Gold Bars

Find answers to How many ounces are in a gram of gold?, Is gold a good investment? and Why would you invest in gold? below. Some famous Brands & Refiners Hallmarks of gold bars are Credit Suisse, PAMP Suisse, and the Perth Mint.

This is the smallest size generally owned for investment purposes. The premium over the “spot price” for these tiny bars is quite high, since the manufacturing process is the same as for a larger bar. The benefit of a small bar is that it makes it easy to liquidate small quantities at a time. These are like the “small bills” of the gold world.

The conveniently-sized 10 gram (just under 1/3 Troy oz) gold bar is the smallest bar that still feels weighty and solid when you hold it in your hand.

The 20 gram is close enough in size and weight to 1 Troy oz that it can easily be mistaken by someone without much experience holding different bars.

The 1 Troy oz gold bar is the most common size traded around the world. Even countries that use the metric system still produce bars (and coins) in the 1 Troy oz size, since it is so popular. In the gold business, if someone just says “gold bar,” they are probably referring to the 1 Troy oz size. While we’re on the subject, don’t confuse a Troy ounce (the unit of measure used for precious metals) with the avoirdupois ounce (like your local grocery store or bathroom scale might use). A Troy ounce is “heavier” than an avoirdupois ounce. There are 31.1 grams in a Troy ounce, but only 28.35 grams in a “regular” avoirdupois ounce. This bar is about the same size as a military dog-tag, but a bit thicker.

Since its discovery, the precious metal gold has never ceased to fascinate. Initially used heavily in pieces of jewelry and currency, today it can be found in a number of other various industries due to its impressive conductivity and malleability. Though currently it's not often found in circulated pieces of currency, the precious metal is still widely collected across the world by civilians and governments alike. While gold coins or rounds are still popular, frequently gold is stockpiled in bar form due to a number of factors like the number of available sizes and how easy it is to track, stack, and store. Here at the U.S. Gold Bureau, we take a lot of pride in the wide variety of gold we offer. This is especially true when it comes to our stock of gold bars. Ranging in size from 1 ounce bars to 100 gram bars, you should be able to find whatever sized ingot you're looking for. What's more, we carry bars from a number of different refiners and manufacturers. Get bars made by International Trade Bullion or take a look at package deals that contain gold bullion from a number of different refineries like RMC, Perth Mint, and PAMP.

Gold bars can refer to a multitude of different things. Also called ingots or bullion, a gold bar in the most simple terms is gold of certain purity that has been formed into the shape of a rectangular cube. However, there are a lot more terms that can be applied to better describe a gold bar. For instance, if a gold bar is minted, that means it went through a more rigorous creation process. It involves a bank or refinery cutting the gold into set dimensions. In this way, minted gold bars should all be precise in regards to dimensions and purity. A cast bar is easier to make. It merely involves pouring the melted gold into a mold and then letting it form and harden into a bar form. Since these bars aren't cut to specific dimensions, cast bars may be unevenly shaped and vary slightly in appearance from bar to bar. It's often common for cast bars to be handled differently than minted bars. A mint bar will frequently be sealed in a protective packaging whereas a cast bar is more likely to be handled directly.

Gold bars, be they mint or cast, are especially popular due to the low premium they carry when compared to smaller pieces like gold coins or rounds.

You may hear gold bars being measured with the term "troy ounces." This term is meant specifically to measure the weights of precious metals like gold. A troy ounce is about 10 percent heavier than a normal ounce and is not used today outside of measuring precious metals and gem stones. The price of gold fluctuates with the market, and as a result, prices of gold bars will fluctuate as well. Even though the U.S. doesn't adhere to the gold standard anymore, the price of gold is something that a lot of Americans still like to keep a close eye on, as many see it as an indicator of our current economic times. Keen investors tend to keep an eye on the price-per-troy-ounce of gold and invest accordingly.

The difference between mint bars and cast bars are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to variations in gold bars. The U.S. Gold Bureau carries a plethora of different sized bars, both cast and mint. One of the most important factors people take into account when buying gold is what size to purchase. As stated previously, gold can be found in almost any weight you can imagine. The single gram or 1 gram bar is about about as small as you can go when it comes to gold bars with investment potential. Sometimes referred to as the "small bills" of the gold world, these tiny bars are just about the size of a thumbtack. The 5, 10, and 20 gram bars are the next steps up in terms of gold bar weights.

The 10 gram bar is often popular because it is still quite tiny, but carries an attractive amount of heft to itself. This is because gold as a metal, although soft and malleable, is still quite heavy. The 20 ounce bars are also popular, in part due to their similar feel and weight of the ubiquitous 1 troy ounce gold bar, which actually weighs just over 30 grams. It's even possible to purchase bars that weigh as much as 50 grams or heavier. These are heavy bars but fit well in the palm of one's hand. One advantage of buying bars in larger sizes is that the price-per-ounce ends up being less than if you were to buy exclusively in small amounts. Just like in most commodities, it can be smart to buy gold in bulk.

These different weights of bars will carry prices depending on a number of factors. First, the spot price of gold--the current market price at which gold is being bought and sold--will drastically effect how much a gold bar will go for. What's more, the refinery that has minted the bar factors in to the overall price. Some refineries have a more distinguished reputation and therefore will charge more for their gold bars. The purity of fineness of the gold itself will also come into play. Gold fineness is measured in karats. You can find gold fineness ranked as 333 which equates to 8 karats, all the way to 24 karat 999.999 fine gold, which is the purest gold bar possible.

If a bar is classified as Good Delivery, it means that is has met a set of specifications set forth by the London Bullion Market Association or LBMA. Bars that are labeled as Good Delivery must at least have a fineness of 995. This is a good specification to look out for when purchasing gold bars for your collection.

The list of metal refineries the U.S. Gold Bureau offers products from is staggering. Regardless of what your favorite mint is, you should be able to find multiple different sized gold bars from them on our site; plus our catalog is expanding all the time. We also offer bars from a number of international mints such as the Australia's Perth Mint and the Royal Canadian Mint.

You can even find gold bars that were refined by the Republic Metals Corporation. Most gold buffs will recognize this refinery as RMC. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, this group has grown to become of the world's primary precious metal refineries. In fact, their modern, state-of-the-art refinery has a refining capacity of upwards of 7,000 combined tons of silver and gold; and it's right here in the United States. We also carry gold bars Credit Suisse, the official bank of Switzerland. Since Credit Suisse Bank is one of the most trusted and secure banks in the world, you can be sure that bars from the Swiss bank are especially popular among sage investors who want to make sure they're purchasing quality metal. When the sheer number of variations is taken into account in terms of gold fineness, weight, and size, it's no wonder that the manufacturing of the gold bar itself is so important to the informed investor.

It probably doesn't come as a surprise to hear that gold is the most popular among precious metals investing. Often, investors will go into gold in an effort to diversify their portfolio and mitigate potential damage in economic recessions. Still, like every other market in the world, the gold market can fluctuate drastically. This doesn't stop people from investing in precious metal, securing it for use in the future. Despite world governments abandoning the gold standard and moving to flat currency, the yellow metal has never fully gone out of style. It carries value all over the world, across border both cultural and physical.

Did you know you can even use your gold in conjunction with your IRA account? If you're interested in a self-directed gold IRA, you can call one of our experts at (800)775-3504. And in order to keep up with just how much the value is changing day-to-day, the savvy investor needs to keep a close eye on the price of gold and other precious metals. We offer constant coverage with our live price tracker. You can even sign up for price updates and a portfolio tracker. If you're at all curious about getting involved in investing with gold, take a look through our site and map out the best potential strategy relative to your investment goals.