One of the most popular investments recently is gold. Diversity is key, and gold can help you balance out your portfolio. It’s sometimes hard to know where you must start. The many options makes this a bit overwhelming. Read on for some great tips that will help you understand the process.

It is always a smart idea to have more than one appraisal when you are considering selling gold. There are a large number of venues for selling your gold, and they each have different target margins. Getting estimates from several establishments will help you make sure that you receive a fair price.

Reputable Buyers

Only sell to reputable buyers. Use resources like the Better Business Bureau and customer reviews. Reputable buyers will pay fair rates for gold and will provide solid customer service. Protect your invest and look into these companies.

Try selling gold online. You don’t need a storefront to buy and sell gold. Numerous websites exist on which to buy and sell gold. Such sites will send kits in which you mail back your gold. They end up paying you once they receive it, but they usually won’t pay you a lot.

While you may be very tempted to quickly send off your old gold scraps and jewelry to a business that buys gold through the mail, do your homework about the company first. Find out when you will receive your money, and never send your package without insuring it first. Also, make a photographic inventory of every item you send.

Make sure you are know exactly what you have. Even though the item looks like gold, it may not have much value. Sometimes other metals might be mixed into gold to make it stronger. This can make the price a lot lower. This is also true of items that are just plated. If you don’t know exactly what you have, consider an appraisal.

Find a gold buyer that lets you send them your gold. Many sellers like this process because it is simple. You simply drop your jewelry items in a prepaid envelope and wait for your check to come in the mail. With the extra expense and the tendency of these companies to pay lower premiums, your profits may be deleted quickly. You might even take a thirty percent loss. Understand that going in.

While gold may be a great investment, it may also be volatile. If you do not have the stomach for quick jumps up and down, stay away. Even if you’re ready to get into these choppy seas, take steps to limit your risk. Never put more than just a fraction of your total investments into gold. Generally, about five percent is an ideal limit.

Karat Values

Divide any gold you plan to sell into groups that contain specific karat values. Don’t allow all of your gold items to be weighed together or you will not get the true karat value. Higher karat values yield higher prices.

A smart gold investor understands how to perform a test to know what the grade of gold is. Purity is rated in karats. Gold with a higher karat value is more valuable per ounce. Although a lot of gold jewelry has a karat stamp, you should verify its accuracy. You can make sure you never pay too much for poor gold quality when you know exactly how to test gold purity.

Understanding how to invest wisely in gold is essential to having a bright financial future through portfolio diversity. This article has tried to help, so you can make good decisions now. Remember though, the information here is meant to help you along the way.