Overview of metals
Do you want to use precious metals as an investment object? It is one of the original forms of investing. Precious metals have been in circulation for centuries and result in a fixed value. If you want to invest and are looking for the right precious metal, TheMetalVein is the right place for you.
TheMetalVein searches across national borders for the best price for your precious metal of choice. Whether it be gold, silver, palladium or platinum. Choose your specific coin or bar and immediately see in which country and at which webshop you can get the best deal.
Precious metals are a chemical element that occurs freely in nature but reacts loosely to other substances. Hence the name 'precious metal'. Precious metals do not rust and are resistant to some acids. In their most intense form, the precious metals are often soft and malleable. The most familiar precious metals are gold, silver and platinum. A major advantage of these precious metals is that they retain their value.
Silver
Silver is a precious metal with the symbol Ag, from the Latin word argentum. It reacts slightly faster with other metals than gold, making it slightly less noble. Silver has been a means of payment well into the 20th century and that is why you can still find it in coins today. The national banks still use silver for commemorative coins.
Gold
The largest bullion producers of gold in the world are China, Australia and Russia. The gold stock remains fairly stable and there has been a steady increase over the years. Gold is sold in coins, bars or nuggets. This is why the weight is stated in gold if you want to buy gold. Gold is also often seen in jewelry, luxury objects and sometimes in teeth.
Platinum
Platinum is a precious metal that is widely used in jewelry and in processing equipment with high temperatures. Platinum is difficult to melt hence its use as platinum wire of thermometer. Because platinum is so hard to come by, it is an extremely valuable precious metal. The platinum price is more often above gold than below the gold price. Due to its stable high value, platinum is highly sought after as a coin or bar.
Palladium
Palladium is a precious metal that is discovered in the Earth's crust in an alloy with gold and platinum. The main producers are Russia, South Africa, Canada and the United States. Palladium has an unusual application that can hold its own volume of hydrogen, up to 900 times. Due to this unusual characteristic, the use of palladium in industry has grown in value in recent years.
