1. Why should I buy Gold during current economic times?
At the moment world economies are suffering from a debt crisis. Not only companies and individuals are suffering, countries are going bankrupt. Your paper money is losing value by the day. We all know and have experienced how our hard earned money buys us less and less every day. Gold has consistently kept its value and has never been affected by inflation. It has always been a stable store of value.
2. Is buying Gold Platinum Silver a stable investment?
Gold and related precious commodities have always been stable throughout our turbulent economic times. In comparison to stocks, shares and bonds the Gold price has been less volatile and turbulent. Gold in Rand terms has been in a constant upward trend since 1971. World experts expect Gold Platinum and Silver to appreciate much further.
3. What is the difference between Bullion Gold Platinum Silver Bars and Gold Coins with regard to value and tradability?
Coins have a collector’s value which makes them more difficult to trade with. A collector’s coin might increase in value on paper but you still need a buyer who will pay the value price. Bullion Bars are far more tradable as they are closely linked to the traded price of Gold. In this regard your Bullion Bars can be sold immediately at the daily traded price multiplied by the weight of your Bullion Bar
4. What is the difference between a Kruger Rand and Bullion Bars?
A Kruger Rand and Bullion Bars are the only Gold Investment closely related to the spot traded price of Gold. Both are regarded as legal tender and as such can be traded with ease. The difference between a Kruger rand and Bullion Bars of Gold is the purity. A Gold Bar is 24carat or 99.9 proof (Gold purity) whereas a Kruger Rand coin is in the region of 22 carat which amounts to 91% proof (Gold purity).
5. What is difference between keeping money in a savings account and investing in Gold Platinum and Silver with regard to costs and charges?
Investing in Bullion Bars only has a once off fee charge from us whereas your money in a savings account is subject to banking charges which is standard banking procedure. When you redeem your investment with Amathuba or Investcare you will not be subject to any charges.
6. What is difference between keeping money in a savings account and investing in Gold Platinum and Silver with regard to the return on your investment?
If one looks at the average return of a savings account over the past 7 years one would have received in the region of 9% to 16% in an average fixed deposit account. Gold, Platinum and Silver have on average achieved 300% to 400% over a five to seven year period. Seven years ago R250 000 would have appreciated to R1100 000. A similar investment in a banking account would not have achieved such returns.
7. Would investing in Bullion Bars of Gold, Platinum and Silver be better than investment insurance policy returns.
If one analyses the return of many insurance policies over the past 7 years one would not have attained the same capital appreciation as one would if you had invested in Gold platinum and Silver.
8. How tradable and liquid is Gold Platinum Silver Bullion Bars in comparison to other investment.
Gold and other precious commodities are easily tradable and extremely liquid. They can be traded at anytime immediately at the spot traded price of Gold Platinum or Silver anywhere in the world in any currency.
9. Where can I sell my Gold Platinum or Silver Bullion Bar?
You can immediately sell it to us where you will obtain the spot traded price of the precious metal and we will not charge you any costs. You may also trade your Investment Bar at any Gold Dealer even Gold Smith.
10.Are there likely to be new practical uses for gold discovered in the coming years?
Almost certainly. There is a very active network of university researchers studying the advanced scientific properties of gold, actively supported by the gold mining industry. The last international gathering of these researchers attracted over 250 delegates from around the world, see www.gold2006.org for more details.Scientists are looking at how gold can be used effectively for a diverse range of new applications including advanced electronics, fuel cells, cancer treatments, and chemical catalysts. In the last 10 years over 39,000 patent applications were published relating to the technical use of gold in practical applications, so new uses for gold will soon emerge based on these patented technologies.
11.As well as electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance, what other properties of gold are useful?
Gold, like other important metals, has some unique physical, chemical, and optical attributes that mean it is the best material for a certain application. For example, gold is very ductile and for some electronic components like bonding wires, the ability to draw gold alloys into extremely thin diameters without breaking is a critical property in the manufacturing process.Gold is also extremely malleable, so in the annealed state it can be hammered cold into a translucent wafer 0.000013 cm thick. One ounce of gold can be beaten into a sheet covering over 9 square metres and 0.000018 cm thick. Bulk gold has a familiar yellow colour of course. However, when particles of gold are small enough their colour is actually ruby red.This effect has been used to colour glass red, even in Roman times, but if such tiny particles are allowed to coalesce in a controlled fashion, their colour can be varied from pink through violet to blue.This unique property has been used as a colorimetric indicator in home pregnancy tests
12.How big is the gold investment market?
In 2005, the overall gold market saw inflows of US$ 56 billion, of which nearly US$ 9 billion represented investment flows. Ultimately, the size of the gold investment market is some proportion of all the gold that has ever been mined.  On this basis, gold represents around 4% of the market capitalisation of global bonds and equities
13.How much gold has been mined?
The best estimates available suggest that the total volume of gold ever mined up to the end of 2009 was approximately 165,000 tonnes, of which around 65% has been mined since 1950.
14.How much gold is still underground?
The major gold producers increased their reported reserves to 719.7 million oz or over 22,000 tonnes at the end of 2005, according to Metals Economics Group. Assuming a 10% recovery loss when the ore is extracted, this would amount to 14 years of gold production at 2005's level. In practice the amount of known resources remains fairly constant over time since the results of new exploration finds replace those resources that are exploited.
15.How much gold is there in the world?
At the end of 2009, it is estimated that all the gold ever mined amounts to about 165,000 tonnes.
16.How much is a gram of gold worth?
The gold price is usually quoted in US dollars per troy ounce. To calculate the cost of one gram of gold, divide the US dollar price for one troy ounce by 31.1035 (one fine troy ounce is equal to 31.1035 grams). Multiply the answer then by the RandDollar value to obtain the Rand price per gram.
17.Is gold a global currency?
Gold has retained its role as a monetary asset. Central banks around the world still hold around 12 per cent of their reserves in gold, and even private individuals can and do use gold to settle payments.  However, gold is not “issued” by any particular government and is not beholden to any political regime.  In this sense, it is a truly global, international currency, free of political or national association and liability.
18.Is gold a high risk or low risk investment?
In general, gold is considered a low risk investment because its price is typically not very volatile.  The gold price tends not to fluctuate more than the world’s largest blue-chip stock market indices like the S&P 500.  That is why many investors with low-risk profiles are attracted to gold.  However, investors in high risk assets also find gold useful because they can use it to manage their risk
19.Why do people invest in gold?
People around the world invest in gold for many different reasons.  Many people view gold as a reliable source of value in times of trouble.  Gold offers insurance against stock market failure and has proved to be a liquid, transportable asset for refugees needing to flee their countries. More and more people understand that by investing in gold, they are protecting themselves against a range of risks, such as weakness of the US dollar; unexpected inflation; and low returns on other assets.  Some people simply want to own as asset they can trust, because it is real and holds its value over the long term.