining.With the sharp growth of economies , and increasing foreign exchange, the world's gold reserves and their trading market have become a small fraction of all markets and fixed exchange rates of currencies to gold were no longer sustained.
Pure gold is too soft for day-to-day monetary use and is typically hardened by alloying with copper, silver or other base metals. The gold content of alloys is measured in carats (k).
Pure gold is designated as 24k. English gold coins intended for circulation from 1526 into the 1930s were typically a standard 22k alloy called crown gold, for hardness (American gold coins for circulation after 1837 contained the slightly lower amount of 0.900 fine gold, or 21.6 kt).

Uses of gold in Jewelry

Everyone love jewelry because it is very beautiful n precious too .All people love the jewelry which adds more beauty to the people who wear it ,The production of ornamental objects was probably the first use of gold over 6000 years ago. Gold is found in the pure state, is very easy to work and was probably the first metal used by humans. in the modern world jewelry have very high price to talk about the jewelry it is made from the gold which is very  softness of pure (24k) gold, it is usually alloyed with base metals for use in jewelry, altering its hardness and ductility, melting point, color and other properties.Copper is the most commonly used base metal, yielding a redder color. Eighteen-carat gold containing 25% copper is found in antique and Russian jewelry and has a distinct, though not dominant, copper cast, creating rose gold. Fourteen-carat gold-copper alloy is nearly identical in color to certain bronze alloys, and both may be used to produce police and other badges. Blue gold can be made by alloying with iron and purple gold can be made by alloying with aluminium, although rarely done except in specialized jewelry. Blue gold is more brittle and therefore more difficult to work with when making jewelry. Fourteen and eighteen carat gold alloys with silver alone appear greenish-yellow and are referred to as green gold. White gold alloys can be made with palladium or nickel. .Special properties of gold make it perfect for manufacturing jewelry. These include: very high luster; desirable yellow color; tarnish resistance; ability to be drawn into wires, hammered into sheets or cast into shapes. These are all properties of an attractive metal that is easily worked into beautiful objects. Pure gold is too soft to stand up to the stresses applied to many jewelry items.White gold is an alloy of 75% gold, 4% silver, 4% copper and 17% palladium. Other alloys yield pink, green, peach and even black colored metals. Since then most gold used to make jewelry is an alloy of gold with one or more other metals.
The alloys of gold have a lower value per unit of weight than pure gold.In general, high karat jewelry is softer and more resistant to tarnish while low karat jewelry is stronger and less resistant to tarnish.

Uses of gold in Industry

Gold is also important in industry Gold solder is used for joining the components of gold jewelry by high-temperature hard soldering or brazing. If the work is to be of hallmarking quality, gold solder must match the carat weight of the work, and alloy formulas are manufactured in most industry-standard carat weights to color match yellow and white gold. Gold solder is usually made in at least three melting-point ranges referred to as Easy, Medium and Hard. By using the hard, high-melting point solder first, followed by solders with progressively lower melting points, goldsmiths can assemble complex items with several separate soldered joints.

Uses of gold in Electronics

 Gold is highly conductive to electricity, and has been used for electrical wiring in some high-energy applications. For example, gold electrical wires were used during some of the Manhattan Project's atomic experiments, but large high current silver wires were used in the calutron isotope separator magnets in the project.
Though gold is attacked by free chlorine, its good conductivity and general resistance to oxidation and corrosion in other environments has led to its widespread industrial use in the electronic era as a thin layer coating electrical connectors of all kinds, thereby ensuring good connection. For example, gold is used in the connectors of the more expensive electronics cables, such as audio, video and USB cables. The benefit of using gold over other connector metals such as tin in these applications is highly debated. Gold connectors are often criticized by audio-visual experts as unnecessary for most consumers and seen as simply a marketing ploy. However, the most important industrial use of gold is in the manufacture of electronics. Solid state electronic devices use very low voltages and currents which are easily interrupted by corrosion or tarnish at the contact points. Gold is the highly efficient conductor that can carry these tiny currents and remain free of corrosion. Electronic components made with gold are highly reliable. Gold is used in connectors, switch and relay contacts, soldered joints, connecting wires and connection strips.
A small amount of gold is used in almost every sophisticated electronic device. This includes: cell phones, calculators, personal digital assistants, global positioning system units and other small electronic devices. Most large electronic appliances such as television sets also contain gold. One challenge with the use of gold in very small quantities in very small devices is loss of the metal from society. A facts nearly one billion cell phones are produced each year and most of them contain about fifty cents worth of gold. Their average lifetime is under two years and very few are currently recycled. Although the amount of gold is small in each device, their enormous numbers translate into a lot of unrecycled gold.

History of silver

From the ancient time it has been known as a precious metal Silver compounds were used to prevent infection Silver has been used for thousands of years for ornaments and utensils, for trade, and as the basis for many monetary systems. Its value as a precious metal was long considered second only to gold. The stability of the Roman currency relied to a high degree on the supply of silver bullion, which Roman miners produced on a scale unparalleled before the discovery of the New World. Reaching a peak production of 200 ft per year, an estimated silver stock of 10,000 t circulated in the Roman economy in the middle of the second century AD, five to ten times larger than the combined amount of silver available to medieval Europe  when it was used for several purposes, such as to  used in food coloring disinfect water and food during storage, and also for the treatment of burns and wounds as wound dressing. In the 19th century, sailors on long ocean voyages would put silver coins in barrels of water and wine to keep the liquid potable. Pioneers in America used the same idea as they made their journey from coast to coast. Silver solutions were approved in the 1920s by the US Food and Drug Administration for use as antibacterial agents.

History of gold

Gold artifacts  appear from the 4th millennium BC Although the price of some platinum group metals can be much higher, gold has long been considered the most desirable of precious metals, and its value has been used as the standard for many currencies in history. Gold has been used as a symbol for purity, value, royalty, and particularly roles that combine these properties. Gold as a sign of wealth and prestige .On that imaginary island, gold is so abundant that it is used to make chains for slaves, tableware and lavatory-seats.There is an age-old tradition of biting gold to test its authenticity. Although this is certainly not a professional way of examining gold, the bite test should score the gold because gold is a soft metal, as indicated by its score on the Mohs' scale of mineralhardness. The purer the gold the easier it should be to mark it, 75% of all gold ever produced has been extracted since 1910. It has been estimated that all gold ever refined would form a single cube 20 m.In medieval times, gold was often seen as beneficial for the health, in the belief that something that rare and beautiful could not be anything but healthy. Even some modern esotericists and forms of alternative medicine assign metallic gold a healing power. The first use of gold as money occurred around 700 B.C. Their symbol for gold was the circle with a point at its center , which was also the symbol and the ancient Chinese character for the Sun. For modern creation of artificial gold by neutron capture,During the 19 th century, gold rushes occurred whenever large gold deposits were discovered. The first documented discovery of gold in the United States was at the Reed Gold Mine. The first major gold strike in the United States occurred in a small north Georgia town called Dahlonega. Because of its historically high value, much of the gold mined throughout history is still in circulation in one form or another.

How to Invest in Gold or Silver

Investing in precious metals such as gold and silver can be done by purchasing items which are made of them. Some of which include jewelry, coins, bars or bullions. These can be purchased in legitimate stores and over the internet.investing in gold for financial survival has become a necessity as the entire world. Making matters worse, the United States is in the midst of a spectacle of deficit spending like the world has neverseen.Although investing in gold is not yet mainstream, investing in gold has become the safe haven for many investors who fear that the creation of fiat dollars will not stop until the dollar is worthless.

In precious metals bull markets, investing in silver instead of investing in gold provides greater percentage gains because silver outperforms gold in precious metals bull markets.Adding to the appeal of silver to investors is the huge and growing industrial demand for silver, which means that investing in silver could be profitable for years to come.

But, the primary reason investing in silver instead of gold results in greater profits is that silver is "the poor man's gold." When the masses come to this market, they will buy silver, and in the aggregate the masses have more money than the wealthy.Gold or silver investment has great potential. These do not depreciate in value. They have been proven to be more effective in trade over the past 6,000 years.

Why Invest in Gold or Silver ?

In this modern age Investing in gold and silver has many benefits.its the precious metal which is very limited so the demand in high n the production is low so the price will surely increase thus to invest in it is a safe task .  Another benefit is the wide range of industries wherewith these items are applied upon. Some of which includes monetary coinage, jewelry, arts, computers, electronics, space travel, medicine, dentistry, among many others.The precious metals like gold and silver are the backbone of an economy that depends on paper and credit as currency. Because of this, investing in gold stocks is absolutely a good idea for any investor.This may be attributed to the rising demand for these metals and the scarcity of supply attached to them.When it comes to precious metals, gold is without a doubt the most popular choice for investors. Gold and silver investments have been noted to remain constant or to even increase in value over trades and exchanges. When most currencies have fallen during the economic turmoil gold, silver, and other precious metals did not depreciate in value. In fact, they seem to be even increasing in value. If there are times that it would decrease, it is hardly ever noticeable. Besides, its value is based on the ups and downs of the economy and the stock market.
Investors purchase gold is as a way to hedge against the economy. If the dollar drops or the economy crashes, gold is going to be one of the few investments that weathers the storm, so to speak.   There are sources all over the world for important metals and minerals but the danger of mining such deposits and the costs involved makes them more expensive and valuable. The costs cover manpower, equipments, storage, and conversion into materials which can be used.

why gold is expensive ?

From gold we can make ornaments ,it wont rust or spoil by its own like other metals . it's no longer tied to most world currencies, and with the economy being in such bad shape, there's a lot of perceived weakness in the world's fiat currencies (just a fancy name for money that has nothing backing it). So people are flocking to gold to hedge their bets against shaky currencies. Gold is perceived to be more valuable than fiat currency because of its past reputation as a store of wealth, plus there's only so much of it to go around, whereas governments can just turn on their printing presses and make more money. They couldn't do that when currencies were backed by gold, and every time they do it, currency becomes more and more devalued. Meanwhile, nobody's making more gold.It's rare, it's hard to extract from the ground, it doesn't tarnish, and it's been a symbol of wealth for centuries .It's getting expensive now because it's no longer tied to most world currencies, and with the economy being in such bad shape, there's a lot of perceived weakness in the world's fiat currencies . So people are flocking to gold to hedge their bets against shaky currencies. Gold is perceived to be more valuable than fiat currency because of its past reputation as a store of wealth, plus there's only so much of it to go around, whereas governments can just turn on their printing presses and make more money. They couldn't do that when currencies were backed by gold, and every time they do it, currency becomes more and more devalued. Meanwhile, nobody's making more gold.Therefore, as investor and consumer confidence in currency goes down, the value of gold goes up.

Gold Demand Climbs 11% as Investment Drives Prices to Record, Council Says

Gold demand rose 11 percent in the first quarter as China helped boost investment and jewelry usage, while demand will remain "firm" throughout this year,
Global demand gained to 981.3 metric tons in the quarter, compared with 881 tons a year earlier, the London-based industry . China's consumption surged 47 percent in the quarter and may double before 2020 as the growing population's wealth increases and near-term concerns about faster inflation spur investment, the council predicts.
Consumers in China and India "continue to view jewelry not just only as an adornment, but as a good investment.

In the history of gold "Inflation pressure is still an ongoing issue. These concerns are not going away." Prices averaged $1,387.67 in the first quarter, up 25 percent from a year earlier and 1.3 percent more than the fourth quarter.Central banks are adding to their reserves for the first time in a generation, helping prices extend a 10-year rally, the longest run of gains in at least nine decades.

Central bank and government institution purchases doubled to 129.3 tons in the first quarter, exceeding the amount bought in the first three quarters of last year, the council said. Countries will remain net buyers this year, it said.
Total supply declined 4.4 percent to 872.2 tons in the first quarter from a year earlier as central banks purchased the metal and as scrapping fell 6 percent to 347.5 tons, the council said. Mine output rose 7 percent to 663.9 tons.

China, India to boost gold demand in 2011, says WGC

Gold has been one of mankind's most revered substances since the beginning of time.
"High levels of investment demand across the world, strong demand in India and China, the continued strength of the technology sector together with central bank purchasing demonstrates gold's diverse demand drivers.


"These include: continued uncertainty over the US economy and the dollar, ongoing European sovereign debt concerns, global inflationary pressures and continued tensions in the Middle East and North Africa.At the same time, the WGC predicted that more central banks would buy gold as they seek to diversify reserves into assets that are deemed to be less risky.The precious metal scored a series of record peaks throughout the first three months of 2011 "Sustained momentum in Chinese and Indian jewellery demand will underpin growth in the jewellery sector throughout 2011


However, the metal has since tailed off slightly, amid a wider commodities sell-off, and it stood at US$1,489.10
The legends and myths surrounding gold are legendary and for many ancient civilizations, only the most powerful were permitted to bathe in gold's stunning rays. The pharaohs wore multiple gold necklaces and gold bracelets. In India, royal families would layer on gold earrings, gold pendants and gold bangles and in Europe, gold rings set with diamonds and precious gems were the aristocrats' accessories of choice.

Reason to buy silver

I’m convinced that silver is a better buy than ever before. Here are detailed reasons why I believe that is the case.This is a much better time to buy than when prices have already climbed and many are buying just because prices are rising. At those times the risk of a sharp sell-off is high. Now the risk of a prolonged price decline is much lower. There is no bullish “fever” where uninformed investors are driven to buy silver because of a sharply rising price. That will happen, but it’s not true now. While silver is still above the price lows of last fall and higher than year-end prices, the recent price action is nothing to write home about. The price has been below most of the important moving averages, causing silver to be “oversold.” for decades the world’s largest stockpiles of silver were the COMEX warehouse inventories. These COMEX inventories were considered mostly commercial in nature with some portion being held for investment purposes.
Now, the combined inventories in the ETFs and other investment vehicles tower over the holdings in the COMEX by almost 4 to 1. (Over 400 million ounces in the ETFs compared to 120 million oz in COMEX inventories). Given the long-term nature of ETF investment holdings, this massive and historic shift in inventory composition means much less silver is now available to the market. This will exert a strong upward influence on price. Importantly, there has been practically no buying of silver on a leveraged or margin basis. It’s mostly been cash on the barrel. These strong silver buyers will wait for significantly higher prices before selling.Silver is dirt cheap relative to gold. While there is less above ground silver than gold, silver’s price has rarely been this low compared to gold.
 At precisely the same time that prices have declined so sharply,. The manipulation that explains why silver is so cheap cannot exist in a bona fide physical shortage. If the price stays low, growing numbers of investors buy real silver. That makes it harder for the manipulators to keep the price contained with paper derivatives.

Reason to buy gold

Buying gold is the safe property in future which price will not decrease n gonna be shortage ornament today the price of gold is increasing so fast day by day its creating a new record. Whether the economy is up or down and whether unemployment is high or low... the billionaires of the world always seem two steps ahead of EVERYONE ELSE.
In fact, Forbes recently reported that over the past year alone, the richest people in the world are now $1 trillion richer! its beter to buy a gold because supply of gold is very minimum n the demand for gold is so very high so the cost of gold is expensive n will be benefited.Due to financeal crisis it will worsen for a while which will cause ahuge increase in the base monetary supply.it’s usually a decision made taking the positives and negatives into consideration. Perhaps more important would be considering how much of your portfolio you plan to allocate to gold and how much maximum loss you are willing to take.

The gold and silver ratio

It is the gold price divided by the silver price, & shows how many ounces of silver it takes to buy one ounce of gold. The Ratio shows us the Primary (20 year) Trend of gold's value against silver. When the Ratio's trend is dropping, silver is gaining value against gold. This trend targets a gold/silver ratio of 16 ounces of silver to one of gold within the next 5 - 10 years. That implies that silver will massively, vastly outperform gold before this bull market ends. When both metals are rallying, the ratio often (but not always) drops, confirming the rally.

Silver Prices

 Silver's chart doesn't look like gold's. Although both metals rose to resistance areas & look like gold's, & that non-confirmation makes me question gold's fall. Silver is refusing to retire below 1200, where it finds strong support and, right now, its 17 day moving average .Silver's performance this week with a fall to 1185

Gold Prices

Day by day the price of a gold is reaching high n the demand of gold is increasing .day after day its making seting a new record of priceThere are several factors at play which are leading to demand for gold rising, pushing up the price: specualation,weakness of the dollar,inflation risk,psychological,seasonal.

*Weakness of the dollar: The greenback is commonly seen as the World's reserve currency. Low interest rates and the US government's massive economic support package have weakened the dollar.
Those who would typically have invested in that currency are looking for other places to put their money where it will, they hope, gain value.
*Speculation: A lot of the investment into gold is coming from institutions such as hedge funds - whose money needs to go somewhere.
When banks are offering very low rates of interest on savings - and money can be borrowed extremely cheaply - gold becomes attractive, observers say.
*Inflation risk: Gold is seen as a hedge against inflation. Right now, inflation is pretty low, but mounting worries about potential inflation in 2010 may be enticing more investors to the precious metal.
*Psychological: Gold has a "primeval" quality argues Adrian Ash of UK online gold exchange, BullionVault.com (which makes its money when customers buy and sell gold).
He says that while it is essentially a "lump of metal with little purpose", gold tends to hold its value over the long term and is not anchored to the value of cash.
This means that people are drawn to it in uncertain times, Mr Ash adds, though he cautions the price can be volatile.
*Seasonal: In Western cultures, individuals buying into gold as an investment remains relatively rare. It is not the kind of advice you are likely to get from a financial adviser, for example.
However, in countries such as China and India, buying gold as in investment is more common. And at this time of year, in the run-up to the Diwali festival, there is a seasonal increase in gold purchases because the metal is traditionally given as a gift.
Indian farmers are also big gold customers at this time of year - seeing it as a way of keep their profits safe after harvest - free from threat of currency fluctuations.

The Growing Demand for American Silver Eagles

In recent years, the demand for American Silver Eagles has expanded considerably. The economic uncertainties experienced during the second half of 2008 led to a dramatic increase in demand for physical precious metals. .
The high demand for Silver Eagles has continued with implications for both precious metals investors and collectors. The highly popular collectible proof and uncirculated versions of the Silver Eagle were canceled for 2009.The bullion Silver Eagles reached a new all time high for annual sales in 2008, changes the record form following year.

Purchasing Silver Eagles

Silver Eagle bullion coins are not sold directly to the public. Instead, the Mint distributes the coins through a network of authorized bullion purchasers. These dealers purchase the coins in bulk quantities and then resell them to other bullion dealers, coin dealers, and the public. They are also required to create a two way market with the public, both buying and selling the coins to ensure liquidity.
Silver Eagle can be purchased through several options.  . Since a large number of coins are purchased, this usually yields the lowest premium per coin. More commonly coins are purchased by individual 20-coin rolls. The rolls have a distinctive green top depicting the seal of the United States Treasury. It can also be purchased individually. The premiums for purchasing coins individually are generally the highest in the market.


*Collecting Silver Eagles

From the beginning of the series, Silver Eagles have drawn the attention of not only bullion investors but also coin collectors. The coins are often viewed as the modern equivalent of Silver Dollars. Coin collectors can assemble the complete series by obtaining one coin for each date and adding to the collection with each new release.
The Mint has also produced different versions of the Silver Eagle specifically for coin collectors. From 1986 to 2008, the Mint produced and sold to the public proof silver eagle.These coins are struck with specially prepared dies to create sharp features, mirror like backgrounds, and frosted design elements. From 2006 to 2008,it produced a collectible uncirculated version of the silver eagle .

THE SILVER EAGLE COIN

The Silver Eagle has become the most popular bullion coin in the world because of its beauty, quality and the assurance of content. Each coin contains 1 troy ounce of silver, is 99.9% pure.

It was first released in 1986 as part of the  Eagle Bullion Program. This program was authorized by Congress in 1985 to produce gold and silver bullion coins with their weight, content, and purity .
The design of the Silver Eagle is taken from the Walking Liberty Half Dollar. This coin was issued for circulation in the United States from 1916 to 1947 Which was designed by” Adolph A. Weinman” and is considered to be one of the most beautiful US coin designs ever created. coin.

American Gold Eagle Coins

Coin Market Value
Each American Gold Eagle’s price is based on the current market “spot price” plus a premium per coin. The spot price of gold (and all precious metals) is reported every business day in all major newspapers, network television and radio and online. Additionally, spot prices are updated daily on this website.
*The Coin Design
The beautiful and classic design of the American Gold Eagle bullion coin is captured in the graceful Striding Liberty, first created by Augustus Saint Gaudens for the 1907-1933 $20 U.S.
*Double Gold Eagle gold coin. The reverse depicts a nest of American eagles signifying the strength and security of American families. Only gold mined in the United States, by law, is used in the minting of American gold Eagle coins.

Gold as an Investment

Gold has always been the precious metal of choice by wealthy individuals, institutions and central banks.   It has never been abandoned as such.   Even when “Official” selling was at its peak, central banks sold only what they thought was sufficient to add credibility to the paper currency they were pushing to the center of the system, first to add credibility to the dollar then after 1999 to the euro.

Why is Silver rising faster than Gold?

 
Gold and silver have moved as money.   Gold and Silver Exchange Traded Funds have attracted massive investments in the developed world where trust in the monetary system is far higher than it is in the emerging world.   But it was the underlying gold and silver that attracted investors.    

The Gold and silver have substantial metals have differed so much in performance.  
·         in the past few decades silver has been seen as a commodity, mined mainly as a by-product of base metal mining, with only 30% mined in a pure silver mine.
·         Gold has always been the ‘senior’ monetary metal held by central banks as money until 1971 and after that as a valuable reserve asset in the vaults of central banks.
·         when Egypt was at its height and supplies of silver less than those of gold, gold has always been in far shorter supply than silver and considered far more valuable than silver.
·         Silver was rejected as money and as a reserve asset by the mid-fifties, despite it being treated as money throughout the ages before that.
·         Both gold and silver have been attacked as money through ‘official’ sales from the seventies until last year.   But gold was sold to undermine the reality that it is money.   Silver was sold out from reserves almost completely by central banks discarding it as money, completely.
·         Silver is consumed whereas gold is not, which will continue to be the case until less expensive substitutes are found.  This will only happen at far higher prices still.

Gold Gilding and Gold Leaf

Gold leaf is also used on the external and internal surfaces of buildings Gold has the highest malleability of any metal. This enables gold to be beaten into sheets that are only a few millionths of an inch thick. These thin sheets, known as "gold leaf" can be applied over the irregular surfaces of picture frames, molding or furniture.
 This provides a durable and corrosion-resistant covering. One of the most eye-catching uses of gold leaf is on the domes of religious buildings and other important structures. The cost of this "roofing material" is very high per square foot; however, the cost of the gold is only a few percent of the total project cost. Most of the cost goes to the labor of highly skilled artisans who apply the gold leaf.
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The greatest deposits of gold from these times were in the Andes and in Columbia.The rise of a gold standard was meant to stabilize the global economy, dictating that a nation must limit its issued currency to the amount of gold it held in reserve. . The system remained in effect until the end of the first world war, after which the US was the only country still honoring the Gold Standard. After the war, other countries were allowed to keep reserves of major currencies instead of gold.

Use of Gold in Computers

In the present world computer is one of the important electronic device which contain certain amount of gold,the importance of high quality and reliable performance justifies the high cost. It is used in many places in the standard desktop or laptop computer. The rapid and accurate transmission of digital information through the computer and from one component to another requires an efficient and reliable conductor. Gold meets these requirements better than any other metal. The gold in these components is generally electroplated onto other metals and alloyed with small amounts of nickel or cobalt to increase durability. Edge connectors used to mount microprocessor and memory chips onto the motherboard and the plug-and-socket connectors used to attach cables all contain gold.

Thus this prove that gold is very usefull and has very importances in this earth.

Uses of Gold(Au)

Gold is an inert metal.it is not affected by any of the naturally occuring substances like air,water,etc.it is not rusted and has long lasting and sparkles briliantly.all these features reside on the gold.hence ,gold is a king of metal .
Gold is used in making jewelleres and it is also used in gold plating ,making coins and medals, use in photography and medicines ,and also used in making statues.it has great use in this world n it is a precious substances.
gold is a substances which is not effected by air and water .
Gold is an ancient metal of wealth, commerce and beauty, but it also has a number of unique properties that make it invaluable to industy. These properties include:
• Resistance to corrosion
• Electrical conductivity
• Ductility and malleability
• Infrared (heat) reflectivity
• Thermal conductivity
The very gold has a  superior electrical conductivity, malleability, and resistance to corrosion have made it vital in components used in a wide range of electronic products and equipment, including computers, telephones, cellular phones, and home appliances.
It has extraordinarily high reflective powers that are relied upon in the shielding that protects spacecrafts and satellites from solar radiation and in industrial and medical lasers that use gold-coated reflectors to focus light energy.gold is biologically inactive .  hence, In the sector of medical research it has a great importance because it is even used in the direct treatment of arthritis and other diseases.
It is an excellent hedge against inflation, and protects earnings for the future. . Demand from investors who want to posses this precious metal is steady, and increases during periods of world crises or instability.  Modern investors can invest in gold the traditional way - by purchasing gold bullion in the form of bars or coins - or they can trade in gold or gold futures electronically, or by investing in gold mining or refining companies.in the modern world the gold has a great value and has a very high price and day by day  the price have increase far  more than before .
The demand for gold is growing so fast . The supply of gold from stored inventory and from mining operations is limited and will remain so.

The Gold formation

Gold is a precious thing which is found  it the  crust layer of the earth The  gold is transported though the Earth’s crust dissolved in warm to hot salty water. These fluids are generated in huge volumes deep in the Earth’s crust as water-bearing minerals dehydrate during metamorphism. .while its overall concentration is very low , rich concentrations of gold, forming ore deposits, are known throughout the world.
Any gold present in the rocks being heated and squeezed is sweated out and goes into solution as complex ions. This direction is generally upwards, to cooler regions at lower pressures nearer the Earth’s surface. Under these conditions, the gold eventually becomes insoluble and begins to crystallise, most often enveloped by masses of white silicon dioxide, known as quartz.  Veins and reefs of gold-bearing quartz can occur in many types of rock, for example around granites, in volcanic rocks or in regions of black slate, but in most cases these host rocks are not the immediate source of the gold.

The Gold deposits have formed at many different times during Earth’s history. For example, it is believed to have formed about 2400 million years ago, during a period of intense metamorphism and intrusion of igneous rocks. As a chemical , weathering and erosion gradually break down the host rocks and lower the land surface, the quartz and gold veins are eventually exposed to the atmosphere. The veins provide far more resistance to chemical attack than the surrounding rocks, so that mechanical weathering is required to fragment the quartz, thereby releasing the gold.  Because they are relatively heavy, particles of gold are more difficult to move and so become naturally concentrated in the soil.
These were especially important in the Ballarat district. Because of its resistance to chemical attack, gold can be recycled from one type of alluvial deposit to another. Thus Gold is extracted from sandy soil rich in gold for this the sandy soil is mixed with water and run on a sluice. By this process, gold gets trapped inside the blocks of sluice and is separated from the sand . in this way the gold is formed from the sand.

Silver Historical Background

The American Eagle Bullion program was launched in 1986 with the sale of gold and silver bullion coins. . A bullion coin is a coin that is valued by its weight in a specific precious metal.  Sources of silver include; silver mined directly, silver mined as a by-product of gold, copper, lead and zinc mining, and silver extracted from recycled materials, primarily used photographic materials..The dawn of the 20th century marked an important economic function for silver, that of an industrial raw material. Silver was used for the nation’s coinage until its use was discontinued in 1965.the ancient civilizations found silver deposists plentiful on or near the earths surface .from onwards the Silver has attracted man’s fascination for many thousands of years.. This metal took on near mystical qualities in marking important historical milestones throughout the ages, and served as a medium of exchange. Today, silver is sought as a valuable and practical industrial commodity, as well as an appealing investment precious metal.   Although silver is relatively scarce, it is the most plentiful and least expensive of the precious metals. The biggest silver producing countries are Mexico, Peru, the United States, Australia and Chile

Uses of silver

In the present sitituation silver is relatively scarce, it is the most plentiful and least expensive of the precious metals.we have a data which country produce the silver most and they are  Mexico, Peru, the United States, Australia and Chile.  silver supply is done through the silver bullion stocks. the sources of silver include; silver mined directly, silver mined as a by-product of gold, copper, lead and zinc mining, and silver extracted from recycled materials, primarily used photographic materials.
Silver’s artistic beauty and status make it one of the most romantic and sought after precious metals.These industries represent 95 percent of annual silver consumption. Silver’s superior properties make it a highly desirable industrial component. The demand for silver comes primarily from three areas; industrial uses, jewelry and silverware, and photography.
The unique properties include beauty, ductility,  sensitivity to light, malleability and electrical and strength, thermal conductivity, reflectivity and the ability to endure extreme temperature changes. The uses of silver are listed below:-
*in making valuabe utendils,cois and jewelleries.
*in silver plating.
*in making plane mirrors.
*in making silver nitrate and other chemicals.
*in making silver bromide which is used in making negatives in photography.

Silver

Silver is truly an indispensible precious metal.which have a great importance in presen world. It fulfills demand as both an investment asset and as an industrial metal. from ancient civilizations through modern times it has a grat value.it has been used in many substances It can be found in our smart phones, flat-screen televisions, and also find use in a variety of medical and so on.
prescribely,Argentite is the main ore of silver. First of all, the ore is powdered,concentrated and heated by hot air after mixing with sodium cyanide in a furnace.then zinc powder is added and stirred.silvver separates but obtained in this way is purified by electrolysis.

There are many different types of silver coins .
Silver coins are a very popular with coin collecting enthusiasts.

Popular silver coins include:

British Silver Britannia's
Chinese Silver Pandas
The American Silver Eagle
Canadian Silver Maple Leaves
The Australian Silver Kookaburra
Australian Silver Kangaroos
Australian Chinese Lunar Calendar Series

 The silver content is usually never more than 40 percent and are not considered collectors coins anyway.The above  coins are pure silver refined to 99 percent or better and It is a good idea to purchase proof coins rather than uncirculated, since proof coins retain their mint condition whereas uncirculated can possibility have scuff and other marks on the coins Steer clear of the early nickels and dimes that contain silver

Process of making gold

Mining

Mining is the first method , a machine called a "hydraulic giant" uses a high pressure stream of water to knock the gold ore off of banks containing the ore and  The gold ore is then washed down into sluices or troughs that have grooves to collect the gold.

  it is deposited it vein, the gold is mixed with another mineral, often quartz, in a vein that has filled a split in the surrounding rocks. Gold is obtained from lode deposits by drilling, blasting, or shoveling the surrounding rock. . The gold ore is then gathered up and taken for refinement. Using picks and small explosives, they then remove the gold ore from the surrounding rock.
   
    The three main methods used to mine placer deposits are hydraulic mining, dredging, and power shoveling Dredging and power shoveling involve the same techniques but work with different size buckets or shovels. In dredging, buckets on a conveyor line scoop sand, gravel, and gold ore from the bottom of streams.

Grinding

After the gold ore has been mined, it usually is washed and filtered at the mine as a preliminary refinement technique. It is taken  to mills, it is first combined with water and ground into smaller chunks. after it The resulting mixture is then further ground in a ball mill a rotating cylindrical vessel that uses steel balls to pulverize the ore.







.separating the gold from ore

A chemical element, Au, atomic number 79 and atomic weight 196.967, a deep yellow, soft, and very dense metal. Gold is classed as a heavy metal and as a noble metal; commercially, it is the most familiar of the precious metals. Copper, silver, and gold are in the same group of the periodic table of elements. There are many methods to separate the gold from the ore.floatation involves the separation of gold from its ore by using certain chemicals and air. The ore is dumped into a solution that contains a frothing agent ,a collecting, and a mixture of organic. The solution is then aerated air bubbles are blown in and the gold attaches to the air bubbles. The bubbles float to the top, and the gold is skimmed off.

The ground ore is placed in a tank containing a weak solution of cyanide. zinc is added to the tank, causing a chemical at the end result is the precipitation (separation) of the gold from its ore. The gold precipitate is then separated from the cyanide solution in a filter press. A similar method is amalgamation, which uses the same process with different chemicals. asolution carries the ground ore over plates covered with mercury. The mercury attracts the gold, forming an alloy called an amalgam. by heating the amalgam, causing the mercury to boil off as a gas and leaving behind the gold and The mercury is collected, recycled and used again in the same process.
    The carbon-in-pulp method also uses cyanide, but utilizes carbon instead of zinc to precipitate the gold. The first step is to mix the ground ore with water to form a pulp. Next, cyanide is added to dissolve the gold, and then carbon is added to bond with the gold. After the carbon particles are removed from the pulp, they are placed in a hot caustic  carbon solution, which separates the gold from the carbon.this is the way to separate the gold from the ore.

Physical characterstics

The  physical characterstics of gold goes like this The Pure gold is known as 24K gold, but most jewelry is made from either 18K gold, 14K gold or 10K gold. today's world the  yellow gold is still probably the most popular color of gold, by mixing gold with other alloys, jewelers can create stunning golden shades.which looks very beautiful the  White gold, pink gold, rose gold, orange gold and even green gold are just some of the many colors of gold.
Gold, whose chemical symbol is Au, is malleable, ductile, and sectile, and its high thermal and electrical conductivity as well as its resistance to oxidation make its uses innumerable. Malleability is the ability of gold and other metals to be pressed or hammered into thin sheets, 10 times as thin as a sheet of paper n are sometimes evaporated onto glass for infrared reflectivity, molded as fillings for teeth, or used as a coating or plating for parts.

The Precious Metal Gold

Gold the symbol of kings and the treasure of nations, desired by all but possessed by few, gold has been cherished for all of recorded history.  Gold is the  perfect money for 5 the reasons :-
* Convenience and portability
      Gold will always be  lifetime of wealth and  will fit in pocket.
*Divisibility
      Gold can easily be divided into smaller amounts. An ounce of gold can be split 100 or even
      1000 times.                        
*Consistency
       One ounce of pure gold is exactly the same as any other ounce, enabling worldwide trade
       and  liquidity  of gold – unlike unique items of jewelry or artwork.

*Demand
       Gold is still perfect money, perhaps more perfect money than money. Gold remains the
       time-honored standard of wealth that no other currency can match.
     
       Gold has a staggering variety of uses, even more today than in Aristotle’s time. Its unique
       properties keep the demand high and the relative scarcity of the metal insures continued
       value and in the present time day by day the demand of gold is increasing.In the present
        world it has a great importance
     
*Durability
      Gold has a very good durability it is unaffected by air,water,and ecen moost acids.
      Gold won’t rot, break, crumble, decay, corrode or tarnish. so it has a very good durability .

GOLD

Gold is an nobel metal. it is not affected by any of the naturally occuring substances.it is not rusted  all these features reside on the gold. hence, it's called king of metal.
it  is a soft, yellow, corrosion-resistant element, the most malleable and ductile metal,  A good thermal and electrical conductor, gold is generally alloyed to increase its strength, and it is used as an international monetary standard, in jewelry, for decoration, and as a plated coating on a wide variety of electrical and mechanical components.it is  recognizable by its yellowish cast, is one of the oldest metals used by humans.


the atomic number of gold is 79, its  atomic weight is 196.967; melting point 1,063.0°C; boiling point 2,966.0°C; specific gravity 19.32; valence 1, 3. The Latin name for gold, aurum is the source of the chemical symbol (Au).

 About 65 percent of processed gold is used in the arts industry, mainly to make jewelry. Besides jewelry, gold is also used in the electrical, electronic, and ceramics industries. The remaining percentage of mined gold is used to make a type of ruby colored glass called purple of Cassius, which is applied to office building windows to reduce the heat in the summer, and to mirrors used in space and in electroscopy so that they reflect the infrared spectrum. These indicates gold precious substances.