Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Investment Philosopy
What is the Best Investment
Understanding Gold is Fun and Important
Why is understanding Gold important?
If you are interested in history, sociology, economics, art, fashion, science, literature, investments, speculation; gold has has something interesting to learn. Gold has played a major role in our history, economics, culture, science for quite a long time. The properties of gold simple and unique. However, understanding the fascination power and symbolism can be bit complex.
Gold is currently worn, adored, stored, hoarded and speculating on everyday. It is being stored in Fort Knox in New York and mined everyday in remote places in the world. Gold inspires passion, pain, blood, birth, celebration, love and death.
In 1821 Britain gold as the single monetary standard. Gold has backed currencies paid off debts and been accepted as a form of payment for over 3,000 years.
Gold is fun because it’s can be used to create beautiful works or art to wear and admire. It can also be fun for the investor and speculator to attempt to make money on it.
Properties of Gold
Gold has the atomic symbol Au and the atomic number 79. It is very dense, but can be easily combined in alloys.
Pure gold is a yellow, lusterous, dense, malleable, ductile, soft, and resist oxidation from air and water. However, the metal can resist attacks from individual acids but dissolves in certain mixtures of acids. The substance melts at 1065.18 degrees Celsius. The element fairs very well in environments of air, moisture, corrosive agents, or other chemical forces.
The price of gold is decided by purity and its weight. Pure gold, also known as 24K gold, is very malleable and ductile. However, when it is made into an alloy, whether 18K (75% gold) or 14K (58.3% gold), it is more durable and practical for everyday use
How to Refine Gold
Creating consumer-ready gold is a process that involves three steps: prospecting, extracting, and then refining gold.
One of the most difficult phases of creating processed gold is finding it. There are a variety of ways to find gold, such as gold panning, metal detecting, sluicing, dredging, and mining. Panning for gold is easiest, but mining is the most practical for large-scale production. With mining, geologists search for of gold in rocks and soil. If there are indications of gold, scientists drill samples, take them to the lab, and analyze their gold content. Next, if samples turn out positive, miners will take some of that rock from the ground. They now need to isolate it and refine it into actual gold. First, the large chunks of rock are broken down into smaller pieces by crushers. Once the ore becomes a powder, it is put into water to form a pulp. This liquid runs through a leaching tank, which dissolves the gold out of the ore through the use of chemicals. (Usually, cyanide is the most common solvent used.) Then comes a filter, which prevents the pulp from passing but allows the dissolved gold to go through. The last procedure called electro-winning delivers an electric current to the liquid to remove any last leaching chemicals. Later, gold is melted into chunks and is shipped off to other refineries for better processing.
Refining gold is the last stage of gold production. It removes impurities that may be left in the gold. First, gold must be completely melted, which usually happens at 1102 degrees Celsius. Once everything is melted, borax and soda ash are added. Next, the liquid gold is poured into a mold and is left to settle, where the larger impurities settle on the top, and the dense gold sinks to the bottom. Once everything hardens, the gold would form the bottom layer of the molded substance. It can then be broken off from the rest of the impurities. Later, the gold might need to be remelted and purified once again.
Understanding Gold Purity
Understanding Gold Purity
Ounce = 28.35 Grams
Kilo = 35.27 Ounces
Gram = .035 Ounces
24Kt 100% Gold
22Kt 91.6% Gold
18Kt 75.0% Gold
14Kt 58.3% Gold
12Kt 50.0% Gold
10Kt 41.7% Gold
Gold Mining
Gold mining is the extracting of gold from the ground. There are several methods, techniques and processes which gold is mined from the earth. It’s impossible to know when gold was found but estimates are about 7,000 years.
Gold in it’s native form are in nuggets, grains of rocks, in veins, and in alluvial deposits.
Why is Gold so Valuable
In simplest terms, gold is valuable because it is enduring. Gold is practically indestructible. You can hammer gold, you can drop in the ocean for 1,000 years, and it will endure. It has resistance to water, salt, and air.
Every since gold has been discover more than 7,000 years ago, gold has been a part of human culture to represent beauty and wealth. Gold has remarkable qualities which is the reason it’s used for jewelry.
Because of gold’s rarity, beauty, history, symbolism, and natural properties; gold is used for industry, investment and especially for jewelry.
Why are Diamonds so Valuable
A Diamonds are unique and remarkable natural physical attributes is what makes a diamond so valuable. These attributes of beauty and rarity have fascinated men and it’s these special characteristics that have created a $70 billion global industry and become ingrained into modern culture.
These special physical and optical properties have created a huge demand and appreciation for them. Finding, mining, cutting, classifying, storing, distributing them are not only costly but time consuming.
Diamonds provide great value to many of those who own them be providing an artistic feeling of beauty and feeling of economic power and status.
To many, a diamonds beauty, rarity, unique properties and symbolism makes it so desirable. Whatever is rare and desirable will make it valuable.
Men want diamonds because is represents power, wealth, and prestige. Women want diamonds because of of the symbolism of romance and love. Diamonds also represents beauty and wealth which can elevate the status of the owner.
Diamonds are associated with wealth and money. And money conveys power and prestige. Diamonds symbolize power and prestige. On a global scale, diamonds are a $70 billion dollar industry and $30 billion dollars in the U.S.
Diamonds are a natural mineral formed underneath the earth’s surface and found and mined in remote places in the world. Diamonds are used in industry, investment, and inspiration for beauty. Diamonds are extremely difficult to find, facet, and fashion into jewelry.
Diamonds are literally the most compact form of wealth and ultimate symbol of wealth, power, beauty, and love. Diamonds have enduring characteristics such hardness, brilliance, rarity, portability and durability that make it a very desirable, powerful and valuable product.
Diamonds are a main component of jewelry and typically used for engagement rings, pendants, earrings, bracelets, bangles, anniversaries gifts and other very special occasions.
Diamonds are not only adored in the U.S. but all over the world. Just like people, diamonds are unique and it’s impossible to find two diamonds alike. Each diamond possesses it’s own personality. Some are introverted, some are extroverted, some are beautiful and some are not. But all are special in it’s own way.
The Purpose of Jewelry
Jewelry has endured for thousands of years. And should continue to endure for thousands of more. Established jewelry making most likely began in ancient Egypt about 5,000 years ago, but no one is for certain. The Egyptians preferred using precious stones and gold over other metals.
The main purpose of jewelry is for adornment or express an emotion. Jewelry is used to enhance the beauty or status of the wearer or signify a relationship. Often jewelry is worn to express love, distinguish the owner, elevate the economic status or attract attention. Jewelry is made for practically every body part. From nose rings to toe rings.
Jewelry is made by a wide variety of materials but typically it’s made from precious metals and gemstones. The form and function of jewelry are typically used to display artistic beauty, status, symbolism, and wealth.
The price range for jewelry can range from affordable to outrageous.
What is Gold Used For
Yoga Economics
I have been practicing yoga for about three years and running my family business for approximately ten years. I have had lots of ups and downs with my business and have used yoga to help my business and health in many years. Many people have heard of yoga and would probably feel strange that yoga can be applied to business.
However, I felt that during my yoga practice, that I would learn lots of principles that I could apply to my business like breathing, centering myself, stretching, calming the mind, meditation, visualizing just to name a few. I am going to discuss concepts of yoga and applying to money, finance, investment and economics.
Yogic Investments
Warren Buffett is probably the most successful and famous investor in United States. I think he has a yogic approach to his investment style. He is patient, calm, and humble.
Patience is an important characteristic in life, yoga, and investments. You need the endurance and stamina to research an investment and the patience to find the right investment and holding on to it for the appropriate amount of time. Rushing to every investment is dangerous and not recommended. You can make huge mistakes on the wrong investment.
Investment should not be treated as gambling. Many people view investments as a gamble and there are risk to any investment. As a Yogi, I would not invest in areas that would hurt people or the environment.