Gold jewelry is beautiful and very desirable to many. But does gold jewelry have value as an investment? First, let’s explore gold in general and see if gold itself is a good investment.
Gold is a precious metal that has been used as a store of value, and as valuable jewelry for over 4000 years. Considering its physical properties, gold has always been ideal for a medium of exchange for goods and services.
Gold doesn't corrode, which makes it a store of value that can maintain its worth, unlike assets that depreciate over time. Also, it is rare enough not to be readily available to everyone, but abundant enough to be used as currency, jewelry, and scientific purposes.
It’s shiny and metallic qualities, scarcity, and difficulty of extraction, have made gold a valuable commodity. There are other precious metals, but “Gold” is considered by many to be a good investment. Why?
It is an effective diversifier of an investment portfolio and gives a competitive return when compared to other financial assets such as stocks.
It is seen as the best investment to protect yourself during stock market declines and inflation. History shows that the price of gold rises in times of high inflation.
Compared to all other investment’s gold scores has the highest liquidity. It can be converted to cash any time it is needed. Gold has, for this century, been the best performing and safest asset class.
GOLD JEWELRY AS AN INVESTMENT
Wearable Wealth - for thousands of years, gold was used as money. Long before coins, pure gold jewelry was used as money and used for barter. Gold jewelry was one of the first forms of money that were “wearable wealth.” So, it is not a new idea; it is actually the original way of keeping gold.
One of the advantages of having gold jewelry is its portability. Traveling with it allows you to move from country to country without the hassle of reporting it. When a country asks if you're bringing ten thousand dollars or more of cash or cash equivalents such as stocks and bonds, jewelry is not on the list.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT JEWELRY
If you are going to buy jewelry with the idea in mind of it being an investment, you will want to not just buy any gold jewelry. You should know that there are different grades of gold. Depending on the purity they are rated at 10, 12, 14, 18, 22, or 24 karats.
Most “gold” jewelry you will find today is 14 karats, which is only about 58 percent gold. To get the most gold for your money, go for 22K, which is 91.67% gold or 24K, almost pure gold at 99.99%.
24K jewelry is just a little more valuable than jewelry of the same weight but made with gold of lesser purity. For the small price difference, it is probably better to invest in 22K gold.
Pure gold is very soft and easy to shape and mold into tiny pieces, but it can break and is easily scratched. For that reason, you will find more 22K gold jewelry for sale than 24K gold as it’s stronger and more durable.
INVESTMENT GRADE GOLD JEWELRY
When buying gold jewelry as an investment, you will want to look for “investment-grade jewelry.” This is defined as jewelry as a store of value that can appreciate over time. Other factors to look at that can make gold jewelry investment grade are:
- Who made it? Was it made by famous a quality jeweler or manufacturer?
- Type and quality of gemstone(s) if included in the design
- The rarity or impending depletion
There are companies that sell jewelry for people who are looking to make an investment. But if you just look at these factors, you can find jewelry that can make a good investment.
Some of the advantages of investment-grade gold jewelry besides future monetary gain are:
- Portability - traveling and transporting money is easier and is always accessible.
- Wealth Transfer – leaving wealth to your heirs by way of transferring while you are alive can be done in a more straightforward way as a gift.
- Taxes – Gold jewelry has less tax and reporting complexity.
VALUE OF GOLD VS. THE JEWELRY
Keep in mind when you buy a particular piece of Jewelry, it is going to cost more than the value of the gold it is made with at that time. There is, of course, a markup by the jeweler. Now that doesn’t sound like a good deal when you can buy just gold at the market price plus a little for the dealer.
What you have to think about is the future price of gold. If that goes up then you are closer to making a profit. With the way things are going now with the financial situation in the USA and the world at large, it is very possible for the gold price to go way higher.
However, investing in any precious metals always carries some risk as the market fluctuates wildly. But in general, gold has always been an asset to have in the worst of circumstances. Gold jewelry can be a great form of insurance in depressions or recessions. In the meantime, you can enjoy wearing them.
GOLD JEWELRY, AN ASSET WORTH HAVING
When you buy jewelry, just think of it as acquiring an asset, which it is. But an investment should make you money. If it doesn’t do that, then buying gold jewelry may not be a good investment. Investing in anything whether gold, jewelry, stocks, bonds, commodities, or others, you need to study the market and be wise in your decisions.
You can always find a professional investment consultant to guide you – if you have money you are willing to risk and it meets your financial goals.
There is no form of money like investment-grade gold jewelry. It is more portable, more discreet, and retains its value like few investment opportunities do over time. At the very least, beautiful gold jewelry is a gift to give loved ones with lasting value.
